Phenolics lie at the centre of functional versatility in the responses of two phytochemically diverse tropical trees to canopy thinning.

ABSTRACT: Saplings in the shade of the tropical understorey face the challenge of acquiring sufficient carbon for growth as well as defence against intense pest pressure. A minor increase in light availability via canopy thinning may allow for increased investment in chemical defence against pests, but it may also necessitate additional biochemical investment to prevent light-induced oxidative stress. The shifts in secondary metabolite composition that increased sun exposure may precipitate in such tree species present an ideal milieu for evaluating the potential of a single suite of phenolic secondary metabolites to be used in mitigating both abiotic and biotic stressors. To conduct such an evaluation, we exposed saplings of two unrelated species to a range of light environments and compared change

SUBMITTER: Schneider GF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6812699 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature