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Bierker SR, Brubaker F, Scheideman KE, Ciamacco M, Harris ME, Utz RM. Small Mammals Perceive Most Fruits of Invasive Plants as Low-Quality Forage in a Pennsylvanian Forest and Meadow. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2023. [DOI: 10.1656/045.030.0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Searrah R. Bierker
- Falk School of Sustainability, Chatham University, 6035 Ridge Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044
| | - Frances Brubaker
- Falk School of Sustainability, Chatham University, 6035 Ridge Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044
| | - Kendra E. Scheideman
- Falk School of Sustainability, Chatham University, 6035 Ridge Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044
| | - Mars Ciamacco
- Falk School of Sustainability, Chatham University, 6035 Ridge Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044
| | - Meghan E. Harris
- Falk School of Sustainability, Chatham University, 6035 Ridge Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044
| | - Ryan M. Utz
- Falk School of Sustainability, Chatham University, 6035 Ridge Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044
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2
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Urochloa arrecta: an African invasive Poaceae in Brazil with low genetic diversity. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02952-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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3
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Muschetto E, Chaneton EJ, Mazía N, Tripodi MA, Busch M. Biotic resistance in a stochastic world: Do rodents act as a filter to alien tree invasion in pampean old fields? Ecol Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Muschetto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–IEGEBA (UBA‐CONICET) Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Enrique J. Chaneton
- IFEVA—CONICET and Facultad de Agronomía Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Noemí Mazía
- Cátedra de Dasonomía, Facultad de Agronomía Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Mariel A. Tripodi
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–IEGEBA (UBA‐CONICET) Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - María Busch
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–IEGEBA (UBA‐CONICET) Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires Argentina
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4
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Hierro JL, Eren Ö, Čuda J, Meyerson LA. Evolution of increased competitive ability (
EICA
) may explain dominance of introduced species in ruderal communities. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José L. Hierro
- Laboratorio de Ecología, Biogeografía y Evolución Vegetal (LEByEV) Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa (INCITAP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)‐Universidad Nacional de La Pampa (UNLPam) Santa Rosa Argentina
- Departamento de Biología Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UNLPam
| | - Özkan Eren
- Aydin Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi, Biyoloji Bölümü, Fen‐Edebiyat Fakültesi Aydın Turkey
| | - Jan Čuda
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology Průhonice Czech Republic
| | - Laura A. Meyerson
- The University of Rhode Island, Department of Natural Resources Science Kingston RI USA
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5
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Cazetta TC, Vieira EM. Fire Occurrence Mediates Small-Mammal Seed Removal of Native Tree Species in a Neotropical Savanna. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.793947] [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] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal and predation are critical processes for plant recruitment which can be affected by fire events. We investigated community composition of small mammals in gallery forests with distinct burning histories (burned or not burned ∼3 years before) in the Cerrado (neotropical savanna). We evaluated the role of these animals as seed removers of six native tree species, potentially mediated by the occurrence of fire. We sampled four previously burned sites and four unburned ones. Seed removal was assessed using two exclusion treatments: exclusive access of small rodents and access of all seed-removing vertebrates. The previous burning changed the structural characteristics of the forests, increasing the density of the understory vegetation and herbaceous cover, which determined differences in species composition, richness, and abundance of small rodents (abundance in the burned forests was 1/6 of the abundance in the unburnt ones). Seed removal rates across the six species were reduced in burnt forests in both treatments and were higher for the “all vertebrates” treatment. Other vertebrates, larger than small rodents, played a significant role as seed removers for five of the six species. The effects of fire were consistent across species, but for the two species with the largest seeds (Hymenaea courbaril and Mauritia flexuosa) removal rates for both treatments were extremely low in the burned forests (≦5%). The observed decline in small rodent seed predation in the burned forests may have medium to long-term consequences on plant communities in gallery forests, potentially affecting community composition and species coexistence in these forests. Moreover, fire caused a sharp decline in seed removal by large mammals, indicating that the maintenance of dispersal services provided by these mammals (mainly the agouti Dasyprota azarae) for the large-seeded species may be jeopardized by the burning of gallery forests. This burning would also affect several small mammal species that occur in the surrounding typical savanna habitats but also use these forests. Fire events have been increasing in frequency and intensity because of human activities and climate changing. This current scenario poses a serious threat considering that these forests are fire-sensitive ecosystems within the Cerrado.
