Koricheva J, Nykänen H, Gianoli E. Meta‐analysis of Trade‐offs among Plant Antiherbivore Defenses: Are Plants Jacks‐of‐All‐Trades, Masters of All?
Am Nat 2004;
163:E64-75. [PMID:
15122510 DOI:
10.1086/382601]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2003] [Accepted: 09/24/2003] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
On the basis of physiological and ecological costs of defense allocation, most plant defense theories predict the occurrence of trade-offs between resource investment in different types of antiherbivore defenses. To test this prediction, we conducted a meta-analysis of 31 studies published in 1976-2002 that provided data on covariation of different defensive traits in plant genotypes. We found no overall negative association between different defensive traits in plants; instead, the relationship between defensive traits varied from positive to negative depending on the types of co-occurring defenses. Evidence of trade-off was found only between constitutive and induced defenses. Therefore, to a large extent, plants appear to be jacks-of-all-trades, masters of all and may successfully produce several types of defense without paying considerable trade-offs. Our survey thus provides little evidence that genetic trade-offs between defensive traits significantly constrain the evolution of multiple defenses in plants.
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