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Dynamics of the volatile defense of winter "dormant" balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera).
- Source :
-
Journal of chemical ecology [J Chem Ecol] 2010 May; Vol. 36 (5), pp. 461-6. Date of Electronic Publication: 2010 Apr 22. - Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- 6-Hydroxycylohex-2-en-1-one (6-HCH) has been reported as a major chemical defense of the winter-dormant internodes of balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) against feeding by herbivores such as the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). We report that the concentration of 6-HCH in the fall internodes is triggered by a single hard frost, and then undergoes an exponential decline through volatilization over the winter that results in barely detectable quantities by early spring. We conclude that the role of 6-HCH in the defense of mature balsam poplar is more complex than simply acting as a toxin. Rather, 6-HCH's role as a defensive agent must evolve over the course of the winter from being a co-toxin to a cue for a conditioned flavor aversion (CFA) to finally having no role by late spring.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1573-1561
- Volume :
- 36
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of chemical ecology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 20411311
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9788-0