Tolerance to Apical Meristem Damage in Arabidopsis Thaliana (Brassicaceae): A Closer Look and the Broader Picture

Tolerance of damage to reproductive tissues is a form of plant defense against herbivory. Although most attention has focused on resistance to herbivory, evidence has been accumulating that tolerance is more important than had been previously assumed. I examined the ecology of tolerance to apical meristem damage (AMD) in natural strains of Arabidopsis thaliana originating from three different areas of Europe, using high and low soil nutrient levels, to understand if tolerance is contingent on soil nutrients and if the response is similar species-wide. I found that there was no species-wide relationship between tolerance and nutrients in natural populations of A. thaliana , which has important implications for theoretical modeling of tolerance.