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Updated: Jul 27, 2025
10:28
Herbivore-induced Blueberry Volatiles and Intra-plant Signaling
Published on: December 18, 2011
16.4K
Volatile-mediated plant-plant communication and higher-level ecological dynamics
André Kessler1, Michael B Mueller2, Aino Kalske3
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Current Biology : CB
|June 6, 2023
Summary
Plants use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to communicate, with herbivory-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) playing a key role. Plant communication strategies evolve based on their environment, impacting ecological dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Plant science
- Chemical ecology
- Ecology
Background:
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mediate information transfer in plants.
- Herbivory-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are crucial in plant communication.
- Understanding plant VOC emission and perception mechanisms is advancing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent findings on HIPV-mediated information transfer.
- To explore the functions of VOC-mediated plant-plant interactions.
- To link plant communication to ecological and evolutionary dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent studies from ecological model systems.
- Analysis of mechanistic insights into plant VOC perception and emission.
- Application of theoretical models from information and game theory.
Main Results:
- Plant communication strategies vary depending on the interaction environment.
- VOCs influence organismal, population, community, and ecosystem interactions.
- Plant populations can evolve diverse communication strategies, from eavesdropping to information sharing.
Conclusions:
- Plant communication is context-dependent and evolves.
- VOC-mediated interactions have profound ecological and evolutionary consequences.
- Information and behavioral game theory offer valuable frameworks for studying plant communication.
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