Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Kuopio, Finland.
Ann Bot. 2020 Jun 1;125(7):1065-1075. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcaa037.
Plant secondary metabolites play critical roles in plant stress tolerance and adaptation, and are known to be influenced by the environment and climate changes, yet the impacts and interactions of multiple climate change components are poorly understood, particularly under natural conditions.
Accumulation of phenolics and emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were assessed on heather, Calluna vulgaris, an abundant evergreen dwarf shrub in European heathlands, after 6 years of exposure to elevated CO2, summer drought and nighttime warming.
Drought alone had the strongest effects on phenolic concentrations and compositions, with moderate effects of elevated CO2 and temperature. Elevated CO2 exerted the greatest impact on VOC emissions, mainly by increasing monoterpene emissions. The response magnitudes varied among plant tissue types and chemical constituents, and across time. With respect to interactive effects of the studied climate change components, the interaction between drought and elevated CO2 was most apparent. Drought mainly reduced phenolic accumulation and VOC emissions, while elevated CO2 mitigated such effects.
In natural ecosystems, co-occurring climate factors can exert complex impacts on plant secondary metabolite profiles, which may in turn alter ecosystem processes.
植物次生代谢物在植物的应激耐受和适应中起着关键作用,其已知会受到环境和气候变化的影响,然而,多种气候变化成分的影响和相互作用仍了解甚少,特别是在自然条件下。
在经过 6 年的 CO2 升高、夏季干旱和夜间增温处理后,对欧洲石南灌丛中丰富的常绿矮灌丛——普通石楠(Calluna vulgaris)中的酚类物质积累和挥发性有机化合物(VOC)排放进行了评估。
单独的干旱对酚类物质浓度和组成的影响最大,而 CO2 升高和温度的影响中等。CO2 升高对 VOC 排放的影响最大,主要是通过增加单萜烯的排放。植物组织类型和化学成分以及时间的不同,响应幅度也不同。就所研究的气候变化成分的相互作用而言,干旱和 CO2 升高之间的相互作用最为明显。干旱主要减少酚类物质的积累和 VOC 排放,而 CO2 升高则减轻了这种影响。
在自然生态系统中,同时存在的气候因素会对植物次生代谢物谱产生复杂的影响,这反过来又可能改变生态系统过程。