COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF SECONDARY COMPOUNDS IN PLANTS

Abstract

It has been suggested that secondary substances in plants form cffective defences against herbivores. This hyputhesis can be tested through experimental field and laboratory studies. For example, it has been shown that non-protein amino acids in the seeds of certain legumes reduce their susceptibility to attack by bruchid seed-eating beetles. These and similar observations are discussed in relation to the development by individual species of biochemical strategies needed to ensure survival in a community.