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Ito Y, Kudo G. The contribution of carbon budget to masting intervals in Veratrum album populations inhabiting different elevations. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024; 111:e16295. [PMID: 38403896 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Mast flowering/seeding is often more extreme in lower-resource environments, such as alpine compared to lowland habitats. We studied a masting herb that had less extreme masting at higher elevations, and tested if this difference could be explained by higher photosynthetic productivity and/or lower reproductive investment at the higher-elevation sites. METHODS We examined the relationship between flowering intervals and carbon budget (i.e., the balance between reproductive investment and annual carbon fixation) in a masting herb, Veratrum album subsp. oxysepalum, across five lowland and six alpine populations in northern Japan. We evaluated the previous flowering histories of individual plants based on rhizome morphology and analyzed the masting patterns of individual populations. Total mass of the reproductive organs, as a proxy of reproductive investment, was compared between the lowland and alpine populations. Annual carbon fixation was estimated on the basis of photosynthetic capacity, total leaf area per plant, and seasonal transition of light availability. RESULTS Interval between high-flowering years was shorter and total reproductive investment was smaller in the alpine than in the lowland populations. Owing to its high photosynthetic capacity and continuous bright conditions, annual carbon fixation per plant was 1.5 times greater in alpine habitat than in lowland habitat. These results suggest that V. album alpine populations have shorter flowering intervals than lowland populations due to faster recovery from energy loss after reproduction. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that masting intervals in V. album populations can be explained by habitat-specific carbon budget balances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Ito
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Gaku Kudo
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
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2
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Bin Y, Huang Z, Cao H, Ye W, Lian J. Seed rain composition responds to climate change in a subtropical forest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166772. [PMID: 37666333 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent climate change has been shown to alter aspects of forest plant demography, such as growth and mortality, but less attention has been focused on how climate change alters the reproduction of plant populations through time. We hypothesized that the plant seed production would respond to climate change, and that the response would differ according to plant life form and functional traits. We tested this hypothesis by examining climate change from 2005 to 2020 and by determining the temporal trends of seed rain and seed production from plants with different life forms (e.g., herbs, vines, trees, palms) and of tree species with different statures as well as leaf, seed and wood traits during 2014-2020. We also tested the correlation between meteorological variables and time series of seed rain using cross correlation analysis. We found increasing wetness (lower vapor pressure deficit) through time but with decreasing minimum relative humidity, which is a pattern consistent with trends seen in many other parts of the world. During the study period, seed production of shrubs and relative contribution of woody vines to total seed rain decreased, while relative contribution of palms to total seed rain and tree species with more conservative leaf traits increased their contribution to total seed rain. Overall, these trends were well explained by the trends of meteorological variables and the responses of these life forms to climate change in previous studies. Additionally, the increasingly conservative leaf traits were also consistent with shifts in traits following recovery from disturbance. Our results suggest that a trait-based approach may help to unveil trends that are not readily apparent by examining seed counts alone. The compositional change found in the seed rain may indicate future shifts in forest species composition and should be incorporated into future studies of forest modelling and projections under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Bin
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 8 Guangzhou, Guangdong 510650, China
| | - Zhongliang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 8 Guangzhou, Guangdong 510650, China
| | - Honglin Cao
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 8 Guangzhou, Guangdong 510650, China
| | - Wanhui Ye
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 8 Guangzhou, Guangdong 510650, China
| | - Juyu Lian
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 8 Guangzhou, Guangdong 510650, China.
