1
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Laine AL, Tylianakis JM. The coevolutionary consequences of biodiversity change. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:745-756. [PMID: 38705768 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Coevolutionary selection is a powerful process shaping species interactions and biodiversity. Anthropogenic global environmental change is reshaping planetary biodiversity, including by altering the structure and intensity of interspecific interactions. However, remarkably little is understood of how coevolutionary selection is changing in the process. Here, we outline three interrelated pathways - change in evolutionary potential, change in community composition, and shifts in interaction trait distributions - that are expected to redirect coevolutionary selection under biodiversity change. Assessing how both ecological and evolutionary rules governing species interactions are disrupted under anthropogenic global change is of paramount importance to understand the past, present, and future of Earth's biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Liisa Laine
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Viikinkaari 1 (PO Box 65), University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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2
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Martins LP, Stouffer DB, Blendinger PG, Böhning-Gaese K, Costa JM, Dehling DM, Donatti CI, Emer C, Galetti M, Heleno R, Menezes Í, Morante-Filho JC, Muñoz MC, Neuschulz EL, Pizo MA, Quitián M, Ruggera RA, Saavedra F, Santillán V, Schleuning M, da Silva LP, Ribeiro da Silva F, Tobias JA, Traveset A, Vollstädt MGR, Tylianakis JM. Birds optimize fruit size consumed near their geographic range limits. Science 2024; 385:331-336. [PMID: 39024457 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj1856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Animals can adjust their diet to maximize energy or nutritional intake. For example, birds often target fruits that match their beak size because those fruits can be consumed more efficiently. We hypothesized that pressure to optimize diet-measured as matching between fruit and beak size-increases under stressful environments, such as those that determine species' range edges. Using fruit-consumption and trait information for 97 frugivorous bird and 831 plant species across six continents, we demonstrate that birds feed more frequently on closely size-matched fruits near their geographic range limits. This pattern was particularly strong for highly frugivorous birds, whereas opportunistic frugivores showed no such tendency. These findings highlight how frugivore interactions might respond to stressful conditions and reveal that trait matching may not predict resource use consistently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas P Martins
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Daniel B Stouffer
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Pedro G Blendinger
- Instituto de Ecología Regional, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán and CONICET, CC 34, 4107 Tucumán, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 2005, 4000 Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Katrin Böhning-Gaese
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, 60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - José Miguel Costa
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - D Matthias Dehling
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Camila I Donatti
- Conservation International, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5640, USA
| | - Carine Emer
- Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute, Rua Pacheco Leão 915, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22460-030, Brazil
- Center for Reseach on Biodiversity and Climate Change (CBioClima), Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Center for Reseach on Biodiversity and Climate Change (CBioClima), Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
- Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, Florida International University (FIU), Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Ruben Heleno
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ícaro Menezes
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Santa Cruz State University, Rodovia Ilhéus- Itabuna, km 16, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA 45662-000, Brazil
| | - José Carlos Morante-Filho
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Santa Cruz State University, Rodovia Ilhéus- Itabuna, km 16, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA 45662-000, Brazil
| | - Marcia C Muñoz
- Programa de Biología, Universidad de La Salle, Carrera 2 # 10-70, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Eike Lena Neuschulz
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marco Aurélio Pizo
- Center for Reseach on Biodiversity and Climate Change (CBioClima), Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Marta Quitián
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Tokyo Metropolitan University TMU, Tokyo, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Roman A Ruggera
- Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Jujuy), Canónigo Gorriti 237, Y4600 San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina
- Cátedra de Diversidad Biológica III, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Alberdi 47, Y4600 San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Francisco Saavedra
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Instituto de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Vinicio Santillán
