Cross-kingdom volatile networks shape plant resilience

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are interpreted as transient, unidirectional signals in plant-microbe interactions. We argue that this reductionist framing obscures their emergent role as regulators of ecological network dynamics, influencing stability-associated properties of plant-microbe systems. We propose a conceptual framework based on five principles (gradient logic, blend emergence, feedback reciprocity, threshold switching, and multiscale coupling) and use it to generate falsifiable predictions for how plant-derived and microbial VOCs operate as a cross-kingdom regulatory network shaping microbiome assembly, plant physiological plasticity, and multitrophic interactions. Key mechanistic gaps are critically evaluated alongside testable approaches for probing volatile-mediated ecological dynamics. Viewing volatile networks as adaptive ecological infrastructure reframes plant-microbiome resilience with implications for sustainable agriculture and ecological restoration under global change.