Small molecules are central to mitigating plant insect interactions. Variation in in plant secondary metabolism is an important dimension in biodiversity. Using modern tools in organic chemistry we explore the complex chemical nature of this variation and its community level impact. Our collaborative efforts use long-term ecological datasets, population genomics and metabolomics data to guide detailed studies of natural products chemistry.
Results/Conclusions
We have recently found that composition and quantity of plant derived small molecules can dramatically vary across elevational gradients, successional gradients and over the developmental stages of a host plant. The chemical details and our approach to deciphering the complex chemical nature of this variability and the ecological implications of this variation will be presented. Additionally, the importance of moving away from categorical characterization of plant secondary metabolism and the necessity for detailed chemical analysis in the future of chemical-ecology research will be discussed.