The Chemical Ecology and Toxicology Laboratory
The Chemical Ecology and Toxicology Laboratory al Autonomous University of Barcelona studies the role of plant chemical defenses against herbivory in the context of biological invasions. We aim to determine how novel environmental conditions may determine a rapid evolution of plant chemical composition and toxicity.

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2016-05-10
11:40
44 p, 1.1 MB The invasion of Senecio pterophorus across continents : multiple, independent introductions, admixture and hybridization / Vilatersana, Roser ; Sanz, Maria (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia) ; Galian, Almudena ; Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia)
Senecio pterophorus (Compositae) is a perennial shrub native to eastern South Africa that was introduced into the Western Cape in South Africa and Australia approximately 100 years ago and into Europe (Italy and Spain) more than 25-30 years ago. [...]
2016 - 10.1007/s10530-016-1150-1
Biological invasions (Dordrecht), Vol. 18, Num. 7 (2016) , p. 2045-2065
2 documents
2015-10-19
16:13
9 p, 1.7 MB Paper dels insectes en l'èxit d'invasió de Senecio inaequidens i S. pterophorus al Parc Natural del Montseny / Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia) ; Morante, Maria ; Escolà, Anna
Les espècies d'origen sud-africà Senecio inaequidens i Senecio pterophorus envaeixen diferents hàbitats del Parc Natural del Montseny. L'establiment de noves interaccions amb els herbívors locals pot afectar negativament l'èxit d'invasió de les espècies exòtiques. [...]
2014
Monografies del Montseny, Núm. 25 (2014) , p. 229-238  
2015-10-19
12:06
1 p, 173.7 KB Contemporary evolution of plant chemical defenses after invasion in response to herbivory and climate / Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia)
Biological invasions are excellent systems to study rapid evolution of plant chemical defenses. Current hypotheses predict a rapid divergence of plant chemical defenses in response to changes in herbivore consumption pressure caused by a decrease in the enemies from the area of origin (e. [...]
2014
Annual meeting of the International Society of Chemical Ecology. Urbana-Champaign (EUA), : 2014 : 8-12 July  
2015-10-19
12:00
2 p, 339.1 KB Contemporary evolution of Senecio pterophorus in Response to climate but not to herbivory / Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia)
Divergence in plant traits and trait plasticity after invasion has been proposed as an important mechanism favoring invasion success. Current hypotheses predict a rapid evolution in response to changes in the abiotic conditions after invasion, or to changes in the herbivore consumption pressure caused by a decrease in the enemies associated at the area of origin (e. [...]
2014
International Symposium on Weeds and Invasive plants. Montpellier, França, 4rt : 2014  
2015-10-19
11:55
2 p, 73.2 KB Are invasive plants more toxic than native plants? An example of rapid evolution after invasion / Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia)
Biological invasions are excellent systems to study rapid evolution of plant chemical defenses. Current hypotheses predict a divergence of plant chemical defenses in response to a decrease in herbivory after invasion (e. [...]
2015
Annual meeting of the International Society of Chemical Ecology. Stockholm (suècia),, 29è : 2015 : 29 june - 3 july  
2015-10-19
11:49
1 p, 406.2 KB Genetic variation of alkaloid production in Conium maculatum after reassociation with the specialist moth Agonopterix alstroemeriana / Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia) ; Berenbaum, May
Conium maculatum, a Eurasian weed naturalized in North America, contains high concentrations of piperidine alkaloids. In the United States, C. maculatum was largely free from herbivory until approximately 30 years ago, when it was re-associated via accidental introduction with a monophagous European herbivore, the oecophorid caterpillar Agonopterix alstroemeriana. [...]
2005
Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Fort Lauderdale FL (EUA), 53è : 2005  
2015-10-19
11:43
1 p, 959.0 KB Comparing insect herbivory between native and invasive Senecio species in NE Spain: a test for the Host Switching hypothesis / Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia) ; Morante, Maria (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia)
Plant invasion success can be determined by changes in insect-plant interactions. After invading a new habitat, local herbivores consuming native plants can establish new interactions with introduced plants (Host Switching Hypothesis; Keane & Crawley, 2002). [...]
2011
Symposium of Insect-Plant Interactions. Wageningen, The Neederlands, 14è : 2011  
2015-10-19
11:37
1 p, 838.9 KB Rapid plant evolution in response to climate, but not herbivory / Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia) ; Colomer Ventura, Ferran
Divergence in plant traits and trait plasticity after invasion has been proposed as an important mechanism favouring invasion success. Current hypotheses predict a rapid evolution in response to changes in the herbivore consumption pressure caused by a decrease in the enemies associated at the area of origin (e. [...]
2014
International Symposium on Insect-Plant Relationships. Neuchâtel (Suïssa), 15è : 2014
2 documents
2015-10-19
11:28
1 p, 1.2 MB Plant-herbivore interactions or colonization history: what drives changes in plant chemical defenses after invasion? / Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia) ; Vilatersana, Roser (Institut Botànic de Barcelona)
Biological invasions offer a good opportunity to study the changes in plant-herbivore interactions at ecological and evolutionary levels, because introduced plants encounter a complete novel biotic environment. [...]
2013
Gordon Conference of Plant-herbivore interactions. Ventura, California (EUA), : 2013  
2015-07-13
08:05
39 p, 3.5 MB Invasive populations of Senecio pterophorus are neither more productive nor more plastic than the native populations / Colomer Ventura, Ferran ; Castells, Eva, tut. ; Martínez Vilalta, Jordi, 1975-, tut. (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia) ; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Facultat de Biociències
Successful plant invaders may have specific morphological and physiological traits that promote invasion in a new habitat. The Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA) hypothesis predicts that plants released from natural enemies in the introduced habitats are more competitive and perform better than plants from the native populations. [...]
2013