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3
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Ito Y, Kudo G. The selective advantage of mast flowering in Veratrum album subsp. oxysepalum: Implications of the predator satiation hypothesis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:2082-2092. [PMID: 36263964 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Synchronous, highly variable flower or seed production among years within a population (i.e., masting) has been reported in numerous perennial plants. Although masting provides ecological advantages such as enhancing pollination efficiency and/or escape from predator attack, little is known about the degree of these advantages and variations in masting behavior among populations of conspecific plants. METHODS We determined flowering ramet density and reproductive success (fruit-set success and herbivorous damage) of a perennial herb, Veratrum album subsp. oxysepalum, across six lowland and six alpine populations in northern Japan during 2-3 years. We then analyzed the relationship between floral density and reproductive success to assess the ecological significance of mast flowering. Flowering intervals of individual plants were estimated by counting annual scars on rhizomes. RESULTS Most populations had mast flowering, but the intervals between flowering for individual plants were shorter in the alpine populations than in the lowland populations. Floral damage by stem borers (dipteran larvae) and seed predation by lepidopteran larvae were intense in the lowland populations. Seed production of individual ramets increased with higher floral density owing to the effective avoidance of floral-stem damage and seed predation. Although stem borers were absent in the alpine habitat, seed predation decreased with higher floral density also in the alpine populations. Pollination success was independent of floral density in both of the alpine and lowland populations. CONCLUSIONS These results strongly support the predator satiation hypothesis for mast flowering by this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Ito
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Gaku Kudo
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
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4
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Sakata Y, Kobayashi K, Makita A. Multi-trophic consequences of mass flowering in two bamboos (Poales: Poaceae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Mass flowering (masting) has been hypothesized to be an adaptive strategy to satiate florivores/granivores. However, few studies have corroborated this by examining seed predation in multiple flowering patches of varying sizes across a wide geographical range over multiple years. Moreover, the trophic consequences of masting for the parasitoids of florivores/granivores and their feedback effects are poorly understood. Here, we used the nationwide masting of two bamboo species, Sasamorpha borealis var. borealis and Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis, in Japan and compared florivory and seed sets in multiple flowering patches during the masting year and the following sporadic flowering years. We found lower florivory damage in both bamboo species and higher seed set for Sasamorpha borealis var. borealis in patches with massive and spatiotemporally isolated flowering. Additionally, the relative level of parasitism of florivores increased considerably in the sporadic flowering year, particularly in large flowering patches of Sasamorpha borealis var. borealis. Our results indicate the importance of spatiotemporal isolation during masting for satiating two dipteran florivores and suggest that parasitoids might rapidly suppress the extent of florivory in the sporadic flowering years after masting. Collectively, our study highlights the importance of considering multi-trophic consequences in understanding the adaptive significance of masting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzu Sakata
- Department of Biological Environment, Faculty of Bioresource Sciences, Akita Prefectural University , Shimoshinjyo-Nakano, Akita 010 - 0915 , Japan
| | - Keito Kobayashi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University , Kyoto 606-8502 , Japan
- Kansai Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute , Kyoto 612 - 0855 , Japan
| | - Akifumi Makita
- Department of Biological Environment, Faculty of Bioresource Sciences, Akita Prefectural University , Shimoshinjyo-Nakano, Akita 010 - 0915 , Japan
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5
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Satake A, Kelly D. Studying the genetic basis of masting. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20210116. [PMID: 34657458 PMCID: PMC8520782 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying mast seeding have traditionally been studied by collecting long-term observational data on seed crops and correlating seedfall with environmental variables. Significant progress in ecological genomics will improve our understanding of the evolution of masting by clarifying the genetic basis of masting traits and the role of natural selection in shaping those traits. Here, we summarize three important aspects in studying the evolution of masting at the genetic level: which traits govern masting, whether those traits are genetically regulated, and which taxa show wide variation in these traits. We then introduce recent studies on the molecular mechanisms of masting. Those studies measure seasonal changes in gene expression in natural conditions to quantify how multiple environmental factors combine to regulate floral initiation, which in many masting plant species is the single largest contributor to among-year variation in seed crops. We show that Fagaceae offers exceptional opportunities for evolutionary investigations because of its diversity at both the phenotypic and genetic levels and existing documented genome sequences. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Satake
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Dave Kelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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6
