Phytochemical Variation, Colonization, and Insect Communities: the Case of Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum)

Jones, Clive G.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-209160-5.50024-6

Cited by 40 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 152 publications

(118 reference statements)

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“…Few insects use this abundant resource as feed (Lawton, 1976;Jones, 1983;Salinas and Ortega, 1990). Cyanogenesis stemming from its only precursor, prunasin (Kofod and Eyjolfsson, 1966;Berti and Bottari, 1968), among other lines of chemical defense (AlonsoAmelot, 2002), is thought to be in part responsible (Schreiner et al, 1984).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinetics of the Natural Evolution of Hydrogen Cyanide in Plants in Neotropical Pteridium arachnoideum and its Ecological Significance

Alonso‐Amelot

Oliveros‐Bastidas

2005

J Chem Ecol

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Abstract-The time-dependent natural release of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) was studied quantitatively using young croziers of the neotropical bracken fern Pteridium arachnoideum. HCN production was quantified in crushed tissue using a flow reactor at 30.0 ± 0.1 • C. Released HCN was carried into appropriate traps with a moist air flow. Aliquots were drawn from the traps at fixed time intervals, and the HCN concentration was evaluated spectroscopically. All available prunasin (Pru), the only cyanogenic glycoside present, underwent decomposition into HCN in less than 1200 min. Fiddleheads (N = 76) contained 1.84-107.70 mg Pru g −1 dw in a continuous fashion suggesting genetic polymorphism. Acyanogenic morphs were rare (1/77). From the kinetics of the samples with Pru content near the median histographic distribution (N = 46), accumulated HCN formation as a function of time, initial velocities, average HCN production rate, and corresponding rate equations were obtained. Initial and average velocities correlated well with total Pru content. The yield of cyanide liberation varied widely between 0.51 and 47.86 µg HCN min −1 g −1 dw and was a linear function of [Pru] t . However, the β-glucosidase enzyme involved in this reaction was not rate limiting and occurs in excess in the natural system. Enzyme activity was found to be independent of [Pru] t . The contribution of HCN as an allomone-upon-request against herbivores was assessed quantitatively. Bracken fiddleheads produced a pulse of HCN soon after tissue injury that waned rapidly, leaving a large portion of intact prunasin to decompose more slowly in the herbivore's lumen. The balance between the external * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: alonso@ula.ve ALONSO-AMELOT AND BASTIDAS and internal courses was found to depend on the concentration of prunasin in the plant, the amount of crozier eaten, and the time used to consume it.Key Words-Cyanogenesis, kinetics, defense, herbivory, Pteridium arachnoideum.Abbreviations: [Pru] t , Total prunasin contained in a given sample; ν A , Average velocity of HCN formation; ν R , Average velocity of HCN evolution relative to [Pru] t in the sample; ν i , Initial velocity of HCN formation during the first few minutes after tissue crushing; , The time-dependent accumulated formation of HCN g −1 dw of crozier relative to [Pru] t ; ν A / τ, Time-dependent variation in the velocity of HCN evolution.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinetics of the Natural Evolution of Hydrogen Cyanide in Plants in Neotropical Pteridium arachnoideum and its Ecological Significance

Alonso‐Amelot

Oliveros‐Bastidas

2005

J Chem Ecol

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“…High nitrogen availability may also be associated with an increase in nitrogen based plant defenses (Bryant et al 1983). Bracken fern has a broad array of secondary compounds associated with anti-herbivore properties (Jones 1983) including the enzyme thiaminase which may increase with high nitrogen availability. Conversely at the low pollution site, where plant nitrate is much lower than at the high pollution site, higher plant N may make plants a more favorable resource for sawflies.…”

Section: Herbivore Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, we found that sawfly abundance was positively correlated with plant N at the low pollution site, and chewing damage to fern as well as abundance of sawflies and a rachis mining Lepidoptera were both higher at the high pollution site compared to the low pollution site. Bracken fern has many carbon-based defensive compounds including tannins (Jones 1983). This may affect sawflies more than rachis miners since tannin concentrations are low in expanding fronds while miners are active and high in mature foliage when sawflies are present (Jones 1983;Tempel 1981).…”