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6
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Maron JL, Lightfoot DC, Rodriguez‐Cabal MA, Collins SL, Rudgers JA. Climate mediates long‐term impacts of rodent exclusion on desert plant communities. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John L. Maron
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - David C. Lightfoot
- Museum of Southwestern Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131 USA
| | - Mariano A. Rodriguez‐Cabal
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones INIBIOMA ‐ CONICET Universidad Nacional del Comahue Av. de los Pioneros 2350 CP. 8400 Bariloche, Rio Negro Argentina
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont Burlington Vermont 05405 USA
| | - Scott L. Collins
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131 USA
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7
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Pearson DE, Ortega YK, Cimino HE, Mummy DL, Ramsey PW. Does active plant restoration passively restore native fauna community structure and function? Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dean E. Pearson
- Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service 800 East Beckwith Avenue, Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
| | - Yvette K. Ortega
- Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service 800 East Beckwith Avenue, Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
| | - Hillary E. Cimino
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
| | - Daniel L. Mummy
- MPG Ranch 19400 Lower Woodchuck Road, Florence MT 59833 U.S.A
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8
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Teman SJ, Stevens N, Monadjem A, Fletcher RJ, Austin JD, McCleery R. Savanna Rodents’ Selective Removal of an Encroaching Plant’s Seeds Increased With Grass Biomass. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.676572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In savannas across the planet, encroaching woody plants are altering ecosystem functions and reshaping communities. Seed predation by rodents may serve to slow the encroachment of woody plants in grasslands and savannas. Our goals for this study were to determine if rodents in an African savanna selectively removed seeds of an encroaching plant and if foraging activity was influenced by the local vegetation structure or by the landscape context. From trials with two species of seeds (encroacher = Dichrostachys cinerea, non-encroaching overstory tree = Senegalia nigrescens) at 64 seed stations, we recorded 1,065 foraging events by seven species of granivorous rodents. We found a strong positive relationship between rodent activity and the number of seeds removed during trials. Foraging events were dominated by rodent seed predators, with <10.6% of events involving a rodent with the potential for secondary dispersal. Rodents selectively removed the seeds of the encroaching species, removing 32.6% more D. cinerea seeds compared to S. nigrescens. Additionally, rodent activity and the number of seeds removed increased at sites with more grass biomass. Our results suggest a potential mechanistic role for rodents in mitigating the spread of woody plants in grass dominated savannas.
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Vukeya LR, Mokotjomela TM, Malebo NJ, Oke S. Interspecific competition in germination of bird-dispersed seeds in a habitat with sparse tree vegetation in South Africa. BOTANICAL STUDIES 2021; 62:10. [PMID: 34110534 PMCID: PMC8192655 DOI: 10.1186/s40529-021-00317-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND By transporting and scarifying the seeds during ingestion, avian frugivores reduce the competition with siblings, and may improve the germination which is critical for dispersal effectiveness and population recruitment. However, generally, there is limited knowledge on how deposited seeds interact/compete in the new microsite. We tested the hypothesis that the bird-dispersed seeds benefit from improved germination after their passage through the bird's gut; and we investigated the potential impact of seed density on competition at the microsites by determining whether seed density and species diversity influence germination in the Free State Province, South Africa. RESULTS Overall, the results partly supported the hypothesis. Germination trials with defecated seeds of five plant species compared with the manually depulped seeds showed that only Searsia lancea had significantly higher seed germination success and improved germination speed after passage through the bird gut while Ziziphus mucronata only benefited rapid germination. There was a significant correlation between seed size and the germination of bird-ingested seeds except in Olea subsp. africana possibly due to possession of extremely hard protective seed cover. Seed competition experiments pointed to Z. mucronata and O. subsp. africana having significant germination performance that was positively correlated to seed density and seed size while Ehretia rigida did not germinate at all. Seed species diversity in the germination trays did not have a significant impact since the seeds of two former plant species consistently displayed significantly higher germination across the competition levels. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that different plant species respond differently to seed ingestion by birds, and that further long-term tests for germination physiological responses of the seeds' samples used in this study are required since poor germination observed in other tree/shrub species cannot be attributed to competition solely.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Vukeya
- South Africa National Biodiversity Institute, Free State National Botanical Garden, Free State, Rayton, Dan Pienaar, Danhof, P.O Box 29036, Bloemfontein, 9310, South Africa
- Faculty of Health and Environmental Science, Central University of Technology, Private Bag X20539, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - T M Mokotjomela
- Centre for Invasion Biology, South Africa National Biodiversity Institute, Free State National Botanical Garden, Free State, Rayton, Dan Pienaar, Danhof, P.O Box 29036, Bloemfontein, 9310, South Africa.
