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Tradeoff between resistance and tolerance to herbivore damage in a morning glory

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Abstract

MANY plant characters, including toxic secondary compounds, trichomes, spines and tough, nutrient-poor leaves have evolved at least in part as defences against pathogens and herbivores, including phytophagous insects1-6. Models of the evolution of resistance7 9 predict that allocation to defence is determined by a tradeoff between the benefits of resistance, such as reduction in herbivore damage, and costs of resistance, generally envisaged as reduction in fitness in an environment in which herbivores are absent9. However, despite attempts to determine the costs of resistance, there is little convincing evidence that they exist and constrain the evolution of defences10,11. Here we report the existence of such a cost in the tall morning glory, Ipomoea purpurea: genotypes that exhibit relatively high levels of resistance to insects that cause damage to apical meristems exhibit relatively low tolerence to this form of damage. We also show how this type of tradeoff constrains the evolution of resistance.

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Author notes

  1. Wendy L. Fineblum: North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, USA

  2. Mark D. Rausher: To whom correspondence should be addressed

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27606, USA

    Wendy L. Fineblum & Mark D. Rausher

Authors
  1. Wendy L. Fineblum
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  2. Mark D. Rausher
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Fineblum, W., Rausher, M. Tradeoff between resistance and tolerance to herbivore damage in a morning glory. Nature 377, 517–520 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/377517a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/377517a0

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