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Unidad Académica de Posgrado, Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Av. de las Américas, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Luís Pascoal da Silva
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Ribeiro da Silva
- Laboratory of Ecology and Management of Forest Ecosystems, University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Trindade, Florianópolis, SC 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Anna Traveset
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Maximilian G R Vollstädt
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 5-7, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
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3
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Glenny WR, Runyon JB, Burkle LA. Bumble bee diet breadth increases with local abundance and phenophase duration, not intraspecific variation in body size. Oecologia 2024; 205:149-162. [PMID: 38796612 PMCID: PMC11144151 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05560-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Patterns of abundance across space and time, and intraspecific variation in body size, are two species attributes known to influence diet breadth and the structure of interaction networks. Yet, the relative influence of these attributes on diet breadth is often assumed to be equal among taxonomic groups, and the relationship between intraspecific variation in body size on interaction patterns is frequently neglected. We observed bee-flower interactions in multiple locations across Montana, USA, for two growing seasons and measured spatial and temporal patterns of abundance, along with interspecific and intraspecific variation in body size for prevalent species. We predicted that the association between spatial and temporal patterns of abundance and intraspecific variation in body size, and diet breadth, would be stronger for bumble bee compared to non-bumble bee species, because species with flexible diets and long activity periods can interact with more food items. Bumble bees had higher local abundance, occurred in many local communities, more intraspecific variation in body size, and longer phenophases compared to non-bumble bee species, but only local abundance and phenophase duration had a stronger positive association with the diet breadth of bumble bee compared to non-bumble bee species. Communities with a higher proportion of bumble bees also had higher intraspecific variation in body size at the network-level, and network-level intraspecific variation in body size was positively correlated with diet generalization. Our findings highlight that the association between species attributes and diet breadth changes depending on the taxonomic group, with implications for the structure of interaction networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will R Glenny
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
| | - Justin B Runyon
- US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Laura A Burkle
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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4
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Zhu C, Dalsgaard B, Li W, Gonçalves F, Vollstädt MGR, Ren P, Zhang X, Shao J, Ding P, Si X. Generalist and topologically central avian frugivores promote plant invasion unequally across land-bridge islands. Ecology 2024; 105:e4216. [PMID: 38037487 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Seed dispersal by frugivorous birds facilitates plant invasions, but it is poorly known how invasive plants integrate into native communities in fragmented landscapes. We surveyed plant-frugivore interactions, including an invasive plant (Phytolacca americana), on 22 artificial land-bridge islands (fragmented forests) in the Thousand Island Lake, China. Focusing on frugivory interactions that may lead to seed dispersal, we built ecological networks of studied islands both at the local island (community) and at landscape (metacommunity) levels. On islands with P. americana, we found that P. americana impacted local avian frugivory networks more on islands with species-poor plant communities and on isolated islands. Moreover, as P. americana interacted mainly with local core birds (generalists), this indicates reduced seed dispersal of native plants on invaded islands. At the landscape level, P. americana had established strong interactions with generalist birds that largely maintain seed-dispersal functions across islands, as revealed by their topologically central roles both in the regional plant-bird trophic network and in the spatial metanetwork. This indicates that generalist frugivorous birds may have facilitated the dispersal of P. americana across islands, making P. americana well integrated into the plant-frugivore mutualistic metacommunity. Taken together, our study demonstrates that the impact of plant invasion is context-dependent and that generalist native frugivores with high dispersal potential may accelerate plant invasion in fragmented landscapes. These findings highlight the importance of taking the functional roles of animal mutualists and habitat fragmentation into account when managing plant invasions and their impact on native communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bo Dalsgaard
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wande Li
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fernando Gonçalves
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maximilian G R Vollstädt
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peng Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Junjie Shao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ping Ding