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
| | - N J Malebo
- Faculty of Health and Environmental Science, Central University of Technology, Private Bag X20539, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - S Oke
- Faculty of Health and Environmental Science, Central University of Technology, Private Bag X20539, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
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10
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Non-native weed reaches community dominance under the canopy of dominant native tree. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02538-z] [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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11
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Batisteli AF, Costa RO, Christianini AV. Seed abundance affects seed removal of an alien and a native tree in the Brazilian savanna: Implications for biotic resistance. AUSTRAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Augusto Florisvaldo Batisteli
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais; Universidade Federal de São Carlos; Rod. Washington Luiz km 235 São Carlos SP Brazil
| | - Rosane Oliveira Costa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais; Universidade Federal de São Carlos; Rod. Washington Luiz km 235 São Carlos SP Brazil
| | - Alexander Vicente Christianini
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais; Universidade Federal de São Carlos; Rod. João Leme dos Santos km 110 Sorocaba SP Brazil
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12
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Fire, rodent herbivory, and plant competition: implications for invasion and altered fire regimes in the Mojave Desert. Oecologia 2019; 192:155-167. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04562-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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13
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Gioria M, Le Roux JJ, Hirsch H, Moravcová L, Pyšek P. Characteristics of the soil seed bank of invasive and non-invasive plants in their native and alien distribution range. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-01978-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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St Clair SB, O'Connor R, Gill R, McMillan B. Biotic resistance and disturbance: rodent consumers regulate post-fire plant invasions and increase plant community diversity. Ecology 2018; 97:1700-1711. [PMID: 27859155 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Biotic resistance and disturbance are fundamental processes influencing plant invasion outcomes; however, the role of consumers in regulating the establishment and spread of plant invaders and how disturbance modifies biotic resistance by consumers is unclear. We document that fire in combination with experimental exclusion of rodent consumers shifted a native desert shrubland to a low-diversity, invasive annual grassland dominated by Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass). In contrast, burned plots with rodents present suppressed invasion by cheatgrass and developed into a more diverse forb community. Rodents created strong biotic resistance to the establishment of aggressive plant invaders likely through seed and seedling predation, which had cascading effects on plant competition and plant community diversity. Fire mediated its positive effects on plant invaders through native plant removal and by decreasing the abundance and diversity of the rodent community. The experimental disruption of plant and consumer-mediated biotic resistance of plant invaders using fire and rodent exclusion treatments provides strong evidence that native plants and rodents are important regulators of plant invasion dynamics and plant biodiversity in our study system. While rodents conferred strong resistance to invasion in our study system, fluctuations in rodent populations due to disturbance and climatic events may provide windows of opportunity for exotic plant species to escape biotic resistance by rodent consumers and initiate invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel B St Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, 84602, USA
| | - Rory O'Connor
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, 84602, USA
| | - Richard Gill
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, 84602, USA
| | - Brock McMillan
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, 84602, USA
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15
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Pearson DE, Valliant M, Carlson C, Thelen GC, Ortega YK, Orrock JL, Madsen MD. Spicing up restoration: can chili peppers improve restoration seeding by reducing seed predation? Restor Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dean E. Pearson
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; USDA Forest Service; 800 E. Beckwith Avenue, Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
