Intraspecific chemodiversity provides plant individual- and neighbourhood-mediated associational resistance towards aphids.

ABSTRACT: Some plant species express an extraordinarily high intraspecific diversity in phytochemicals (= chemodiversity). As discussed for biodiversity, higher chemodiversity may provide better protection against environmental stress, including herbivory. However, little is known about whether the resistance of a plant individual towards herbivores is mostly governed by its own chemodiversity or by associational resistance provided by conspecific neighbours. To investigate the role of chemodiversity in plant-aphid interactions, we used the Asteraceae Tanacetum vulgare, whose individuals differ pronouncedly in the composition of leaf terpenoids, forming distinct chemotypes. Plants were set up in a field consisting of plots containing five individuals of either the same or different chemotypes

SUBMITTER: Ziaja D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10111025 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature