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