Age-dependent resistance of a perennial herb, Aristolochia contorta against specialist and generalist leaf-chewing herbivores.

ABSTRACT: Plants need to balance investments in growth and defense throughout their life to increase their fitness. To optimize fitness, levels of defense against herbivores in perennial plants may vary according to plant age and season. However, secondary plant metabolites often have a detrimental effect on generalist herbivores, while many specialists have developed resistance to them. Therefore, varying levels of defensive secondary metabolites depending on plant age and season may have different effects on the performance of specialist and generalist herbivores colonizing the same host plants. In this study, we analyzed concentrations of defensive secondary metabolites (aristolochic acids) and the nutritional value (C/N ratios) of 1^st-, 2^nd- and 3^rd-year Arist

SUBMITTER: Jeong SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10265686 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature