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Leaf Volatile Emissions of Betula pendula during Autumn Coloration and Leaf Fall

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Abstract

Deciduous trees remobilize the nitrogen in leaves during the process of autumn coloration, thus providing a high quality food source for aphids preparing to lay over-wintering eggs. It has been suggested that aphids may use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to: (a) select leaves where nutrient remobilization has started and induced defenses are reduced; and (b) detect the time of leaf abscission. We analyzed VOCs emitted by the foliage of Betula pendula Roth. during autumn coloration and from leaf litter just after leaf fall. We tested the hypothesis that costly, photosynthesis-related terpenes and other herbivore-induced VOCs related to attraction of aphid parasitoids and predators are reduced during the coloration process. We also investigated if the VOC emission profile of abscising leaves is different from that of early stage yellowing leaves. Enemy-luring compounds (E)-β-ocimene, linalool, and (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT) were emitted only from the green foliage. Methyl salicylate (MeSa), known to recruit predatory bugs and attract migrant aphids, was emitted until the first stage of color change. Cis-3-hexenol, an indicator of cellular disintegration, became dominant in the emissions from abscising leaves and from fresh leaf litter. We discuss the ecological significance of the observed changes in birch leaf VOC profiles during the process of autumn senescence.

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Acknowledgements

We thank James Blande and Robert Glinwood for comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript. This study was financially supported by the Academy of Finland (project no. 111543, J.K.H, and J.H., project no. 109933, E.O.), European Commission (ISONET, MRTN-CT-2003-504720, J.K.H) and the European Science Foundation, (VOCBAS programme, G.A.A.).

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  1. Department of Environmental Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, P.O. Box 1627, FIN-70210, Kuopio, Finland

    Jarmo K. Holopainen, Juha Heijari & Giorgio A. Alessio

  2. Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu Campus, P.O. Box 111, FIN-80101, Joensuu, Finland

    Elina Oksanen

  3. CIDE—Centro de Investigacion sobre la Desertificacion, Camí de la Marjal s/n, 46470, Albal (Valencia), Spain

    Giorgio A. Alessio

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  1. Jarmo K. Holopainen
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Correspondence to Jarmo K. Holopainen.

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Holopainen, J.K., Heijari, J., Oksanen, E. et al. Leaf Volatile Emissions of Betula pendula during Autumn Coloration and Leaf Fall. J Chem Ecol 36, 1068–1075 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9857-4

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