Instant Notes: Plant Biology

Europe very few are. This implies that there is a cost to producing secondary

compounds (Topic J5).

In temperate latitudes it has been shown that those trees that are most abun-

dant or have been in an area for the longest time have more species of insect

herbivore than more recent arrivals or rarer trees.

Vertebrates can have major effects on the structure of a plant community.

Grazing mammals maintain most of the grasslands of the world. Grasses

themselves are well adapted to withstand grazing pressure since their

meristems are at the nodes rather than the tips of stems (Topic K2). Without the

constant presence of grazing mammals, many grasslands would be invaded by

shrubs or trees. In many partially wooded areas, such as savannahs, the density

of trees is kept low by grazing mammals and in some places there can be cyclic

Vertebrates and
plants

M3 – Interactions between plants and animals 211

Table 1. Examples of secondary compounds produced by plants

Class of Examples Effects Example species

compound

Terpenes Monoterpenes Insecticidal Pine (resins);

(pyrethroids) Chrysanthemum

Sesquiterpenes gossypol Insecticidal Cotton

Diterpenes phorbol Skin irritant to Euphorbias

esters mammals

Triterpenes Insecticidal Common polypody fern

phytoecdysones (induce moulting) (Polypodium vulgare)

Polyterpenes latex Discourage Rubber tree (Hevea

herbivory brasiliensis)

Phenolics Coumarins DNA repair Umbellifers (parsnip)

furanocoumarins damage; wide

range of animals

Lignin Not digested by Woody plants

most herbivores

Tannins Various, condensed and Bind proteins Many species

hydrolyzable and prevent

digestion

Alkaloids Various, including Various, Various

nicotine, morphine, neuroactive or

strychnine, cocaine inhibitors of

enzymes etc

Cyanogenic Various Release Cassava (eliminated by

glycosides hydrogen cyanide adequate processing)

Non-protein Various (e.g. Block protein Various; Jack bean

amino acids canavanine) synthesis or (Canavalia ensiformis)

uptake;

incorporated to

give non-functional

protein

Enzyme Proteinase Prevent protein e.g. some legumes,

inhibitors inhibitors digestion tomato