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LaMontagne JM, Redmond MD, Wion AP, Greene DF. An assessment of temporal variability in mast seeding of North American Pinaceae. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200373. [PMID: 34657469 PMCID: PMC8520784 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Our overall objective is to synthesize mast-seeding data on North American Pinaceae to detect characteristic features of reproduction (i.e. development cycle length, serotiny, dispersal agents), and test for patterns in temporal variation based on weather variables. We use a large dataset (n = 286 time series; mean length = 18.9 years) on crop sizes in four conifer genera (Abies, Picea, Pinus, Tsuga) collected between 1960 and 2014. Temporal variability in mast seeding (CVp) for 2 year genera (Abies, Picea, Tsuga) was higher than for Pinus (3 year), and serotinous species had lower CVp than non-serotinous species; there were no relationships of CVp with elevation or latitude. There was no difference in family-wide CVp across four tree regions of North America. Across all genera, July temperature differences between bud initiation and the prior year (ΔT) was more strongly associated with reproduction than absolute temperature. Both CVp and ΔT remained steady over time, while absolute temperature increased by 0.09°C per decade. Our use of the ΔT model included a modification for Pinus, which initiates cone primordia 2 years before seedfall, as opposed to 1 year. These findings have implications for how mast-seeding patterns may change with future increases in temperature, and the adaptive benefits of mast seeding. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalene M. LaMontagne
- Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, 2325 N. Clifton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - Miranda D. Redmond
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Andreas P. Wion
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - David F. Greene
- Department of Forestry and Wildland Resources, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, USA
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7
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Samarth, Lee R, Kelly D, Turnbull MH, Macknight R, Poole AM, Jameson PE. A novel TFL1 gene induces flowering in the mast seeding alpine snow tussock, Chionochloa pallens (Poaceae). Mol Ecol 2021; 31:822-838. [PMID: 34779078 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Masting, the synchronous, highly variable flowering across years by a population of perennial plants, has been reported to be precipitated by various factors including nitrogen levels, drought conditions, and spring and summer temperatures. However, the molecular mechanism leading to the initiation of flowering in masting plants in particular years remains largely unknown, despite the potential impact of climate change on masting phenology. We studied genes controlling flowering in the alpine snow tussock Chionochloa pallens (Poaceae), a strongly masting perennial grass. We used a range of in situ and manipulated plants to obtain leaf samples from tillers (shoots) which subsequently remained vegetative or flowered. Here, we show that a novel orthologue of TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1; normally a repressor of flowering in other species) promotes the induction of flowering in C. pallens (hence Anti-TFL1), a conclusion supported by structural, functional and expression analyses. Global transcriptomic analysis indicated differential expression of CpTPS1, CpGA20ox1, CpREF6 and CpHDA6, emphasizing the role of endogenous cues and epigenetic regulation in terms of responsiveness of plants to initiate flowering. Our molecular-based study provides insights into the cellular mechanism of flowering in masting plants and will supplement ecological and statistical models to predict how masting will respond to global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samarth
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Robyn Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Dave Kelly
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Matthew H Turnbull
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Richard Macknight
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Anthony M Poole
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.,Bioinformatics Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Paula E Jameson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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8
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Wright BR. Evidence that predator satiation drives reproductive synchrony in the desert masting grass, soft spinifex (
Triodia pungens
). AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Boyd R. Wright
- Botany, School of Environmental and Rural Science University of New England Armidale New South Wales Australia
- School of Agriculture and Food Science University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security Alice Springs Herbarium, Northern Territory Government Alice Springs Northern Territory Australia
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9
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Kelly D, Turnbull MH, Jameson PE. Molecular control of masting: an introduction to an epigenetic summer memory. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 125:851-858. [PMID: 31960889 PMCID: PMC7218805 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mast flowering ('masting') is characterized by mass synchronized flowering at irregular intervals in populations of perennial plants over a wide geographical area, resulting in irregular high seed production. While masting is a global phenomenon, it is particularly prevalent in the alpine flora of New Zealand. Increases in global temperature may alter the masting pattern, affecting wider communities with a potential impact on plant-pollinator interactions, seed set and food availability for seed-consuming species. SCOPE This review summarizes an ecological temperature model (ΔT) that is being used to predict the intensity of a masting season. We introduce current molecular studies on flowering and the concept of an 'epigenetic summer memory' as a driver of mast flowering. We propose a hypothetical model based on temperature-associated epigenetic modifications of the floral integrator genes FLOWERING LOCUS T, FLOWERING LOCUS C and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1. CONCLUSIONS Genome-wide transcriptomic and targeted gene expression analyses are needed to establish the developmental and physiological processes associated with masting. Such analyses may identify changes in gene expression that can be used to predict the intensity of a forthcoming masting season, as well as to determine the extent to which climate change will influence the mass synchronized flowering of masting species, with downstream impacts on their associated communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave Kelly
