March 13, 2007 Dr. Nicole van Dam
13th March
Dr. Nicole van Dam
Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Heteren
The only way is up! Interactions between aboveground and belowground induced plant responses in a multitrophic context
Abstract
In their natural environment, plants are attacked by a variety of root and shoot herbivores inducing plant defence responses. If the induced responses are systemic, root feeding herbivores may affect shoot quality - and hence performance - of shoot herbivores, and vice versa. Moreover, if both root and shoot responses are triggered simultaneously they may interact. Because simultaneous root and shoot attacks are very common in natural environments, interactions between shoot and root-induced responses may severely constrain the evolution of optimal defence responses.
Here I will show some examples of our studies on aboveground-belowground interactions in two naturally occurring Brassica species, B. nigra and B. oleracea. We have found that feeding by root herbivores or root treatment with the induction hormone jasmonic acid (JA) alters both direct (glucosinolates) and indirect (volatile organic compounds) defences in the shoot. Most surprisingly, the effect of JA application on both aboveground glucosinolate and volatile patterns depended on the organ to which the JA was applied. These differences affect shoot herbivore performance as well as parasitoid preference. This indicates that belowground interactions may be affect aboveground multitrophic interactions associated with plants.
Relevant publications
Nicole M. van Dam, Ciska E. Raaijmakers, Wim H. van der Putten (2005)
Root herbivory reduces growth and survival of the shoot feeding specialist Pieris rapae on Brassica nigra Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 115 (1), 161–170
T. Martijn Bezemer and Nicole M. van Dam. (2006) Linking aboveground and belowground interactions via induced plant defenses. TRENDS in Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 20, no. 1, 2005.
Van Dam 2005
Van Dam 2006
CV
2005 – present
Senior research scientist at at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Department of Multitrophic Interactions (MTI).
2003 - 2005
Research scientist at NIOO-KNAW, MTI.
2000 - 2003
Post-doctoral research associate at NIOO-KNAW, MTI.
1997 - 2000
Post-doctoral fellow at the Max-Planck-Institute of Chemical Ecology, Department of Molecular Ecology, Jena, Germany.
1995 - 1997
Post-doctoral research associate at the University of California Riverside, Department of Entomology, Riverside (CA), USA.
1994 - 1995
Post-doctoral research associate (30% FTE), University of Leiden, Institute of Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences.
1990 - 1994
Ph.D. research associate, University of Leiden, Institute of Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences. Graduation 18 January 1995, with designation ‘cum laude’.
