Hotter droughts alter resource allocation to chemical defenses in pinon pine.

ABSTRACT: Heat and drought affect plant chemical defenses and thereby plant susceptibility to pests and pathogens. Monoterpenes are of particular importance for conifers as they play critical roles in defense against bark beetles. To date, work seeking to understand the impacts of heat and drought on monoterpenes has primarily focused on young potted seedlings, leaving it unclear how older age classes that are more vulnerable to bark beetles might respond to stress. Furthermore, we lack a clear picture of what carbon resources might be prioritized to support monoterpene synthesis under drought stress. To address this, we measured needle and woody tissue monoterpene concentrations and physiological variables simultaneously from mature piñon pines (Pinus edulis) from a unique temperature and drought m

SUBMITTER: Trowbridge AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8591002 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature