title: Putting plant resistance traits on the map: a test of the idea that plants are better defended at lower latitudes.
abstract: • It has long been believed that plant species from the tropics have higher levels of traits associated with resistance to herbivores than do species from higher latitudes. A meta-analysis recently showed that the published literature does not support this theory. However, the idea has never been tested using data gathered with consistent methods from a wide range of latitudes. • We quantified the relationship between latitude and a broad range of chemical and physical traits across 301 species from 75 sites world-wide. • Six putative resistance traits, including tannins, the concentration of lipids (an indicator of oils, waxes and resins), and leaf toughness were greater in high-latitude species. Six traits, including cyanide production and the presence of spines, were unrelated to latitude. Only ash content (an indicator of inorganic substances such as calcium oxalates and phytoliths) and the properties of species with delayed greening were higher in the tropics. • Our results do not support the hypothesis that tropical plants have higher levels of resistance traits than do plants from higher latitudes. If anything, plants have higher resistance toward the poles. The greater resistance traits of high-latitude species might be explained by the greater cost of losing a given amount of leaf tissue in low-productivity environments.
authors.affiliation: Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.|School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand.|Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.|Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
authors.forename: Angela T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Moles
authors.affiliation: Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Wallis
authors.affiliation: Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.affiliation: School of Mathematics and Statistics and Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Warton
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Stegen
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional Patagónico, CONICET, Blvd. Brown s/n, 9120 Puerto Madryn, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandro J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bisigato
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional Patagónico, CONICET, Blvd. Brown s/n, 9120 Puerto Madryn, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lucrecia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cella-Pizarro
authors.affiliation: Woods Hole Research Center, 149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, MA 02540, USA.
authors.forename: Connie J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA.
authors.forename: Philippe S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
authors.forename: William K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Cornwell
authors.affiliation: School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Australia.
authors.forename: Will
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: National Environmental Research Institute, University of Aarhus, 8420 Rønde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Rasmus
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ejrnaes
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Jr. San Martín 451, Madre de Dios, Peru.
authors.forename: Therany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gonzales-Ojeda
authors.affiliation: Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Abisko Naturvetenskapliga Station, 98107 Abisko, Sweden.|Department of Biology, NTNU, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Bente J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Graae
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hay
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, PO Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
authors.forename: Fainess C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Lumbwe
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Benjamín
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Magaña-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.|Ecology Group, Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Ben D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: INTA, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral, 9400 Rio Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pablo L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Peri
authors.affiliation: Woods Hole Research Center, 149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, MA 02540, USA.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.|South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ruan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Veldtman
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Sciences, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: von Zeipel
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
authors.forename: Nigel R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Andrew
authors.affiliation: Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Boulter
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Borer
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Entomología, CCT Mendoza-CONICET Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, Parque Gral. San Martín, Mendoza 5500, Argentina.
authors.forename: Florencia Fernández
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Campón
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, PO Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coll
authors.affiliation: Lab. Ecotono, CRUB- UNC. INIBIOMA-CONICET, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandro G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Farji-Brener
authors.affiliation: School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane
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authors.lastname: De Gabriel
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, University of Nuevo Leon, Linares 67700, Mexico.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jurado
authors.affiliation: National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Line A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kyhn
authors.affiliation: Low Ecological Services, PO Box 3130, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia.
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Low
authors.affiliation: Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
authors.forename: Christa P H
authors.initials: CPH
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reardon-Smith
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia 58190, México.
authors.forename: Jorge
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authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Velázquez
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA.
authors.forename: Eric W
authors.initials: EW
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authors.affiliation: School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
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authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X1, Rhondebosch 7700, South Africa.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Cauter
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X1, Rhondebosch 7700, South Africa.|Department of Geography, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Waldram
authors.affiliation: Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: CONICET and Instituto de Ecología Regional, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Yerba Buena 4107, Tucumán, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pedro G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Blendinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Enquist
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
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authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, Box 1137, St Louis, MO 63105, USA.
authors.forename: Tiffany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Curtin Institute for Biodiversity and Climate, Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Majer
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia 58190, México.
authors.forename: Miguel
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authors.lastname: Martínez-Ramos
authors.affiliation: School of Geography & Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
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authors.lastname: McQuillan
authors.affiliation: School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia.
authors.forename: Lynda D
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mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003486:Cyanides / Q000032:analysis; D004777:Environment; D005843:Geography; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D057865:Plant Immunity; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D010944:Plants / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013634:Tannins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D003486:Cyanides; D008055:Lipids; D013634:Tannins