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Published on: March 12, 2013
Herbivore-induced resource sequestration in plants: why bother?
Colin M Orians1, Alexandra Thorn, Sara Gómez
1Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA. colin.orians@tufts.edu
Oecologia
|March 25, 2011
Summary
Plants can move resources away from herbivores through induced resource sequestration. However, this strategy has costs, and its benefits depend on various plant and environmental factors, requiring further research.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Herbivory significantly alters plant primary metabolism.
- Plants exhibit induced resource sequestration, moving resources to inaccessible tissues in response to herbivores.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for induced resource sequestration in plants.
- To explore the ecological and evolutionary costs and benefits of this plant defense mechanism.
- To present a conceptual model for when sequestration benefits outweigh costs.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on induced resource sequestration.
- Conceptual modeling to analyze costs and benefits.
- Discussion of factors influencing sequestration patterns.
Main Results:
- Induced resource sequestration is a proposed plant response to herbivory, involving faster resource export and partitioning.
- Associated allocation and ecological costs (e.g., reduced resource availability, consumption by other enemies) can limit sequestration benefits.
- Benefits versus costs depend on plant life-history traits, ontogeny, phenology, abiotic conditions, herbivore type, and trophic interactions.
Conclusions:
- Induced resource sequestration is a complex plant defense strategy with context-dependent costs and benefits.
- Future research should focus on testable hypotheses regarding intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing sequestration.
- Understanding these costs and benefits is crucial for plant ecology and evolution.
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