Section: Herbivore Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bracken fern has many carbon-based defensive compounds including tannins (Jones 1983). This may affect sawflies more than rachis miners since tannin concentrations are low in expanding fronds while miners are active and high in mature foliage when sawflies are present (Jones 1983;Tempel 1981). Fertilization may decrease concentrations of tannins, and increase palatability for insect herbivores (Feeny 1970).…”

Section: Herbivore Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of nitrogen additions on bracken fern and its insect herbivores at sites with high and low atmospheric pollution

Jones

Fenn

Paine

2011

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

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The impact of atmospheric pollution, including nitrogen deposition, on bracken fern herbivores has never been studied. Bracken fern is globally distributed and has a high potential to accumulate nitrogen in plant tissue. We examined the response of bracken fern and its herbivores to N fertilization at a high and low pollution site in forests downwind of Los Angeles, California. Foliage from the high pollution site had higher total N and nitrate than the low pollution site. Bracken fern biomass, foliar N and herbivore abundance were all affected by fertilization treatments. Biomass and herbivore responses were greatest during a year of high precipitation. N additions at the low pollution site were primarily associated with decreased fern biomass, and with transient impacts on herbivore abundance. N additions significantly affected bracken fern and its herbivores at the high pollution site where foliar N and nitrate decreased in response to N addition treatments, while biomass and herbivore abundance increased. High atmospheric deposition and fertilization were both associated with increased herbivore richness. Herbivore abundance was most impacted by fertilization during the early expansion of fern fronds. The most abundant chewing herbivore, a sawfly, was positively associated with plant nitrogen at the low pollution site, but negatively associated with plant nitrogen at the high pollution site, where concentrations of both total N and nitrate were high. While overall growth and herbivore impacts in this xeric location were limited, the variable response we observed associated with rainfall, may indicate impacts could be larger in more mesic environments.

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“…Pteridium is an invasive cosmopolitan weed which shows little susceptibility to herbivory by arthropods (Lawton 1976, Hendrix 1977, Jones 1983 due to the enormous variety of bioactive compounds it produces (Alonso-Amelot et al 2001). Other non -Aneugmenus old world Symphyta have also been quoted as bracken specialists: Strongylogaster spp., Tenthredo spp.…”

Section: This Insect-plant Association Is Of Special Interest Becausementioning

confidence: 99%

Life history of Aneugmenus merida Smith (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in the Venezuelan Andes

Avila-Núñez¹,

Otero²,

Silmi³

et al. 2007

Neotrop. Entomol.

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História Natural de Aneugmenus merida Smith (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) nos Andes Venezuelanos RESUMO -Detalhes do ciclo de vida de Aneugmenus merida Smith criados em laboratório são relatados. As fêmeas produzem ovos partenogenéticos e não partenogenéticos. Após a eclosão, as lagartas dos machos de A. merida passam cinco ínstares, a pré-pupa, pupa e imago. O ciclo de vida dura cerca de 44 dias. As larvas alimentam-se de samambaia [Pteridium caudatum (L.) e Pteridium arachnoideum (Kaulf)] (Dennstaedtiaceae). Neste estudo também são relatadas observações sobre a morfologia do sinus sexualis, mediante imagens obtidas em microscópio eletrônico de varredura, e detalhes dos comportamentos exibidos durante a cópula. L.) and Pteridium arachnoideum (Kaulf)] (Dennstaedtiaceae). We also report on morphological observations of the sinus sexualis in males by scanning electron micrographs and give details on mating behavior. PALAVRAS-CHAVE

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Phytochemical Variation, Colonization, and Insect Communities: the Case of Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum)

Cited by 40 publications

References 152 publications

Kinetics of the Natural Evolution of Hydrogen Cyanide in Plants in Neotropical Pteridium arachnoideum and its Ecological Significance

Kinetics of the Natural Evolution of Hydrogen Cyanide in Plants in Neotropical Pteridium arachnoideum and its Ecological Significance

The effect of nitrogen additions on bracken fern and its insect herbivores at sites with high and low atmospheric pollution

Life history of Aneugmenus merida Smith (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in the Venezuelan Andes

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