- Division of Biological Sciences; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
| | - Morgan Valliant
- City of Missoula; Conservation Lands Management Program; Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
| | - Chris Carlson
- City of Missoula; Conservation Lands Management Program; Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
| | | | - Yvette K. Ortega
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; USDA Forest Service; 800 E. Beckwith Avenue, Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
| | - John L. Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Wisconsin; Madison WI 53706 U.S.A
| | - Matthew D. Madsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences; Brigham Young University; Provo UT 84602 U.S.A
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16
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Pearson DE, Ortega YK, Villarreal D, Lekberg Y, Cock MC, Eren Ö, Hierro JL. The fluctuating resource hypothesis explains invasibility, but not exotic advantage following disturbance. Ecology 2018; 99:1296-1305. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dean E. Pearson
- Rocky Mountain Research Station United States Forest Service Missoula Montana 59801 USA
- The University of Montana Missoula Montana 59801 USA
| | - Yvette K. Ortega
- Rocky Mountain Research Station United States Forest Service Missoula Montana 59801 USA
| | - Diego Villarreal
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEyN) UNLPam 6300 Santa Rosa La Pampa Argentina
| | - Ylva Lekberg
- The University of Montana Missoula Montana 59801 USA
- MPG Ranch Florence Montana 59833 USA
| | - Marina C. Cock
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas‐Universidad Nacional de La Pampa [INCITAP (CONICET‐UNLPam)] 6300 Santa Rosa La Pampa Argentina
| | - Özkan Eren
- Biyoloji Bölümü Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Aydın 09100 Turkey
| | - José L. Hierro
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas‐Universidad Nacional de La Pampa [INCITAP (CONICET‐UNLPam)] 6300 Santa Rosa La Pampa Argentina
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18
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Fischer C, Gayer C, Kurucz K, Riesch F, Tscharntke T, Batáry P. Ecosystem services and disservices provided by small rodents in arable fields: Effects of local and landscape management. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Fischer
- Restoration Ecology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management; Technische Universität München; Freising Germany
| | - Christoph Gayer
- Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Environmental- and Urban Planning; University of Applied Science; Nürtingen-Geislingen Germany
| | - Kornélia Kurucz
- Szentágothai Research Centre; University of Pécs; Pécs Hungary
| | - Friederike Riesch
- Grassland Science, Department of Crop Sciences; Georg-August-University; Göttingen Germany
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences; Georg-August-University; Göttingen Germany
| | - Péter Batáry
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences; Georg-August-University; Göttingen Germany
- GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group; MTA Centre for Ecological Research; Tihany Hungary
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Sharp Bowman TR, McMillan BR, St Clair SB. Rodent herbivory differentially affects mortality rates of 14 native plant species with contrasting life history and growth form traits. Oecologia 2017; 185:465-473. [PMID: 28887653 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3944-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Ecosystems are transformed by changes in disturbance regimes including wildfire and herbivory. Rodent consumers can have strong top-down effects on plant community assembly through seed predation, but their impacts on post-germination seedling establishment via seedling herbivory need better characterization, particularly in deserts. To test the legacy effects of fire history, and native rodent consumers on seedling establishment, we evaluated factorial combinations of experimental exclusion of rodents and fire history (burned vs. unburned) on seedling survival of 14 native plant species that vary in their life history strategies and growth form in the Mojave Desert. Seedlings were placed into the experimental plots, and seedling survival was monitored daily for 8 days. The legacy effects of fire history had minimal effects on seedling survival, but rodent exclusion, year, and their interaction were strongly significant. Seedling survival rates were nearly sixfold greater in rodent exclusion plots compared to control plots in 2012 (53 vs. 9%) and 17-fold greater in 2013 (17 vs. 1%). The dramatic increase in seedling mortality from 2012 to 2013 was likely driven by an increase in rodent abundance and an outbreak of grasshoppers that appears to have intensified the rodent effect. There was strong variability in plant species survival in response to rodent herbivory with annual plants and forb species showing lower survival than perennial plants and shrub species. These results indicate that rodent consumers can strongly regulate seedling survival of native plant species with potentially strong regulatory effects on plant community development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brock R McMillan