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Matthew H Turnbull
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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10
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Schermer É, Bel‐Venner M, Fouchet D, Siberchicot A, Boulanger V, Caignard T, Thibaudon M, Oliver G, Nicolas M, Gaillard J, Delzon S, Venner S. Pollen limitation as a main driver of fruiting dynamics in oak populations. Ecol Lett 2018; 22:98-107. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Éliane Schermer
- Université de Lyon Université Lyon 1 CNRS Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558 F‐69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Marie‐Claude Bel‐Venner
- Université de Lyon Université Lyon 1 CNRS Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558 F‐69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - David Fouchet
- Université de Lyon Université Lyon 1 CNRS Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558 F‐69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Aurélie Siberchicot
- Université de Lyon Université Lyon 1 CNRS Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558 F‐69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Vincent Boulanger
- Département recherche, développement et innovation Office National des Forêts F‐77300 Fontainebleau France
| | - Thomas Caignard
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique UMR 1202 BIOGECO F‐33612 Cestas France
- Université de Bordeaux UMR 1202 Biodiversité, des gènes aux communautés F‐33615 Pessac France
| | - Michel Thibaudon
- Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique F‐69690 Brussieu France
| | - Gilles Oliver
- Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique F‐69690 Brussieu France
| | - Manuel Nicolas
- Département recherche, développement et innovation Office National des Forêts F‐77300 Fontainebleau France
| | - Jean‐Michel Gaillard
- Université de Lyon Université Lyon 1 CNRS Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558 F‐69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Sylvain Delzon
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique UMR 1202 BIOGECO F‐33612 Cestas France
- Université de Bordeaux UMR 1202 Biodiversité, des gènes aux communautés F‐33615 Pessac France
| | - Samuel Venner
- Université de Lyon Université Lyon 1 CNRS Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558 F‐69622 Villeurbanne France
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11
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Pearse IS, LaMontagne JM, Koenig WD. Inter-annual variation in seed production has increased over time (1900-2014). Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1666. [PMID: 29212721 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mast seeding, or masting, is the highly variable and spatially synchronous production of seeds by a population of plants. The production of variable seed crops is typically correlated with weather, so it is of considerable interest whether global climate change has altered the variability of masting or the size of masting events. We compiled 1086 datasets of plant seed production spanning 1900-2014 and from around the world, and then analysed whether the coefficient of variation (CV) in seed set, a measure of masting, increased over time. Over this 115-year period, seed set became more variable for plants as a whole and for the particularly well-studied taxa of conifers and oaks. The increase in CV corresponded with a decrease in the long-term mean of seed set of plant species. Seed set CV increased to a greater degree in plant taxa with a tendency towards masting. Seed set is becoming more variable among years, especially for plant taxa whose masting events are known to affect animal populations. Such subtle change in reproduction can have wide-ranging effects on ecosystems because seed crops provide critical resources for a wide range of taxa and have cascading effects throughout food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S Pearse
- Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 S. Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820, USA .,US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Center Ave Bldg C, Ft Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Jalene M LaMontagne
- Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - Walter D Koenig
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.,Hastings Reservation, University of California Berkeley, Carmel Valley, CA 93924, USA
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12
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Pearse IS, Koenig WD, Kelly D. Mechanisms of mast seeding: resources, weather, cues, and selection. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 212:546-562. [PMID: 27477130 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
546 I. 546 II. 547 III. 548 IV. 552 V. 554 VI. 556 VII. 558 VIII. 558 IX. 559 559 References 559 SUMMARY: Mast seeding is a widespread and widely studied phenomenon. However, the physiological mechanisms that mediate masting events and link them to weather and plant resources are still debated. Here, we explore how masting is affected by plant resource budgets, fruit maturation success, and hormonal coordination of cues including weather and resources. There is little empirical support for the commonly stated hypothesis that plants store carbohydrates over several years to expend in a high-seed year. Plants can switch carbohydrates away from growth in high-seed years, and seed crops are more probably limited by nitrogen or phosphorus. Resources are clearly involved in the proximate mechanisms driving masting, but resource budget (RB) models cannot create masting in the absence of selection because some underlying selective benefit is required to set the level of a 'full' seed crop at greater than the annual resource increment. Economies of scale (EOSs) provide the ultimate factor selecting for masting, but EOSs probably always interact with resources, which modify the relationship between weather cues and reproduction. Thus, RB and EOS models are not alternative explanations for masting - both are required. Experiments manipulating processes that affect mast seeding will help clarify the physiological mechanisms that underlie mast seeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S Pearse
- The Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 S. Oak St, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Walter D Koenig
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Dave Kelly
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.
