Does ozone exposure affect herbivore-induced plant volatile emissions differently in wild and cultivated plants?

Abstract

Concentrations of tropospheric ozone have more than doubled in the Northern Hemisphere since pre-industrial times. Plant responses to single abiotic or biotic stresses, such as ozone exposure and herbivore-feeding, have received substantial attention, especially for cultivated plants. Modern cultivated plants have been subjected to selective breeding that has altered plant chemical defences. To understand how ozone might affect plant responses to herbivore-feeding in wild and cultivated plants, we studied the volatile emissions of brassicaceous plants after exposure to ambient (~15 ppb) or elevated ozone (80 ppb), with and without Plutella xylostella larvae-feeding. Results indicated that most of the wild and cultivated plants increased volatile emissions in response to herbivore-feeding. Ozone alone had a weaker and less consistent effect on volatile emissions, but appeared to have a greater effect on wild plants than cultivated plants. This study highlights that closely related species of the Brassicaceae have variable responses to ozone and herbivore-feeding stresses and indicates that the effect of ozone may be stronger in wild than cultivated plants. Further studies should investigate the mechanisms by which elevated ozone modulates plant volatile emissions in conjunction with biotic stressors.

Elevated ozone and carbon dioxide affects the composition of volatile organic compounds emitted by Vicia faba (L.) and visitation by European orchard bee (Osmia cornuta)

“…Because the VOCs were trapped after the plants' exposure to O 3 and or CO 2 , the results indicate effects mediated via modified plants physiology. Our study findings are consistent with other studies, notably: [56][57][58][59], where collection of VOCs was performed after exposure to O 3 had ceased.…”

Ozone disrupts the communication between plants and insects in urban and suburban areas: an updated insight on plant volatiles

“…Therefore, the effects of O 3 on plant–insect communication in suburban areas should be given more attention. However, information on the effect of O 3 on communication with BVOCs is limited (Fuentes et al 2013 ; Blande et al 2014 ; Saunier and Blande 2019 ; Brosset et al 2020 ). Clarifying the communication webs in elevated O 3 sites, e.g., suburban and rural areas, can help to conserve healthy forest ecosystems under changing atmospheric environments.…”

Combined Acute Ozone and Water Stress Alters the Quantitative Relationships between O3 Uptake, Photosynthetic Characteristics and Volatile Emissions in Brassica nigra

“…In another study, O 3 levels of 70, 80 and 120 ppb had no significant effect on VOCs emitted by leaves and flowers of B. nigra [ 56 , 57 ]. Analogously, a chronic low-level (80 ppb for 5 days) O 3 exposure did not elicit glucosinolate emissions in different Brassicaceae species [ 58 ]. However, it is unclear how glucosinolates might respond to a more severe O 3 stress and O 3 exposure combined with drought.…”