植物与草食动物之间的协同适应及进化

通常协同进化是指一个物种 (或种群 )的遗传结构由于回应于另一个物种 (或种群 )遗传结构的变化而发生的相应改变。广义的理解 ,协同进化是相互作用的物种之间的互惠进化。生物之间、特别是植物与草食动物之间的协同适应与进化 ,已经成为生物进化、生态、遗传等学科十分关注的问题 ,可能成为生物学中各学科研究的交汇点或结点。作者具体阐述了 :(1)生物之间协同进化的研究意义 ,包括对生物学与生态学的价值 ;(2 )生物之间协同进化研究的限制或困难 ,诸如时间、研究对象、进化等级尺度和研究方法的限制 ;(3)植物与草食动物之间协同进化的主要研究对象 (系统 ) ,即昆虫传粉系统、昆虫诱导植物反应系统、种子散布系统、以及大型草食动物采食与植物反应系统 ;(4 )植物与草食动物之间协同进化的主要研究内容 ,包括适应特征 (性状 )——物种的可塑性 ,以及适应机制——物种适应过程与策略两个方面 ;(5 )植物与草食动物之间协同进化研究的存在问题及研究方向

Progress in the coadaptation and coevolution between plants and herbivores

Many evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and geneticists etc. are focusing on the biological phenomenon derived from evolutionary relationships and past interactions-the coadaptation and coevolution between plants and herbivores in the natural world. It was assumed that this phenomenon or problem would be the study endpoint (crossing point) of many biological science branches such as evolution, ecology, and genetics etc. though unifying all branches under an evolutionary theme is still difficult. The purpose of this paper is to bring together some prevailing knowledge and ideas about the coadaptation and coevolution between plants and herbivores, and also comment on the theoretical meaning and constraints of this field. Coevolution is defined as evolutionary changes in one or more species in response to changes in other species in the communities or ecosystems. The author explained that coevolution could be given a good understanding as the predator-prey relationships and organism-habitat (environment) relationships in a broader sense. In this field, the substantially observed or studied biological objects with coevolution relationships are classified into the five systems: insect pollination system, induced response system of plant by insect, seed dispersal system, and large herbivore foraging-plant response system. The central contents of the coadaptation and coevolution between plants and herbivores are to determine and compare phenotypic plasticity and elucidate the coadaptation and coevolution mechanisms. Phenotypic plasticity is described as morphological, physiological or ecological plasticity by evolutionary biologists. Development plasticity was also put forward. Variations in phenotypic plasticity could be explained from genetic differentiation of species. Recent decade has seen intense interests in the study of plant-herbivore coevolution mechanisms including the induced plant responses to herbivores such as most insects, the foraging behavior strategies of herbivores on heterogeneous habitats such as food and landscape, compensation or overcompensation growth of plants responding to herbivore foraging, and changes in the fitness and ecological costs (including investments of resistance, tolerance, growth and reproduction) of plants and animals. The foraging behavior framework includes foraging theories such as Rule of Thumb, Marginal Value Theorem, and Optimal Foraging Theory. The author discussed the key limitations to the study of coadaptation and coevolution between plants and herbivores such as the parameters describing effective fitness of plants and animals.