About this Research Topic
Plants and animals release an astonishing variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, which comprise mainly terpenoids, fatty acid derivatives, aromatic compounds, nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds. These VOCs mediate important multitrophic interactions both above and below ground by serving as signaling cues in species interactions. For instance, plant-derived VOCs can attract pollinators and seed dispersers, attract or repel herbivorous insects, attract predators and parasitoids of the attacking herbivores, and alert healthy leaves of nearby stressed plants or warn neighboring unstressed plant of impending danger. Animal-derived VOCs, such as pheromones, trigger physiological or behavioral responses in the receiving individuals, and often play crucial roles in mating, aggregation, and foraging, among other interactions among animals.
Globally, environmental pollution such as air pollution from burning fossil fuels and soil contamination by heavy metals from mining activities has been increasing steadily over the Anthropocene. Such increases have wide-ranging consequences for many ecosystem processes. One such process that researchers are beginning to pay greater attention to is the disturbance and disruption of volatile-mediated species interactions, which can occur through three clear pathways: 1) altering the emission and composition of VOCs from emitters; 2) impeding the transport of volatiles in the air and soil, and 3) impairing the capacity of receivers to perceive volatile signals. For example, research from the last decade has shown that some important oxidizing air pollutants (e.g., O3 and NO3) can substantially degrade and alter the VOCs profiles emitted by plants, with consequential increases to the foraging time of insects (e.g., pollinators), thus reducing their ability to locate their food sources, hosts and prey. This emerging field is rapidly expanding with many questions still to be answered. For example, we still know little about to what extent air/soil pollutants directly impair insects’ olfactory learning and memory and whether and how insects can utilize learning and/or past experience to adapt to pollution-altered VOC blends.
The goal of this Research Topic is to present the results of research on novel approaches and systems that are improving our fundamental understanding of how environmental pollution influences VOC-mediated interactions between organisms in both natural and applied contexts. We welcome the submission of reviews and original research papers on themes include (but not limited to):
• The impact of environmental pollution on the biosynthesis and release of VOC odors;
• The impact of environmental pollution on the coding and perception of VOC odors by plants and insects;
• The impacts of degradation products on insect behavior and performance and on the ecosystem services that those insects provide;
• The dynamics of VOC degradation and transport in the atmosphere and soil.
Globally, environmental pollution such as air pollution from burning fossil fuels and soil contamination by heavy metals from mining activities has been increasing steadily over the Anthropocene. Such increases have wide-ranging consequences for many ecosystem processes. One such process that researchers are beginning to pay greater attention to is the disturbance and disruption of volatile-mediated species interactions, which can occur through three clear pathways: 1) altering the emission and composition of VOCs from emitters; 2) impeding the transport of volatiles in the air and soil, and 3) impairing the capacity of receivers to perceive volatile signals. For example, research from the last decade has shown that some important oxidizing air pollutants (e.g., O3 and NO3) can substantially degrade and alter the VOCs profiles emitted by plants, with consequential increases to the foraging time of insects (e.g., pollinators), thus reducing their ability to locate their food sources, hosts and prey. This emerging field is rapidly expanding with many questions still to be answered. For example, we still know little about to what extent air/soil pollutants directly impair insects’ olfactory learning and memory and whether and how insects can utilize learning and/or past experience to adapt to pollution-altered VOC blends.
The goal of this Research Topic is to present the results of research on novel approaches and systems that are improving our fundamental understanding of how environmental pollution influences VOC-mediated interactions between organisms in both natural and applied contexts. We welcome the submission of reviews and original research papers on themes include (but not limited to):
• The impact of environmental pollution on the biosynthesis and release of VOC odors;
• The impact of environmental pollution on the coding and perception of VOC odors by plants and insects;
• The impacts of degradation products on insect behavior and performance and on the ecosystem services that those insects provide;
• The dynamics of VOC degradation and transport in the atmosphere and soil.
Keywords: Olfaction, Pollution, Pheromones, Signaling, Volatiles
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