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xingfeng Si
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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5
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Ramana JV, Tylianakis JM, Ridgway HJ, Dickie IA. Root diameter, host specificity and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community composition among native and exotic plant species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:301-310. [PMID: 36967581 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Plant root systems rely on a functionally diverse range of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to, among other benefits, extend their nutrient foraging. Extended nutrient foraging is likely of greatest importance to coarse-rooted plants, yet few studies have examined the link between root traits and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community composition. Here, we examine the relationship between root diameter and the composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in a range of native and exotic plant species. We characterized the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities of 30 co-occurring native and exotic montane grassland/shrubland plant species in New Zealand. We found that plant root diameter and native/exotic status both strongly correlated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community composition. Coarse-rooted plants had a lower diversity of mycorrhizal fungi compared with fine-rooted plants and associated less with generalist fungal partners. Exotic plants had a lower diversity of fungi and fewer associations with nondominant families of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi compared with native plants. These observational patterns suggest that plants may differentially associate with fungal partners based on their root traits, with coarse-rooted plants being more specific in their associations. Furthermore, exotic plants may associate with dominant arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal taxa as a strategy in invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- John V Ramana
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8041, New Zealand
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8041, New Zealand
| | - Hayley J Ridgway
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Lincoln, 7608, New Zealand
| | - Ian A Dickie
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8041, New Zealand
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6
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Native plant gardens support more microbial diversity and higher relative abundance of potentially beneficial taxa compared to adjacent turf grass lawns. Urban Ecosyst 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01325-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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7
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Yin D, Meiners SJ, Ni M, Ye Q, He F, Cadotte MW. Positive interactions of native species melt invasional meltdown over
long‐term
plant succession. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2584-2596. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.14127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Deyi Yin
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou China
- South China National Botanical Garden Guangzhou China
| | - Scott J. Meiners
- Department of Biological Sciences Eastern Illinois University Charleston Illinois USA
| | - Ming Ni
- Département de Biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Quebec Canada
| | - Qing Ye
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou China
- South China National Botanical Garden Guangzhou China
| | - Fangliang He
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- ECNU‐Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Study, Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences East China Normal University Shanghai China
| | - Marc W. Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Toronto‐Scarborough Toronto Ontario Canada
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
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8
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Allen WJ, Bufford JL, Barnes AD, Barratt BIP, Deslippe JR, Dickie IA, Goldson SL, Howlett BG, Hulme PE, Lavorel S, O'Brien SA, Waller LP, Tylianakis JM. A network perspective for sustainable agroecosystems. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 27:769-780. [PMID: 35501260 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nature-based management aims to improve sustainable agroecosystem production, but its efficacy has been variable. We argue that nature-based agroecosystem management could be significantly improved by explicitly considering and manipulating the underlying networks of species interactions. A network perspective can link species interactions to ecosystem functioning and stability, identify influential species and interactions, and suggest optimal management approaches. Recent advances in predicting the network roles of species from their functional traits could allow direct manipulation of network architecture through additions or removals of species with targeted traits. Combined with improved understanding of the structure and dynamics of networks across spatial and temporal scales and interaction types, including social-ecological, applying these tools to nature-based management can contribute to sustainable agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warwick J Allen
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand.