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Samuel B St Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
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20
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Larios L, Pearson DE, Maron JL. Incorporating the effects of generalist seed predators into plant community theory. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Loralee Larios
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences University of California Riverside CA92507 USA
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT59812 USA
| | - Dean E. Pearson
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT59812 USA
- Rocky Mountain Research Station U.S.D.A. Forest Service Missoula MT59801 USA
| | - John L. Maron
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT59812 USA
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21
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Cabra-Rivas I, Castro-Díez P. Comparing the Sexual Reproductive Success of Two Exotic Trees Invading Spanish Riparian Forests vs. a Native Reference. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160831. [PMID: 27529695 PMCID: PMC4987064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A widely accepted hypothesis in invasion ecology is that invasive species have higher survival through the early stages of establishment than do non-invasive species. In this study we explore the hypothesis that the sexual reproductive success of the invasive trees Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle and Robinia pseudoacacia L. is higher than that of the native Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl., all three species coexisting within the riparian forests of Central Spain. We compared different stages of the early life cycle, namely seed rain, seed infestation by insects, seed removal by local fauna, seed germination under optimal conditions and seedling abundance between the two invasive trees and the native, in order to assess their sexual reproductive success. The exotic species did not differ from the native reference (all three species displaying high seed rain and undergoing seed losses up to 50% due to seed removal by the local fauna). Even if the exotic R. pseudoacacia showed a high percentage of empty and insect-parasited seeds along with a low seedling emergence and the exotic A. altissima was the species with more viable seeds and of higher germinability, no differences were found regarding these variables when comparing them with the native F. angustifolia. Unsuitable conditions might have hampered either seedling emergence and survival, as seedling abundance in the field was lower than expected in all species -especially in R. pseudoacacia-. Our results rather suggest that the sexual reproductive success was not higher in the exotic trees than in the native reference, but studies focusing on long-term recruitment would help to shed light on this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Cabra-Rivas
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Unidad Docente de Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Ciencias Ambientales y Química, Universidad de Alcalá, N-II, Km 33.6, PO Box 20, Alcalá de Henares (28805), Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Pilar Castro-Díez
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Unidad Docente de Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Ciencias Ambientales y Química, Universidad de Alcalá, N-II, Km 33.6, PO Box 20, Alcalá de Henares (28805), Madrid, Spain
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Bobadilla SY, Benitez VV, Guichón ML. Asiatic Callosciurus squirrels as seed dispersers of exotic plants in the Pampas. Curr Zool 2016; 62:215-219. [PMID: 29491908 PMCID: PMC5804237 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal by exotic mammals exemplifies mutualistic interactions that can modify the habitat by facilitating the establishment of certain species. We examined the potential for endozoochoric dispersal of exotic plants by Callosciurus erythraeus introduced in the Pampas Region of Argentina. We identified and characterized entire and damaged seeds found in squirrel faeces and evaluated the germination capacity and viability of entire seeds in laboratory assays. We collected 120 samples of squirrel faeces that contained 883 pellets in seasonal surveys conducted between July 2011 and June 2012 at 3 study sites within the main invasion focus of C. erythraeus in Argentina. We found 226 entire seeds in 21% of the samples belonging to 4 species of exotic trees and shrubs. Germination in laboratory assays was recorded for Morus alba and Casuarina sp.; however, germination percentage and rate was higher for seeds obtained from the fruits than for seeds obtained from the faeces. The largest size of entire seeds found in the faeces was 4.2 × 4.0 mm, whereas the damaged seeds had at least 1 dimension ≥ 4.7 mm. Our results indicated that C. erythraeus can disperse viable seeds of at least 2 species of exotic trees. C. erythraeus predated seeds of other naturalized species in the region. The morphometric description suggested a restriction on the maximum size for the passage of entire seeds through the digestive tract of squirrels, which provides useful information to predict its role as a potential disperser or predator of other species in other invaded communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Yasmin Bobadilla
