Ecology An Integrative and Experimental Science

Semiochemicals are involved in the interactions of organisms among themselves and with their environment. Depending on the type of interaction involved, different terms are used to qualify these mediators that are also called infochemicals or semiochemicals. The term pheromone is used for a semiochemical mediating intraspecific interactions. These pheromones 

Chapter written by Anne-Marie Cortesero, Magali Proffit, Christophe Duplais and Frederique Viard. 

Chemical Ecology, First Edition. Edited by Anne-GeneviSve Bagneres and Martine Hossaert-Mckey. ISTE Ltd 2016. Published by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley Sons, Inc. 

We estimate today the number of metabolites identified in living organisms at more than 200,000. This diversity reflects the evolution of species and their interactions, in short, biochemical diversity (see Introduction). To understand, inventory and manage this chemical diversity requires the development of complex databases integrating different types of information (like the extract library of ICSN, Cantharella, Ecimar or the eco-chemical library) (see Chapter 8). 

For a given intra- or interspecific interaction, the modalities of chemical mediation can vary in time and space. Thus, for example, plants will emit the 

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