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13
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Lyles D, Rosenstock TS, Hastings A. Plant reproduction and environmental noise: How do plants do it? J Theor Biol 2015; 371:137-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2015.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2014] [Revised: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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14
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Holland EP, James A, Ruscoe WA, Pech RP, Byrom AE. Climate-based models for pulsed resources improve predictability of consumer population dynamics: outbreaks of house mice in forest ecosystems. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0119139. [PMID: 25785866 PMCID: PMC4364896 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate predictions of the timing and magnitude of consumer responses to episodic seeding events (masts) are important for understanding ecosystem dynamics and for managing outbreaks of invasive species generated by masts. While models relating consumer populations to resource fluctuations have been developed successfully for a range of natural and modified ecosystems, a critical gap that needs addressing is better prediction of resource pulses. A recent model used change in summer temperature from one year to the next (ΔT) for predicting masts for forest and grassland plants in New Zealand. We extend this climate-based method in the framework of a model for consumer-resource dynamics to predict invasive house mouse (Mus musculus) outbreaks in forest ecosystems. Compared with previous mast models based on absolute temperature, the ΔT method for predicting masts resulted in an improved model for mouse population dynamics. There was also a threshold effect of ΔT on the likelihood of an outbreak occurring. The improved climate-based method for predicting resource pulses and consumer responses provides a straightforward rule of thumb for determining, with one year's advance warning, whether management intervention might be required in invaded ecosystems. The approach could be applied to consumer-resource systems worldwide where climatic variables are used to model the size and duration of resource pulses, and may have particular relevance for ecosystems where global change scenarios predict increased variability in climatic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Penelope Holland
- Landcare Research, Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
| | - Alex James
- Biomathematics Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Wendy A. Ruscoe
- Landcare Research, Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Australia
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15
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Amouroux P, Normand F, Delatte H, Roques A, Nibouche S. Diapause incidence and duration in the pest mango blossom gall midge, Procontarinia mangiferae (Felt), on Reunion Island. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2014; 104:661-670. [PMID: 24963639 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485314000480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The mango blossom gall midge, Procontarinia mangiferae, is a multivoltine species that induces galls in inflorescences and leaves of the mango tree, Mangifera indica. In subtropical Reunion Island, populations of P. mangiferae are observed all-year round, but the pattern and the role of dormancy in their life cycle have never been documented. We performed field and laboratory experiments using more than 15,000 larvae. We demonstrated that a larval diapause may affect a part of the midge population, regardless of the season. The total duration of the diapause varied from 6 weeks to more than 1 year. One year of field monitoring showed that the highest incidence of diapause was observed in larvae collected during the summer from mango leaves, where it affected approximately one-third of the individuals. This facultative diapause allows the permanent presence of P. mangiferae in the orchards. By recording diapause duration during 22 weeks under controlled conditions, we showed that high temperatures (26 °C) increased diapause duration and extended the range of the dates of diapause emergence, whereas cool temperatures (20 °C) shortened diapause duration and shortened the range of the dates of emergence from diapause. A temperature decrease from 26 to 20 °C triggered the emergence of diapausing individuals. These mechanisms ensure the synchronization of the emergence of diapausing individuals with the appearance of mango inflorescences, which is also induced by cool winter temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Amouroux
- CIRAD, UPR HortSys, 97455 Saint-Pierre, La Réunion,France
| | - F Normand
- CIRAD, UPR HortSys, 97455 Saint-Pierre, La Réunion,France
| | - H Delatte
- CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, 97410 Saint-Pierre, La Réunion,France
| | - A Roques
- INRA, UR633 Zoologie Forestière, 45075 Orléans,France
| | - S Nibouche
- CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, 97410 Saint-Pierre, La Réunion,France
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Tanentzap AJ, Lee WG, Coomes DA, Mason NWH. Masting, mixtures and modes: are two models better than one? OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Tanentzap
- Landcare Research; Private Bag 1930 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand
- Dept of Plant Sciences; Univ. of Cambridge; Cambridge CB2 3EA UK
| | - William G. Lee
- Landcare Research; Private Bag 1930 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Auckland; Private Bag 92019 Auckland 1142 New Zealand
| | - David A. Coomes
- Dept of Plant Sciences; Univ. of Cambridge; Cambridge CB2 3EA UK
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17
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Crone EE, Rapp JM. Resource depletion, pollen coupling, and the ecology of mast seeding. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2014; 1322:21-34. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua M. Rapp
- Department of Biology; Tufts University; Medford Massachusetts
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Tachiki Y, Iwasa Y. Coevolution of mast seeding in trees and extended diapause of seed predators. J Theor Biol 2013; 339:129-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2012] [Revised: 05/27/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Norbury G, Byrom A, Pech R, Smith J, Clarke D, Anderson D, Forrester G. Invasive mammals and habitat modification interact to generate unforeseen outcomes for indigenous fauna. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2013; 23:1707-1721. [PMID: 24261050 DOI: 10.1890/12-1958.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Biotic invasions and habitat modification are two drivers of global change predicted to have detrimental impacts on the persistence of indigenous biota worldwide. Few studies have investigated how they operate synergistically to alter trophic interactions among indigenous and nonindigenous species in invaded ecosystems. We experimentally manipulated a suite of interacting invasive mammals, including top predators (cat Felis catus, ferret Mustela furo, stoat M. erminea), herbivores (rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, hare Lepus europaeus), and an insectivore (hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus occidentalis), and measured their effects on indigenous lizards and invertebrates and on an invasive mesopredator (house mouse Mus musculus). The work was carried out in a grassland/shrubland ecosystem that had been subjected to two types of habitat modification (widespread introduction of high-seed-producing pasture species, and areas of land use intensification by fertilization and livestock grazing). We also quantified food productivity for indigenous and invasive fauna by measuring pasture biomass, as well as seed and fruit production by grasses and shrubs. Indigenous fauna did not always increase following top-predator suppression: lizards increased on one of two sites; invertebrates did not increase on either site. Mesopredator release of mice was evident at the site where lizards did not increase, suggesting negative effects of mice on lizard populations. High mouse abundance occurred only on the predator-suppression site with regular production of pasture seed, indicating that this food resource was the main driver of mouse populations. Removal of herbivores increased pasture and seed production, which further enhanced ecological release of mice, particularly where pasture swards were overtopped by shrubs. An effect of landscape supplementation was also evident where nearby fertilized pastures boosted rabbit numbers and the associated top predators. Other studies have shown that both suppression of invasive predators and retiring land from grazing can benefit indigenous species, but our results suggest that the ensuing vegetation changes and complex interactions among invasive species can block recovery of indigenous fauna vulnerable to mesopredators. Top-down and bottom-up ecological release of mesopredators and landscape supplementation of top predators are key processes to consider when managing invaded communities in complex landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant Norbury
- Landcare Research, P.O. Box 282, Alexandra 9340, New Zealand.
