Herbivory and Attenuated UV Radiation Affect Volatile Emissions of the Invasive Weed Calluna vulgaris.

ABSTRACT: Calluna vulgaris (heather) is an aggressive invasive weed on the Central Plateau, North Is., New Zealand (NZ), where it encounters different environmental factors compared to its native range in Europe, such as high ultraviolet radiation (UV) and a lack of specialist herbivores. The specialist herbivore Lochmaea suturalis (heather beetle) was introduced from the United Kingdom (UK) in 1996 as a biocontrol agent to manage this invasive weed. Like other plant invaders, a novel environment may be challenging for heather as it adjusts to its new conditions. This process of "adjustment" involves morphological and physiological changes often linked to phenotypic plasticity. The biochemical responses of exotic plants to environmental variables in their invaded range is poorly understood. The prod

SUBMITTER: Effah E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7397131 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature