Plant-defense mimicry facilitates rapid dispersal of short-lived seeds by hornets

Dynamic environmental interactions shaped by vegetative plant volatiles

Covering: up to November 2022Plants shape terrestrial ecosystems through physical and chemical interactions. Plant-derived volatile organic compounds in particular influence the behavior and performance of other organisms. In this review, we discuss how vegetative plant volatiles derived from leaves, stems and roots are produced and released into the environment, how their production and release is modified by abiotic and biotic factors, and how they influence other organisms. Vegetative plant volatiles are derived from different biosynthesis and degradation pathways and are released via distinct routes. Both biosynthesis and release are regulated by other organisms as well as abiotic factors. In turn, vegetative plant volatiles modify the physiology and the behavior of a wide range of organisms, from microbes to mammals. Several concepts and frameworks can help to explain and predict the evolution and ecology of vegetative plant volatile emission patterns of specific pathways: multifunctionality of specialized metabolites, chemical communication displays and the information arms race, and volatile physiochemistry. We discuss how these frameworks can be leveraged to understand the evolution and expression patterns of vegetative plant volatiles. The multifaceted roles of vegetative plant volatiles provide fertile grounds to understand ecosystem dynamics and harness their power for sustainable agriculture.

Seed dispersal: Hungry hornets are unexpected and effective vectors

A new study finds that, in the forests of tropical China, hungry hornets are lured to the fruits of Aquilaria sinensis by highly volatile compounds structurally similar to volatiles from herbivore-damaged leaves. The hornets disperse the short-lived seeds rapidly to optimal new habitats.