title: Earthworms and litter distribution affect plant-defensive chemistry.
abstract: Studies on plant-defensive chemistry have mainly focused on plants in direct interaction with aboveground and occasionally belowground herbivores and pathogens. Here we investigate whether decomposers and the spatial distribution of organic residues in soil affect plant-defensive chemistry. Litter concentrated in a patch (vs. homogeneously mixed into the soil) led to an increase in the aucubin content in shoots of Plantago lanceolata. Earthworms increased total phytosterol content of shoots, but only when the litter was mixed homogeneously into the soil. The phytosterol content increased and aphid reproduction decreased with increasing N concentration of the shoots. This study documents for the first time that earthworms and the spatial distribution of litter may change plant-defensive chemistry against herbivores.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Zoologie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 3 64287 Darmstadt, Germany. swurst@bio.tu-darmstadt.de
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wurst
authors.forename: Dereje
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dugassa-Gobena
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scheu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000502:physiology*; D005960:Glucosides / Q000032:analysis; D057888:Iridoid Glucosides; D039823:Iridoids / Q000032:analysis; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D009590:Nitrogen Radioisotopes; D009835:Oligochaeta; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000032:analysis; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000737:chemistry; D010943:Plantago / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D005960:Glucosides; D057888:Iridoid Glucosides; D039823:Iridoids; D009590:Nitrogen Radioisotopes; D010840:Phytosterols; D012987:Soil; C078040:catalpol; C006650:aucubin; D009584:Nitrogen