Ian T. Baldwin – författare

Plants face a daunting array of creatures which eat them, bore into them and use virtually every plant part for food or shelter. However, plants are far from defenceless under attack. Although they cannot flee their attackers, they can produce defences, such as thorns, and can actively alter their chemistry and physiology in response to damage. For instance, young potato leaves being eaten by potato beetles respond by producing chemicals which inhibit beetle digestive enzymes. Research on these induced responses to herbivory has proceeded since the 1980s, and this comprehensive evaluation and synthesis of a rapidly-developing field provides state-of-the-discipline reviews, and highlights areas of research which might be productive. This overview should appeal to a wide variety of theoretical and applied researchers in ecology, evolutionary biology, plant biology, entomology and agriculture.

Plants face a daunting array of creatures that eat them, bore into them, and otherwise use virtually every plant part for food, shelter, or both. But although plants cannot flee from their attackers, they are far from defenseless. In addition to adaptations like thorns, which may be produced in response to attack, plants actively alter their chemistry and physiology in response to damage. For instance, young potato plant leaves being eaten by potato beetles respond by producing chemicals that inhibit beetle digestive enzymes. Over the past fifteen years, research on these induced responses to herbivory has flourished, and here Richard Karban and Ian T. Baldwin present the first comprehensive evaluation and synthesis of this rapidly developing field. They provide state-of-the-discipline reviews and highlight areas where new research will be most productive. Their comprehensive overview will be welcomed by a wide variety of theoretical and applied researchers in ecology, evolutionary biology, plant biology, entomology, and agriculture.