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Herbivore-induced Blueberry Volatiles and Intra-plant Signaling
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Volatile communication between plants that affects herbivory: a meta-analysis.

Richard Karban1, Louie H Yang, Kyle F Edwards

  • 1Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.

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PubMed
Summary

Plants can enhance their defenses against herbivores when exposed to airborne chemical signals from damaged neighbors. This meta-analysis confirms the validity of plant volatile communication, supporting induced resistance across diverse species.

Keywords:
Eavesdroppinginduced resistanceplant behaviourplant signallingvolatiles

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Area of Science:

  • Plant Science
  • Chemical Ecology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • The phenomenon of volatile communication between plants, leading to enhanced defense, has faced skepticism due to inconsistent findings and replication issues.
  • Previous reviews have questioned the validity of plant-induced resistance triggered by airborne signals from damaged neighbors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically evaluate the evidence for plant volatile communication and induced resistance.
  • To assess the reliability of plant defense signaling by analyzing a large number of replicated studies.

Main Methods:

  • A meta-analysis was conducted on 48 well-replicated studies investigating plant responses to volatiles from damaged neighbors.
  • Studies were categorized based on experimental conditions (lab/greenhouse vs. field) and plant type (agricultural vs. undomesticated).

Main Results:

  • Overall, a significant increase in plant resistance was observed in individuals exposed to volatiles from damaged neighbors.
  • Laboratory and agricultural studies demonstrated stronger induced resistance compared to field studies on wild species.
  • Early, non-replicated studies exhibited higher variability and weaker evidence for plant communication.

Conclusions:

  • The findings provide robust support for the hypothesis that plants increase resistance to herbivores when exposed to volatiles from damaged neighbors.
  • Plant volatile communication is a valid phenomenon across diverse plant taxa and ecological settings.
  • Experimental conditions, particularly controlled environments, enhance the detection of induced resistance.