| | - Jennifer L Bufford
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, PO Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
| | - Andrew D Barnes
- Te Aka Mātuatua - School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3204, New Zealand
| | - Barbara I P Barratt
- AgResearch, Invermay Research Centre, Mosgiel 9053, New Zealand; Department of Botany, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Julie R Deslippe
- Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology and School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Ian A Dickie
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Stephen L Goldson
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, PO Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand; AgResearch, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Brad G Howlett
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Philip E Hulme
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, PO Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
| | - Sandra Lavorel
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand; Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Université Grenoble Alpes CNRS, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sophie A O'Brien
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Lauren P Waller
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, PO Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
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9
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Dehling DM, Barreto E, Graham CH. The contribution of mutualistic interactions to functional and phylogenetic diversity. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:768-776. [PMID: 35680468 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Reduction of functional diversity (FD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD) likely affects ecosystem functions and reduces the potential of communities to respond to changes, such as climate change. Mutualistic interactions are essential for maintaining diversity, but their role has largely been ignored in conservation planning. We propose using a species' interaction niche - the diversity of its interaction partners - to measure a species' contribution to the maintenance of FD and PD via mutualistic interactions, and thus identify species and interspecific interactions that are particularly important for the conservation of ecosystem functions and evolutionary lineages in ecological communities. Our approach represents a switch in perspective that allows a direct assessment of the importance of mutualistic interactions for the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisa Barreto
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland; Laboratório de Ecologia Teórica e Síntese, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
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10
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Sritharan MS, Scheele BC, Blanchard W, Lindenmayer DB. Spatial associations between plants and vegetation community characteristics provide insights into the processes influencing plant rarity. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260215. [PMID: 34928957 PMCID: PMC8687526 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the drivers of plant rarity is a major challenge in ecology. Analysing spatial associations between different plant species can provide an exploratory avenue for understanding the ecological drivers of plant rarity. Here, we examined the different types of spatial associations between rare and common plants to determine if they influence the occurrence patterns of rare species. We completed vegetation surveys at 86 sites in woodland, forest, and heath communities in south-east Australia. We also examined two different rarity measures to quantify how categorisation criteria affected our results. Rare species were more likely to have positive associations with both rare and common species across all three vegetation communities. However, common species had positive or negative associations with rare and other common species, depending on the vegetation community in which they occurred. Rare species were positively associated with species diversity in forest communities. In woodland communities, rare species were associated negatively with species diversity but positively associated with species evenness. Rare species with high habitat specificity were more clustered spatially than expected by chance. Efforts to understand the drivers of plant rarity should use rarity definitions that consider habitat specificity. Our findings suggest that examining spatial associations between plants can help understand the drivers of plant rarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meena S. Sritharan
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Ben C. Scheele
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Wade Blanchard
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - David B. Lindenmayer
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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11
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Kotula HJ, Peralta G, Frost CM, Todd JH, Tylianakis JM. Predicting direct and indirect non-target impacts of biocontrol agents using machine-learning approaches. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252448. [PMID: 34061885 PMCID: PMC8168882 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological pest control (i.e. ‘biocontrol’) agents can have direct and indirect non-target impacts, and predicting these effects (especially indirect impacts) remains a central challenge in biocontrol risk assessment. The analysis of ecological networks offers a promising approach to understanding the community-wide impacts of biocontrol agents (via direct and indirect interactions). Independently, species traits and phylogenies have been shown to successfully predict species interactions and network structure (alleviating the need to collect quantitative interaction data), but whether these approaches can be combined to predict indirect impacts of natural enemies remains untested. Whether predictions of interactions (i.e. direct effects) can be made equally well for generalists vs. specialists, abundant vs. less abundant species, and across different habitat types is also untested for consumer-prey interactions. Here, we used two machine-learning techniques (random forest and k-nearest neighbour; KNN) to test whether we could accurately predict empirically-observed quantitative host-parasitoid networks using trait and phylogenetic information. Then, we tested whether the accuracy of machine-learning-predicted interactions depended on the generality or abundance of the interacting partners, or on the source (habitat type) of the training data. Finally, we used these predicted networks to generate predictions of indirect effects via shared natural enemies (i.e. apparent competition), and tested these predictions against empirically observed indirect effects between hosts. We found that random-forest models predicted host-parasitoid pairwise interactions (which could be used to predict attack of non-target host species) more successfully than KNN. This predictive ability depended on the generality of the interacting partners for KNN models, and depended on species’ abundances for both random-forest and KNN models, but did not depend on the source (habitat type) of data used to train the models. Further, although our machine-learning informed methods could significantly predict indirect effects, the explanatory power of our machine-learning models for indirect interactions was reasonably low. Combining machine-learning and network approaches provides a starting point for reducing risk in biocontrol introductions, and could be applied more generally to predicting species interactions such as impacts of invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J. Kotula
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Guadalupe Peralta
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Carol M. Frost
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Jacqui H. Todd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jason M. Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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