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Iler AM, Inouye DW. Effects of climate change on mast-flowering cues in a clonal montane herb, Veratrum tenuipetalum (Melanthiaceae). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2013; 100:519-525. [PMID: 23425561 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Climate change threatens to alter the timing and magnitude of abiotic cues that synchronize mast flowering, such as temperature and precipitation. Climate change may therefore alter the frequency of masting, in turn affecting species in the community that use pulsed resources. • METHODS We used 29-yr (1984-2012) records of climate and flowering to investigate proximate flowering cues for the clonal, mast-flowering herb Veratrum tenuipetalum. Because clonal reproduction is tied to flowering in Veratrum, we used a parallel record of ramet abundance to examine the effects of masting on long-term ramet abundance. • KEY RESULTS Cool summer temperatures 2 years before flowering were associated with a higher percentage of flowering in Veratrum populations, consistent with its life history. Ramet abundance increased by 9.5% ± 5.6% on average following mast years compared to an average loss of 0.73% ± 1.1% in nonmast years, and ramet abundance increased over the time frame of our records. • CONCLUSIONS Ramet abundance has increased over the time frame of our records mainly because of clonal reproduction in masting years. If summer temperatures continue to increase at our site and Veratrum does not alter its climate thresholds, we predict that masting will become less frequent in this species, with consequent reduction in opportunities for both sexual and clonal reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Iler
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, P.O. Box 519, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA.
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Kelly D, Geldenhuis A, James A, Penelope Holland E, Plank MJ, Brockie RE, Cowan PE, Harper GA, Lee WG, Maitland MJ, Mark AF, Mills JA, Wilson PR, Byrom AE. Of mast and mean: differential-temperature cue makes mast seeding insensitive to climate change. Ecol Lett 2012; 16:90-8. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2012] [Revised: 08/15/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dave Kelly
- Biological Sciences; University of Canterbury; Private Bag 4800; Christchurch; 8140; New Zealand
| | - Andre Geldenhuis
- Biomathematics Research Centre; University of Canterbury; Private Bag 4800; Christchurch; 8140; New Zealand
| | - Alex James
- Biomathematics Research Centre; University of Canterbury; Private Bag 4800; Christchurch; 8140; New Zealand
| | | | - Michael J. Plank
- Biomathematics Research Centre; University of Canterbury; Private Bag 4800; Christchurch; 8140; New Zealand
| | | | | | - Grant A. Harper
- Department of Conservation; PO Box 55, St Arnaud; Nelson; 7053; New Zealand
| | | | - Matt J. Maitland
- Department of Conservation; PO Box 55, St Arnaud; Nelson; 7053; New Zealand
| | - Alan F. Mark
- Botany Department; University of Otago; Dunedin; 9054; New Zealand
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Desynchronization and re-synchronization of reproduction by Astragalus scaphoides, a plant that flowers in alternate years. Ecol Res 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-012-0942-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Tanentzap AJ, Lee WG, Coomes DA. Soil nutrient supply modulates temperature-induction cues in mast-seeding grasses. Ecology 2012; 93:462-9. [DOI: 10.1890/11-1750.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Montesinos D, García-Fayos P, Verdú M. Masting uncoupling: mast seeding does not follow all mast flowering episodes in a dioecious juniper tree. OIKOS 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.20399.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Turnbull MH, Pharis RP, Kurepin LV, Sarfati M, Mander LN, Kelly D. Flowering in snow tussock (Chionochloa spp.) is influenced by temperature and hormonal cues. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2012; 39:38-50. [PMID: 32480758 DOI: 10.1071/fp11116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2011] [Accepted: 10/17/2011] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Snow tussocks (Chionochloa spp.) in New Zealand exhibit extreme mast (episodic) seeding which has important implications for plant ecology and plant-insect interactions. Heavy flowering appears to be triggered by very warm/dry summers in the preceding year. In order to investigate the physiological basis for mast flowering, mature snow tussock plants in the field and younger plants in a glasshouse and shadehouse were subjected to a range of manipulative treatments. Field treatments included combinations of warming, root pruning and applications of two native gibberellins (GAs) GA3, which is known to be highly floral inductive and GA4, which is associated with continued floral apex development in another long-day grass. Warming, GA3 alone and especially warming+GA3, significantly promoted flowering, as did applications of GA4 alone and GA4+CCC (2-chloroethyltrimethylammonium chloride, which is a known synergist of GA3-induced flowering in the annual grass, Lolium temulentum L.). Our results provide support for the concept that mast flowering events in tussock species are causally related to high temperature-induced increases in endogenous gibberellin levels. It is likely that GAs (endogenous or applied) promote the continued development of a previously long-day induced floral apex. In addition to the promotion of flowering, applied GA3 also disturbed the plant's innate resource threshold requirements, as shown by the death, over winter, of many non-flowering tillers. Applied GA4 did not show this effect, likely due to its rapid catabolic metabolism to an inactive form. High temperature-induced flowering mediated by elevated levels of endogenous floral-promotive GAs could have important implications for regulating the evolutionary interaction between these masting plants and their seed predators.
