Article
Dynamics of the Volatile Defense of Winter Dormant Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera)
Journal of Chemical Ecology
(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.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2010
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9788-0
Citation Information
Frederick D Provenza. "Dynamics of the Volatile Defense of Winter Dormant Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera)" Journal of Chemical Ecology Vol. 36 Iss. 5 (2010) p. 461 - 466 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/frederick_provenza/244/