Ecological and evolutionary aspects of isoprene emission from plants

Isoprene (2-methyl-1,3,-butadiene), produced by many woody and a few herbac eous plant species, is the dominant volatile organic compound released from vegetation. It represents a non-trivial carbon loss to the plant (typicall y 0.5-2%, but much higher as temperatures exceed 30 degrees C), and plays a major role in tropospheric chemistry of forested regions, contributing to ozone formation. This review summarizes current knowledge concerning the oc currence of isoprene production within the plant kingdom, and discusses oth er aspects of isoprene biology which may be of interest to the ecological c ommunity. The ability to produce significant amounts of isoprene may or may not be shared by members of the same plant family or genus, but emitting s pecies have been found among bryophytes, ferns, conifers and Ephedra and in approximately one-third of the 122 angiosperm families examined. No phylog enetic pattern is obvious among the angiosperms, with the trait widely scat tered and present (and absent) in both primitive and derived taxa, although confined largely to woody species. Isoprene is not stored within the leaf, and plays no known ecological role as, for example, an antiherbivore or al lelopathic agent. The primary short-term controls over isoprene production are light and temperature. Growth in high light stimulates isoprene product ion, and growth in cool conditions apparently inhibits isoprene, production of which may be induced upon transfer to warmer temperatures. The stimulat ion of isoprene production by high irradiance and warm temperatures suggest s a possible role in ameliorating stresses associated with warm, high-light environments, a role consistent with physiological evidence indicating a r ole in thermal protection.