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Gilman RT, Fabina NS, Abbott KC, Rafferty NE. Evolution of plant-pollinator mutualisms in response to climate change. Evol Appl 2012; 5:2-16. [PMID: 25568025 PMCID: PMC3353335 DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2011.00202.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2011] [Accepted: 07/20/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change has the potential to desynchronize the phenologies of interdependent species, with potentially catastrophic effects on mutualist populations. Phenologies can evolve, but the role of evolution in the response of mutualisms to climate change is poorly understood. We developed a model that explicitly considers both the evolution and the population dynamics of a plant-pollinator mutualism under climate change. How the populations evolve, and thus whether the populations and the mutualism persist, depends not only on the rate of climate change but also on the densities and phenologies of other species in the community. Abundant alternative mutualist partners with broad temporal distributions can make a mutualism more robust to climate change, while abundant alternative partners with narrow temporal distributions can make a mutualism less robust. How community composition and the rate of climate change affect the persistence of mutualisms is mediated by two-species Allee thresholds. Understanding these thresholds will help researchers to identify those mutualisms at highest risk owing to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Tucker Gilman
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin
| | | | - Karen C Abbott
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin
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Tachiki Y, Iwasa Y. Evolutionary jumping and breakthrough in tree masting evolution. Theor Popul Biol 2011; 81:20-31. [PMID: 22079670 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2011.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2011] [Revised: 10/14/2011] [Accepted: 10/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many long-lived plants such as trees show masting or intermittent and synchronized reproduction. In a coupled chaos system describing the dynamics of individual-plant resource budgets, masting occurs when the resource depletion coefficient k (ratio of the reproductive expenditure to the excess resource reserve) is large. Here, we mathematically studied the condition for masting evolution. In an infinitely large population, we obtained a deterministic dynamical system, to which we applied the pairwise invasibility plot and convergence stability of evolutionary singularity analyses. We prove that plants reproducing at the same rate every year are not evolutionarily stable. The resource depletion coefficient k increases, and the system oscillates with a period of 2 years (high and low reproduction) if k<1. Alternatively, k may evolve further and jump to a value >1, resulting in the sudden start of intermittent reproduction. We confirm that a high survivorship of young plants (seedlings) in the light-limited understory favors masting evolution, as previously suggested by computer simulations and field observations. The stochasticity caused by the finiteness of population size also promotes masting evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuuya Tachiki
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
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Allen RB, Mason NWH, Richardson SJ, Platt KH. Synchronicity, periodicity and bimodality in inter-annual tree seed production along an elevation gradient. OIKOS 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.19306.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Pérez-Ramos IM, Ourcival JM, Limousin JM, Rambal S. Mast seeding under increasing drought: results from a long-term data set and from a rainfall exclusion experiment. Ecology 2011; 91:3057-68. [PMID: 21058565 DOI: 10.1890/09-2313.