Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026
05:21
Author Spotlight: Training of Laboratory Animals for Gentle and Stress-Free Handling
Published on: February 16, 2024
4.1K
Germacrone defends labrador tea from browsing by snowshoe hares
P B Reichardt1, J P Bryant, B J Anderson
1Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska, 99775-0520, Fairbanks, Alaska.
Journal of Chemical Ecology
|November 23, 2013
Summary
Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum) deters snowshoe hares using germacrone, a potent antifeedant sesquiterpene. This chemical defense explains the plant's unpalatability and aligns with resource availability theory.
Area of Science:
- Plant chemical ecology
- Chemical defense mechanisms in plants
- Mammalian herbivory studies
Background:
- Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum) is an evergreen plant known for its unpalatability to snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus).
- Understanding plant-herbivore interactions is crucial for ecological balance and forest management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the specific chemical compounds responsible for Labrador tea's resistance to snowshoe hare herbivory.
- To investigate the role of germacrone as a potential antifeedant in this plant-herbivore system.
Main Methods:
- Bioassays were conducted to test the antifeedant properties of germacrone against snowshoe hares.
- Chemical analysis was performed to determine the concentration of germacrone in Labrador tea leaves and internodes.
Main Results:
- Germacrone, a major component of Labrador tea essential oil, demonstrated potent antifeedant activity against snowshoe hares in bioassays.
- The concentrations of germacrone found in the plant's tissues are sufficiently high to provide effective defense against hare herbivory.
Conclusions:
- Germacrone is the primary chemical agent conferring resistance to snowshoe hare herbivory in Labrador tea.
- The findings support the resource availability theory, suggesting that chemical defenses are employed by plants based on resource allocation and environmental factors.
