BES Facebook groupBES Annual Symposium 2010:
The integrative role of plant secondary metabolites in ecological systems
University of Sussex, UK
12 – 14 April, 2010
The symposium will be published by the British Ecological Society as an edition of Ecological Reviews.
Booking for the Annual Symposium is now open.
Abstract submission for orals has now closed, but it is still possible to submit a poster.
For further information regarding the BES Symposium, please view our conference information for delegates document which includes registration times, travel information and a map of the campus.
Download and distribute the poster and flyer here:
BES Symposium 2010 poster [Adobe PDF, 187 Kb]
BES Symposium 2010 flyer [Adobe PDF, 1453 Kb]
Rationale and aims:
This symposium is proposed approximately fifty years after the seminal work of Fraenkel (1959) placed the ecological function of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) onto the agenda of modern ecology. Since then numerous ecological roles of PSM have been elucidated, including the mediation of interactions between pairs of species, such as between plants and their herbivores and pathogens, as well as acting against other plants. However, important recently emerging developments have been made in our understanding of the processes underlying the ecological roles of PSMs including:
- Synthesis and translocation of PSM, that determine the distribution and allocation of resources
- The associated costs that determine their ecological and evolutionary relationships.
- Molecular techniques that provide novel tools and specific genotypes in which to investigate the ecological aspects of PSMs
- Important integrative roles of PSMs in connecting multiple components of ecological systems including
- above and below-ground processes
- multitrophic interactions.
- community and assemblage structure
- ecosystem function
- landscape scale ecological patterns
PSMs are now recognised as major contributors to the bridge between genes and ecosystems, by representing the gene-products, the effects of which cascade through ecosystems, driving both ecosystem composition and function. After the development of such tools for molecular model plants there are now exciting developments for ecological models such as wild tobacco, wild crucifers etc. A theme running throughout the sessions of the symposium will be identification of the new opportunities afforded by emerging molecular, genomic, metabolomic and physiological approaches.
This symposium aims to synthesise these recent developments that have brought us to the cusp of a new understanding of the integrative roles of PSMs. It will establish a new baseline in ecology and point to the trajectories along which future studies of PSMs will be launched.
Invited speakers, who have all confirmed their attendance, span a range of international experts addressing topics under three main sessions. The organisers welcome similar offered contributions which may be oral presentations (approximately 20 minutes) or posters. Contact Glenn Iason to register your interest or for more information. Oral contributions should include review material and preferably some of the authors original work.
The deadline for abstract submission is 10 January 2010. There are a very limited number of 20 minute slots available in the programme for submitted oral abstracts. Unsuccessful oral abstract submissions will be offered a poster slot. If you are submitting abstracts to the meeting you must complete a booking form.
Session 1
Biosynthesis and evolution of PSMs
Dr Julianne O'Reilly-Wapstra (UTAS, Hobart)
Selection for antiherbivore plant defenses: plant fitness
Dr. Francesco Loreto (CNR Rome)
PSMs and abiotic stress
Dr Julia Koricheva and Dr Kasey Barton (Royal Holloway, London)
Temporal and Ontogenetic Patterns in PSM production and their ecological consequences
Prof Jonathan Gershenzon (ICE, Jena)
Genetic vs environmental control of PSMs: What we know and what we need to know
Session 2
The role of PSMs in ecological processes and interactions
Prof Alan Gange (Royal Holloway, London)
The impact of the soil microbial community on constitutive and induced defence
Dr. Nicole van Dam (NIOO-KNAW, NL)
Phytochemical induction and PSM mediation of above-below ground interactions
Prof Sue Hartley (Univ Sussex, Brighton)
The role of PSMs in plant-mediated interactions between herbivores and other organisms
Prof Rick Lindroth (Univ Wisconsin, Madison)
Global environmental change, PSMs and community processes
Session 3
Integrative Systems Biology of PSMs :From Gene To Ecosystem
Dr Glenn Iason (MLURI Aberdeen)
PSMs and Extended phenotype
Dr Joe K Bailey (Univ Tenessee, Knoxville)
Cascading effects of PSMs on ecosystem function
Prof Guy Poppy (Univ Southampton)
Interactions with natural enemies: parasitoids as biosensors
Prof Marcel Dicke (Wageningen University)
Molecular ecology of multitrophic interactions/ Community genomics
Prof. Ian Baldwin (ICE, Jena)
PSMs in plant-herbivore, plant carnivore and plant-pollinator interactions
Symposium organising committee:
Glenn Iason (Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen, UK)
Marcel Dicke ( Wageningen University , NL)
Sue Hartley (University of Sussex, UK)
Guy Poppy (University of Southampton, UK)
Julia Koricheva (Royal Holloway, University of London, UK)
Alan Gange (Royal Holloway, University of London, UK)