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Mast seeding, the synchronous, highly variable seed production among years, is very common in tree species, but there is no consensus about its main causes and the main environmental factors affecting it. In this study, we first analyze a long-term data set on reproductive and vegetative growth of Quercus ilex in a mediterranean woodland in order to identify the main environmental drivers of interannual variation in flower and seed production and contrast the impact of climate vs. adaptive factors as main causes of masting. Second, we conducted an experiment of rainfall exclusion to evaluate the effects of an increasing drought (simulating predictions of global change models) on both reproductive processes. The annual seed crop was always affected by environmental factors related to the precipitation pattern, these abiotic factors disrupting the fruiting process at different periods of time. Seed production was strongly dependent upon water availability for the plant at initial (spring) and advanced (summer) stages of the acorn maturation cycle, whereas the final step of seed development was negatively affected by the frequency of torrential-rain events. We also found clear evidence that seed masting in the study species is not only regulated by selective endogenous rhythms, but is mainly a physiological response to the variable environment. Our results from the rainfall exclusion experiment corroborated the conclusions obtained from the 26-year fruiting record and demonstrated that the high interannual variation in seed crop was mainly determined by the success in seed development rather than by the flowering effort. Under a global change scenario, it could be expected that the drier conditions predicted by climate models reinforce the negative effects of summer drought on seed production, leading to negative consequences for tree recruitment and forest dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- I M Pérez-Ramos
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier 5, France.
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Sarfati MS, Kelly D, Brockerhoff EG. The parasitoids of seed predators attacking snow tussocks,Chionochloaspp. (Poaceae). NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/03014221003602182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Wilson DJ, Lee WG. Primary and secondary resource pulses in an alpine ecosystem: snow tussock grass (Chionochloa spp.) flowering and house mouse (Mus musculus) populations in New Zealand. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2010. [DOI: 10.1071/wr09118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context. Rodent populations in many parts of the world fluctuate in response to resource pulses generated by periodic high seed production (masting) by forest trees, with cascading effects on predation risk to other forest species. In New Zealand forests, populations of exotic house mice (Mus musculus) irrupt after periodic heavy beech (Nothofagus spp.) seedfall. However, in alpine grasslands, where snow tussock grasses (Chionochloa spp.) also flower and set seeds periodically, little is known about house mouse population dynamics.
Aims. Our primary objective was to test for an increase in alpine mouse density following a summer when snow tussocks flowered profusely. We also estimated mouse density in adjacent montane forest over 2 years, and assessed mouse diet, to predict their potential impacts on native species.
Methods. Flowering intensity of Chionochloa was assessed by counting flowering tillers on permanent transects (2003–06). Mouse density was estimated with capture–mark–recapture trapping in alpine (2003–07) and forest (2003–04) habitats. Mice were also collected and their stomach contents analysed. Flowering or fruiting of alpine shrubs and herbs, and beech seedfall at forest sites, were also measured.
Key results. Chionochloa flowered profusely in austral summer 2005/06. Between autumn (May) and spring (November) 2006, mean alpine mouse density increased from 4 ha–1 to 39 ha–1, then declined to 8 ha–1 by autumn (May 2007). No mice were captured in 768 trap-nights during the following spring (November 2007). Prior to the mouse irruption, mouse density was consistently higher at alpine (0.4–4.0 mice ha–1) than at montane forest (0.02–1.8 mice ha–1) sites (in 2003–04). Alpine mouse diet was dominated by arthropods before mast flowering, and by seeds during it.
Conclusions. The density and dynamics of alpine mice in relation to intensive snow-tussock flowering were similar to those in New Zealand beech forest in relation to beech masts.
Implications. We predict the timing and duration of periods of heightened predation risk to native alpine fauna, as the result of pulses in mouse density and likely associated pulses in the density of stoats (Mustela erminea), a key exotic predator.
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Crone EE, Miller E, Sala A. How do plants know when other plants are flowering? Resource depletion, pollen limitation and mast-seeding in a perennial wildflower. Ecol Lett 2009; 12:1119-26. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01365.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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New logo and updated editorial board. POPUL ECOL 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-008-0129-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Noda T, Nakaoka M, Takada T. Spatial connectivity and scaling for populations and communities. POPUL ECOL 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-008-0128-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Synchrony of spatial populations: heterogeneous population dynamics and reddened environmental noise. POPUL ECOL 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-008-0121-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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