Plant community diversity influences allocation to direct chemical defence in Plantago lanceolata.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Forecasting the consequences of accelerating rates of changes in biodiversity for ecosystem functioning requires a mechanistic understanding of the relationships between the structure of biological communities and variation in plant functional characteristics. So far, experimental data of how plant species diversity influences the investment of individual plants in direct chemical defences against herbivores and pathogens is lacking.

Methodology/principal findings

We used Plantago lanceolata as a model species in experimental grasslands differing in species richness and composition (Jena Experiment) to investigate foliar concentrations of the iridoid glycosides (IG), catalpol and its biosynthetic precursor aucubin. Total IG and aucubin concentrations decreased, wh

SUBMITTER: Mraja A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3235097 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature