Long-term neighbor identity influences effectiveness of sagebrush responses to damage-induced volatiles of those neighbors.

ABSTRACT: Many organisms modify their behavior and morphology in response to alarm signals, reducing their risk of consumption. In animals, learning enhances responses to reliable alarm sources. Similarly, sagebrush increases resistance to herbivory when exposed to volatiles from damaged conspecifics, particularly when the sender and receiver share the same chemotype. However, it is unclear whether long-term exposure to a particular chemotypes improves responses to that cues. We tested this in sagebrush with thujone and camphor chemotypes. Camphor chemotypes experienced less damage overall than thujone chemotypes. As expected, branches exposed to volatiles suffered less herbivory than controls. Importantly, when a plant's chemotype matched both its volatile cue source and its long-term neighbors, re

SUBMITTER: Shiojiri K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12623956 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature