Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2026, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (6): 1357-1369.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2025.0172  cstr: 32100.14.cjpe.2025.0172

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Coordinated responses of volatile odors and stomatal characteristics in Ficus hispida under natural ozone gradients

FANG Ni1,2,4, LIANG Nian-Nian1,2,4, Ramil KOHKAEW1,2,4, FAN Song-Le1,2,4, JIA Yong-Xia1, NING Qiu-Rui1,3, LIU Hui1,2,3, YU Hui1,2,*()   

  1. 1 South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
    2 State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
    3 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, Guangzhou 510650, China
    4 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2025-05-14 Accepted:2025-11-29 Online:2026-06-28 Published:2026-08-26
  • Contact: YU Hui
  • Supported by:
    National Key R&D Program of China(2023YFE0107400)

Abstract:

Aims In recent years, persistently elevated atmospheric ozone (O3) concentration have not only reduced plant productivity but also disrupted secondary metabolite production, leading to changed chemical signaling, imbalances in local ecological interactions, and impaired precision of symbiotic interactions between animals and plants, as well as to ecosystem service functions.

Methods This study investigated the impact of elevated O3 on plant chemical signaling and stomatal adaptation by comparing the volatile composition of receptive-phase syconia (the stage when pollinating fig wasps enter the syconium) and leaf stomatal traits of Ficus hispida in natural sites with high and low ambient O3concentrations in Guangzhou.

Important findings Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, a total of 43 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified across both sites. Of the 32 compounds shared between the two sites, terpenoid compounds were dominant. Furthermore, the high O3 site exhibited specific oxidized products such as Decanal, Sesquicineole, and Caryophyllene oxide. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis revealed significant spatial differentiation in VOCs composition between the two sites (Stress < 0.2). Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) identified significant differences in the proportional composition of 12 shared compounds (Germacrene D, α-Amorphene, α-Humulene, (E)-β-Farnesene, α-trans-Bergamotene, (E)-Caryophyllene, β-elemene, β-Cubebene, trans-Linalool oxide, (E)-β-Ocimene, Indole, Hex-(3Z)-enyl acetate) between the sites. These results indicate that plant volatile chemical signals differed markedly between natural sites with high and low O3concentrations, suggesting that such changes may reflect plant responses or potential adaptive strategies to ambient air conditions, particularly elevated O3. Meanwhile, in the high O3 sites, the stomatal length and area of Ficus hispida leaves significantly decreased, along with a reduction in chlorophyll content. This study reveals the changes in volatile chemical signals and stomatal physiological characteristics of Ficus hispida under ambient high O3 conditions, providing new evidence for understanding how O3pollution may potentially disrupt plant-pollinator interaction networks by affecting interspecies chemical communication and plant stomatal features.

Key words: ozone, Ficus hispida, receptive syconia, volatile organic compounds, stomata