Work

Variation in Branch Volatile Organic Compounds of Healthy and Leaf-Damaged Araucaria araucana in Two Chilean National Parks

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Araucaria araucana (Molina) K. Koch, an endemic conifer of Chile and Argentina, has been severely impacted in recent years by Araucaria Leaf Damage (ALD). Previous research has established that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by healthy (H) and leaf-damaged (LD) Araucaria araucana branches modulate the behavior of Sinophloeus porteri. Specifically, myrcene, the most abundant compound in healthy branches, acts as a repellent to this insect, whereas hibaene, found in high concentrations in leaf-damaged tissue, acts as an attractant. This study compared the chemical profiles of healthy and leaf-damaged branches across two distinct geographic areas: Nahuelbuta (PNN) and Villarrica (PNV) National Parks. Following VOC capture using Porapak Q and subsequent GC-MS analysis, 31 compounds were detected and 29 were identified. The results indicate that hibaene was consistently detected across health categories, whereas camphor was particularly abundant in leaf-damaged trees from PNV. Overall, the data suggest that tree health status is associated with marked changes in VOC profiles, although the present design does not allow constitutive and induced responses to be fully disentangled. Consequently, monitoring these volatile emissions represents a strategic tool for the early detection and mitigation of damage caused by pests and diseases in these forest ecosystems.

Source: Forests

DOI: 10.3390/f17040441

Authors: Washington Aniñir, Leonardo Bardehle, Cristian Montalva, Andrés Quiroz, Javier Espinoza

Institutions: Universidad de La Frontera, Austral University of Chile

Language: English

Topic: Forest Insect Ecology and Management

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137