Plants make scents: ecological functions of plant volatiles and their roles in bio-protection

Abstract

Plants constantly emit volatile organic compounds into the environment. The amounts are not trivial: almost one-fifth of the fixed carbon dioxide is re-released into the atmosphere as metabolites every day. The likely ancestral function of volatiles is to protect the plant from biotic and abiotic stressors. However, the high chemical diversity of volatile compounds in conjunction with the phenotypic plasticity that plants show in their release (e.g. in response to herbivory) has led to the evolution of volatiles as signals that can inform other organisms about a plant’s physiological status.

"In my talk I will explore some of the many ecological interactions between plants and insects that are mediated by volatiles and I will comment on their relevance for bio-protection. Examples will be presented for two novel links in the infochemical network and the applicability of the Optimal Defence Theory (a framework for understanding the distribution of defensive chemicals across plant tissues) with respect to plant volatiles will be discussed."