Evolution of resistance and tolerance to herbivores: testing the trade-off hypothesis.

ABSTRACT: Background. To cope with their natural enemies, plants rely on resistance and tolerance as defensive strategies. Evolution of these strategies among natural population can be constrained by the absence of genetic variation or because of the antagonistic genetic correlation (trade-off) between them. Also, since plant defenses are integrated by several traits, it has been suggested that trade-offs might occur between specific defense traits. Methodology/Principal Findings. We experimentally assessed (1) the presence of genetic variance in tolerance, total resistance, and leaf trichome density as specific defense trait, (2) the extent of natural selection acting on plant defenses, and (3) the relationship between total resistance and leaf trichome density with tolerance to herbivory in the an

SUBMITTER: Karinho-Betancourt E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4358663 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature