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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.10.13.758875

Climate change effects on terpene expression differ among populations and have consequences for herbivory in an invasive plant

Boehm, E. L.·Briscoe Runquist, R.·Moeller, D. A.
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Abstract

ABSTRACT 1. Plant secondary metabolites often moderate interactions with abiotic and biotic factors. For example, secondary metabolites often deter insect herbivores from and influence the extent of damage to plant tissues. However, little is known about how climate change may alter the expression of secondary metabolites and the nature of the resulting effects on plant-herbivore interactions. As climate change continues to shift environmental conditions away from historical norms, climate change effects on plant-herbivore interactions may have important consequences for the range expansion of invasive plants and the efficacy of biocontrol agents across the range. 2. In this study, we examined climate change effects on terpene expression in common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) in four field transplant sites in Minnesota, U.S.A. that include experimental manipulation of precipitation and temperature. Each transplant site included genotypes from 10 natural populations that span climate variation across Minnesota. We quantified leaf terpene profiles in two years (2024 and 2025) using targeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We surveyed insect herbivory to the same genotypes in experimental field sites to ask how terpene profiles and chemotypes contribute to the likelihood of herbivory. 3. We detected evidence that climate change manipulation altered terpene production and depended on source population. Similarly, the extent of temporal variation in terpene profiles depended upon source population. We also found variation in terpene profiles among sites, further emphasizing the role of the environment in shaping terpene production. These shifts in terpene profiles, in turn, influenced the likelihood of herbivory. Herbivory was higher at the southern compared to northern sites and susceptibility to herbivory was higher in the northern compared to southern populations, particularly at northern sites where average herbivory was lower. The likelihood of herbivory also varied among chemotypes and the frequency of chemotypes varied among source populations, suggesting a complex interplay between the historical and current environments, terpene production, and plant-herbivore interactions. 4. Synthesis. Together, our results suggest a combined role of the abiotic environment and population differentiation in moderating plant-herbivore interactions via shifts and variation in terpene profiles, which may influence invasive range dynamics and complicate the regional management strategies of common tansy.

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Boehm, E. L., Briscoe Runquist, R., Moeller, D. A.. 2026-10-14. Climate change effects on terpene expression differ among populations and have consequences for herbivory in an invasive plant. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.13.758875

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