No Defense Is Perfect and Defense Is Always Relative
Another basic defensive aspect I discuss is that no plant defense system is perfect, an issue already stated long ago (Rothschild 1972; Janzen 1979; Crawley 1983). Assuming that a perfect defense system could exist is naive. All types of defense probably
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Defensive (anti-herbivory) Coloration in Land Plants Anti-Herbivory Plant Coloration and Morphology
Defensive (anti-herbivory) Coloration in Land Plants
Simcha Lev-Yadun
Defensive (anti-herbivory) Coloration in Land Plants Anti-Herbivory Plant Coloration and Morphology
Simcha Lev-Yadun Department of Biology & Environment Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Haifa – Oranim Tivon, Israel
ISBN 978-3-319-42094-3 ISBN 978-3-319-42096-7 DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-42096-7
(eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016954234 © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland
This book is dedicated to my school biology teachers, the late Hanna Kedari and Levi Ovadia, my many university teachers and mentors, colleagues and students, and especially to my family.
Foreword
This book is unashamedly a provocation. Simcha has long believed that a significant proportion of the coloration, patterning, and even structure of plants can be explained by selection pressures associated with influencing the sensory and cognitive systems of herbivores to reduce the damage they impose on plants. That is, Simcha believes that just as camouflage, mimicry, and aposematism are widespread among animals, so they will be in plants. Simcha has been publishing on this for 15 years, but this book represents by far the fullest exposition of his arguments. Bluntly, I think Simcha’s ideas remain (as he admits himself) only a little proven but logically plausible. There is no doubt that herbivores certainly impose selection pressures on plants and that there should be potential for the appearance of plants to be selected because of the effect that this has on the sensory and cognitive systems of herbivores. Further, some defenses open to animals against would-be attackers are not available to plan
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