Premium
Within‐plant signalling via volatiles overcomes vascular constraints on systemic signalling and primes responses against herbivores
Author(s) -
Frost Christopher J.,
Appel Heidi M.,
Carlson John E.,
De Moraes Consuelo M.,
Mescher Mark C.,
Schultz Jack C.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01043.x
Subject(s) - herbivore , biology , signalling , lymantria dispar , botany , ecology , plant tolerance to herbivory , plant life , larva , microbiology and biotechnology , geography , forestry
Abstract Plant volatiles play important roles in signalling between plants and insects, but their role in communication among plants remains controversial. Previous research on plant–plant communication has focused on interactions between neighbouring plants, largely overlooking the possibility that volatiles function as signals within plants. Here, we show that volatiles released by herbivore‐wounded leaves of hybrid poplar ( Populus deltoides × nigra ) prime defences in adjacent leaves with little or no vascular connection to the wounded leaves. Undamaged leaves exposed to volatiles from wounded leaves on the same stem had elevated defensive responses to feeding by gypsy moth larvae ( Lymantria dispar L.) compared with leaves that did not receive volatiles. Volatile signals may facilitate systemic responses to localized herbivory even when the transmission of internal signals is constrained by vascular connectivity. Self‐signalling via volatiles is consistent with the short distances over which plant response to airborne cues has been observed to occur and has apparent benefits for emitting plants, suggesting that within‐plant signalling may have equal or greater ecological significance than signalling between plants.