Neighborhood Effects of Herbivore-Induced Plant Resistance Vary Along an Elevational Gradient

Rafael Fonseca Benevenuto; Tarald Seldal; Stein R. Moe; Cesar Rodriguez-Saona; Stein Joar Hegland

doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.00117

Neighborhood Effects of Herbivore-Induced Plant Resistance Vary Along an Elevational Gradient

Rafael Fonseca Benevenuto, Tarald Seldal, Stein R. Moe, Cesar Rodriguez-Saona, Stein Joar Hegland

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The activation of plant defense systems in response to herbivory or experimentally applied methyl jasmonate (MeJA) involves the production of chemical defense substances functioning as warning signals to repel herbivores and protect against pathogens. They also serve as signals detectable by undamaged neighboring plants, a phenomenon called plant–plant communication. We studied how altitudinal variation in temperature and timing of snowmelt affected herbivore resistance, growth and reproduction of untreated bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) 20–500 cm from MeJA-treated ramets. Across 2 years, responses of MeJA-treated and untreated bilberry ramets were recorded twice per season along an elevational gradient in a boreal system. At low and medium altitudes, untreated bilberry showed increased herbivore resistance and reduced growth and reproduction up to 500 cm from MeJA-treated ramets. In the warmer sites at these altitudes, the effects persisted for 2 years for ramets up to 100 cm from the treated ramets. At high altitudes, however, only untreated ramets growing 20–100 cm from the treated ramets showed increased resistance to insect herbivores and reduced reproduction, but these effects did not persist into the second year. Altitudinal variation in climate affected trade-offs between plant defense, growth, and reproduction. Our findings indicate that plant–plant communication is also influenced by the combination of changes in climate and time after induction. Adaptations of plants growing under increasing temperature in high-latitude environments can profoundly impact ecosystem functioning, especially where bilberry, the key plant species in the boreal system, interacts with its herbivores.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	117
Journal	Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Volume	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.00117
State	Published - May 8 2020
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Ecology

Keywords

Vaccinium myrtillus
induced defenses
methyl jasmonate
neighborhood effects
plant–plant communication

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https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.00117

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title = "Neighborhood Effects of Herbivore-Induced Plant Resistance Vary Along an Elevational Gradient",

abstract = "The activation of plant defense systems in response to herbivory or experimentally applied methyl jasmonate (MeJA) involves the production of chemical defense substances functioning as warning signals to repel herbivores and protect against pathogens. They also serve as signals detectable by undamaged neighboring plants, a phenomenon called plant–plant communication. We studied how altitudinal variation in temperature and timing of snowmelt affected herbivore resistance, growth and reproduction of untreated bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) 20–500 cm from MeJA-treated ramets. Across 2 years, responses of MeJA-treated and untreated bilberry ramets were recorded twice per season along an elevational gradient in a boreal system. At low and medium altitudes, untreated bilberry showed increased herbivore resistance and reduced growth and reproduction up to 500 cm from MeJA-treated ramets. In the warmer sites at these altitudes, the effects persisted for 2 years for ramets up to 100 cm from the treated ramets. At high altitudes, however, only untreated ramets growing 20–100 cm from the treated ramets showed increased resistance to insect herbivores and reduced reproduction, but these effects did not persist into the second year. Altitudinal variation in climate affected trade-offs between plant defense, growth, and reproduction. Our findings indicate that plant–plant communication is also influenced by the combination of changes in climate and time after induction. Adaptations of plants growing under increasing temperature in high-latitude environments can profoundly impact ecosystem functioning, especially where bilberry, the key plant species in the boreal system, interacts with its herbivores.",

keywords = "Vaccinium myrtillus, induced defenses, methyl jasmonate, neighborhood effects, plant–plant communication",

author = "Benevenuto, {Rafael Fonseca} and Tarald Seldal and Moe, {Stein R.} and Cesar Rodriguez-Saona and Hegland, {Stein Joar}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was financially supported by the Norwegian Research Council (project no. 204403/E40), the Norwegian Environment Agency. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright {\textcopyright} 2020 Benevenuto, Seldal, Moe, Rodriguez-Saona and Hegland.",

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T1 - Neighborhood Effects of Herbivore-Induced Plant Resistance Vary Along an Elevational Gradient

AU - Benevenuto, Rafael Fonseca

AU - Seldal, Tarald

AU - Moe, Stein R.

AU - Rodriguez-Saona, Cesar

AU - Hegland, Stein Joar

N1 - Funding Information: This research was financially supported by the Norwegian Research Council (project no. 204403/E40), the Norwegian Environment Agency. Publisher Copyright: © Copyright © 2020 Benevenuto, Seldal, Moe, Rodriguez-Saona and Hegland.

PY - 2020/5/8

Y1 - 2020/5/8

N2 - The activation of plant defense systems in response to herbivory or experimentally applied methyl jasmonate (MeJA) involves the production of chemical defense substances functioning as warning signals to repel herbivores and protect against pathogens. They also serve as signals detectable by undamaged neighboring plants, a phenomenon called plant–plant communication. We studied how altitudinal variation in temperature and timing of snowmelt affected herbivore resistance, growth and reproduction of untreated bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) 20–500 cm from MeJA-treated ramets. Across 2 years, responses of MeJA-treated and untreated bilberry ramets were recorded twice per season along an elevational gradient in a boreal system. At low and medium altitudes, untreated bilberry showed increased herbivore resistance and reduced growth and reproduction up to 500 cm from MeJA-treated ramets. In the warmer sites at these altitudes, the effects persisted for 2 years for ramets up to 100 cm from the treated ramets. At high altitudes, however, only untreated ramets growing 20–100 cm from the treated ramets showed increased resistance to insect herbivores and reduced reproduction, but these effects did not persist into the second year. Altitudinal variation in climate affected trade-offs between plant defense, growth, and reproduction. Our findings indicate that plant–plant communication is also influenced by the combination of changes in climate and time after induction. Adaptations of plants growing under increasing temperature in high-latitude environments can profoundly impact ecosystem functioning, especially where bilberry, the key plant species in the boreal system, interacts with its herbivores.

AB - The activation of plant defense systems in response to herbivory or experimentally applied methyl jasmonate (MeJA) involves the production of chemical defense substances functioning as warning signals to repel herbivores and protect against pathogens. They also serve as signals detectable by undamaged neighboring plants, a phenomenon called plant–plant communication. We studied how altitudinal variation in temperature and timing of snowmelt affected herbivore resistance, growth and reproduction of untreated bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) 20–500 cm from MeJA-treated ramets. Across 2 years, responses of MeJA-treated and untreated bilberry ramets were recorded twice per season along an elevational gradient in a boreal system. At low and medium altitudes, untreated bilberry showed increased herbivore resistance and reduced growth and reproduction up to 500 cm from MeJA-treated ramets. In the warmer sites at these altitudes, the effects persisted for 2 years for ramets up to 100 cm from the treated ramets. At high altitudes, however, only untreated ramets growing 20–100 cm from the treated ramets showed increased resistance to insect herbivores and reduced reproduction, but these effects did not persist into the second year. Altitudinal variation in climate affected trade-offs between plant defense, growth, and reproduction. Our findings indicate that plant–plant communication is also influenced by the combination of changes in climate and time after induction. Adaptations of plants growing under increasing temperature in high-latitude environments can profoundly impact ecosystem functioning, especially where bilberry, the key plant species in the boreal system, interacts with its herbivores.

KW - Vaccinium myrtillus

KW - induced defenses

KW - methyl jasmonate

KW - neighborhood effects

KW - plant–plant communication

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DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.00117

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SN - 2296-701X

VL - 8

JO - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

JF - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

M1 - 117

ER -

Neighborhood Effects of Herbivore-Induced Plant Resistance Vary Along an Elevational Gradient

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

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