Linking Plant Genotype, Plant Defensive Chemistry and Mammal Browsing in a Eucalyptus Species

1. In the field of plant-herbivore interactions a major focus of research is the importance of herbivores as selective agents on the evolution of plant resistance. Evidence to support the role of herbivores as selective agents must demonstrate that the intraspecific variation in plant resistance, an...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Functional ecology 2004-10, Vol.18 (5), p.677-684
Main Authors: O'Reilly-Wapstra, J. M., McArthur, C., Potts, B. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Browsing
Ecological genetics
eucalypt
Eucalyptus globulus
Evolution
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Genetic variation
Herbivores
Human ecology
Leaves
mammalian herbivory
Plant biochemistry
plant defence
plant secondary metabolites
Plants
Tannins
Trichosurus vulpecula
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:1. In the field of plant-herbivore interactions a major focus of research is the importance of herbivores as selective agents on the evolution of plant resistance. Evidence to support the role of herbivores as selective agents must demonstrate that the intraspecific variation in plant resistance, and the variation in the plant resistive trait, are under genetic control. Predominantly, research in this field has concentrated on plant-insect system, with much less emphasis on plant-mammal interactions. 2. In a common Eucalyptus species, Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.), variation in resistance to a mammalian herbivore, Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792), is under genetic control. 3. In this paper, plants of known genetic stock grown in a common-environment field trial were used to investigate the plant characteristic responsible for resistance of E. globulus to T. vulpecula and to determine if there was a genetic basis to variation in the defensive trait. 4. The results demonstrate that a formylated phloroglucional compound, sideroxylonal, is the dominant plant secondary metabolite that determined intake of E. globulus juvenile coppiced foliage by T. vulpecula, and that this metabolite is under significant genetic control. 5. These results are discussed in the context of the possible role T. vulpecula may play as a selective agent on the evolution of resistance in E. globulus.
ISSN:0269-8463
1365-2435
DOI:10.1111/j.0269-8463.2004.00887.x