Ozone Pollution Alters Olfaction and Behavior of Pollinators.

ABSTRACT: Concentration of air pollutants, particularly ozone (O₃), has dramatically increased since pre-industrial times in the troposphere. Due to the strong oxidative potential of O₃, negative effects on both emission and lifetime in the atmosphere of plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have already been highlighted. VOCs alteration by O₃ may potentially affect the attraction of pollinators that rely on these chemical signals. Surprisingly, direct effects of O₃ on the olfaction and the behavioral response of pollinators have not been investigated so far. We developed a comprehensive experiment under controlled conditions to assess O₃ physiological and behavioral effects on two pollinator species, differing in their ecological traits. Usin

SUBMITTER: Vanderplanck M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8143334 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature