Decoding the chemical lexicon of plant defense in a shifting ecosystem

The field of plant defense is a fascinating area of research that examines how plants protect themselves against various threats through their chemical language. This area encompasses the study of numerous defensive strategies employed by plants, ranging from small, ephemeral herbs to large, perennial trees. As global changes make the environment increasingly unpredictable, understanding how plants employ their chemical arsenals against both biotic and abiotic challenges is crucial. Existing studies have highlighted important mechanisms, but there are still many questions regarding the holistic interplay of these mechanisms and how they adapt to rapidly shifting environments.

This Research Topic aims to provide an integrative platform for exploring plant defense mechanisms through a multidisciplinary lens. By fostering connections between molecular genetics, metabolomics, and ecological and evolutionary theories, this topic seeks to piece together the puzzle of plant defense in a comprehensive manner. The main goals include elucidating how plants synthesize, regulate, and deploy their chemical defenses, and understanding how these factors mediate interactions with herbivores, pathogens, and beneficial organisms. Our objective is to move beyond isolated studies and integrate findings from diverse disciplines, thus addressing overarching questions about plant resilience and adaptability.

To gather further insights into the comprehensive realm of plant defense, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Chemical communication, from volatile organic compounds to stable secondary metabolites
• The role of chemical defenses in ecological contexts, including interactions with the biotic and abiotic environment
• Examination of defensive mechanisms' plasticity and adaptation
• Impact of global change factors, such as climate shifts, pollution, and invasive species, on plant defense
• Strategies spanning annual herbs to long-lived trees for a universal understanding of the chemical art of plant defense

This comprehensive inquiry into plant defense strategies promises to offer significant contributions toward understanding the universal principles governing plant resilience and the diversity of defensive strategies across the kingdom.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: plant defense mechanisms, chemical ecology, plant secondary metabolites, plant-herbivore interactions, volatile organic compounds, abiotic stress, plant resilience, climate change impacts on plants, metabolomics, evolution of plant defense, phenotypic plasticity, plant-pathogen interactions, plant chemical communication, global change biology, plant adaptation, allelochemistry, plant stress physiology, induced plant defenses, defense trade-offs, ecological genetics, shifting ecosystems, plant-environment interactions, plant chemical diversity, invasive species effects, plant defense signaling

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.