Dissertation Research: Secondary Metabolites and Plant Fitness

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Plants vary dramatically in the ways in which they defend themselves from herbivorous animals. Even within a species, physical and mechanical defenses differ depending on environment, historical factors and genetic composition. Variation in plant defenses will be examined to determine the causes of variability, and subsequently, the costs to the plant of an investment in defense. The significance of this work lies in relating the natural variation in plant properties to a selective force, herbivory, and determining the effect on plant productivity. This work is central to understanding plant-herbivore interactions.