Page 24 - through Clusters and Networks

Tri tropHic

interactions

‘So if you are enjoying the silence in a garden, alone, remember that
the silence is an illusion. There is a riot of shouting going on, if only
you could hear it.’

- Elizabeth Preston (in “learning to speak Shurb”)

Having started with the interconnected fungal networks spread across the
underground world of plants, I also learned about the importance of chemical
signals which flows within three trophic levels mediating the formation of
community between plant-herbivore and parasitoid, above ground. The
tri-tropic relationship between plants and parasitoids, serves a great loop, as
part of their eco system.

Upon herbivory (a herbivore can devour the plant within hours, to a few days
by continuously feeding on its leaves) The plant releases certain volatiles as
their distress signal to attract their ‘bodyguard’ parasitoid. They perceive
these signals and come to the plant’s rescue. Parasitoid act as plants
bodyguard by having a mutually benefited relationship with them. They utilize
the feeding herbivore as the host for next generation. The intricate detail of
how the parasitoid being so tiny, can win the battle against a relatively huge
herbivore is intriguing.

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