Abstract
SynopsisAll plants expend energy and nutrients in the production of secondary metabolites. Ecosystem-level studies on the production of metabolites in African rain forests are reviewed and factors influencing the production and distribution of phenolic compounds discussed. These compounds appear to influence feeding behaviour in primate herbivores and may also be important in mediating the rate of leaf litter decomposition and nutrient recycling. Many metabolites are biologically active and some have proved to have medicinal value: research on some plant families that occur widely in West African forests and which have proved to be particularly rich sources of new metabolites is reviewed.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)