Dwarf mistletoe infection in jack pine alters growth-defense relationships.

Abstract

Trees utilize a combination of chemical and anatomical defenses against a myriad of attacking organisms. However, persistent pathogen infection that alters resource acquisition may impact growth and defense relationships, which could have consequences for tree resistance. We characterized systemic chemical and anatomical changes in jack pine (Pinus banksiana) in response to infection by the parasitic plant dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum) and identified how the growth-defense relationship is altered due to infection severity. Our study found that the growth and defense relationship in jack pine was altered due to infection and that chemical defenses in the phloem received a relatively higher priority than radial growth and anatomical defenses. Chemical defenses in the phloem had a non-linear relationship with infection severity with increasing concentrations of monoterpenes in trees with moderate infection and decreasing concentrations at high infection. In contrast, both radial growth and vertical resin duct production decreased with increasing infection severity. While constitutive resin duct counts and many monoterpene compound concentrations were positively correlated, this relationship was not maintained in infected trees. Furthermore, radial growth and basal area increment was positively correlated with resin duct production and monoterpene concentration in non-infected trees but had fewer relationships in severely infected trees. We conclude that while both chemical and anatomical defenses may be used as indicators for potential resistance to biotic stress in pines, changes in resource allocation patterns between these defenses after infection will likely have consequences on tree resistance to subsequent biotic attacks.