Effect of Altitude on Volatile Organic and Phenolic Compounds of Artemisia brevifolia Wall ex Dc. From the Western Himalayas

Adaptation to changing environmental conditions is a driver of plant diversification. Elevational gradients offer unique opportunity for investigating adaptation range climatic conditions. The use specialized metabolites as volatile and phenolic compounds major in plants, affecting their reproductive success survival by attracting pollinators protecting themselves from herbivores other stressors. wormseed Artemisia brevifolia can be found across multiple elevations the Western Himalayas, region that considered biodiversity hotspot highly impacted climate change. This study aims at understanding produced A. high elevation cold deserts Himalayas with view strategies employed plants under harsh Across four sampling sites different elevations, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) subsequent GCMS analyses showed total number headspace increased this trend was largely driven an increase low volatility, which might improve plant’s resilience abiotic stress. HPLC no effect on detected both young mature leaves. However, concentration majority decreased elevation. As production defense costly trait, higher face trade-off between energy expenditure herbivores. therefore help us understand how adjust secondary metabolite cope environments reveal adaptability such species threatened regions our planet Himalayas.