Pine terpenoid defences in the mountain pine beetle epidemic and in other conifer pest interactions: specialized enemies are eating holes into a diverse, dynamic and durable defence system.

摘要

This paper comments on a study on some of the dynamics of induced Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) terpene chemicals in response to a suite of real and simulated fungal treatments, including inoculation with the MPB-associate Grosmannia clavigera and identified differences in the response to individual treatments and between mature and juvenile trees [See Tree Physiology (2012) 32, 946-957]. It is argued that while a tree-centric perspective may have been prevailing for some time in the literature on conifer defence systems, bark beetles and fungi can eat some painful holes into simplified concepts of terpenoid defences of pines. While terpenoid defences are diverse, dynamic and often durable, through the evolution of specialist beetles and fungi, they also present a source of attractive information, signals and food for the tree's most ferocious natural enemies.