- Ecología de Mamíferos Introducidos, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable (INEDES), Universidad Nacional de Luján, Ruta 5 y 7, Luján (6700), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Verónica V Benitez
- Ecología de Mamíferos Introducidos, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable (INEDES), Universidad Nacional de Luján, Ruta 5 y 7, Luján (6700), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M Laura Guichón
- Ecología de Mamíferos Introducidos, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable (INEDES), Universidad Nacional de Luján, Ruta 5 y 7, Luján (6700), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Korell L, Stein C, Hensen I, Bruelheide H, Suding KN, Auge H. Stronger effect of gastropods than rodents on seedling establishment, irrespective of exotic or native plant species origin. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lotte Korell
- Inst. of Biology; Martin Luther Univ. Halle-Wittenberg; Am Kirchtor 1 DE-06108 Halle Germany
- Inst. of Biology; Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8 DE-35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Claudia Stein
- Dept of Environmental Science; Policy and Management, Univ. of California Berkeley; 130 Mulford Hall Berkeley CA 94720-3114 USA
- Biology Dept and Tyson Research Center; Washington Univ. St. Louis; Campus Box 1137, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis MO 63130-4899 USA
| | - Isabell Hensen
- Inst. of Biology; Martin Luther Univ. Halle-Wittenberg; Am Kirchtor 1 DE-06108 Halle Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Deutscher Platz 5e DE-4103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- Inst. of Biology; Martin Luther Univ. Halle-Wittenberg; Am Kirchtor 1 DE-06108 Halle Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Deutscher Platz 5e DE-4103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Katharine N. Suding
- Dept of Environmental Science; Policy and Management, Univ. of California Berkeley; 130 Mulford Hall Berkeley CA 94720-3114 USA
| | - Harald Auge
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Deutscher Platz 5e DE-4103 Leipzig Germany
- Dept of Community Ecology; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Theodor-Lieser-Straße 4 DE-06120 Halle Germany
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Chiuffo MC, MacDougall AS, Hierro JL. Native and non-native ruderals experience similar plant-soil feedbacks and neighbor effects in a system where they coexist. Oecologia 2015. [PMID: 26209047 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3399-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent applications of coexistence theory to plant invasions posit that non-natives establish in resident communities through either niche differences or traits conferring them with fitness advantages, the former being associated with coexistence and the latter with dominance and competitive exclusion. Plant-soil feedback is a mechanism that is known to explain both coexistence and dominance. In a system where natives and non-natives appear to coexist, we explored how plant-soil feedbacks affect the performance of nine native and nine non-native ruderal species-the prevalent life-history strategy among non-natives-when grown alone and with a phytometer. We also conducted field samplings to estimate the abundance of the 18 species, and related feedbacks to abundances. We found that groups of native and non-native ruderals displayed similar frequencies of negative, positive, and neutral feedbacks, resulting in no detectable differences between natives and non-natives. Likewise, the phytometer exerted comparable negative impacts on native and non-native plants, which were unchanged by plant-soil feedbacks. Finally, feedbacks explained plant abundances only after removing one influential species which exhibited strong positive feedbacks but low abundance. Importantly, however, four out of five species with negative feedbacks were rare in the field. These findings suggest that soil feedbacks and plant-plant interactions do not confer an advantage to non-native over native species, but do contribute to the observed coexistence of these groups in the system. By comparing natives and non-natives with overlapping abundances and strategies, our work broadens understanding of the consequences of plant-soil feedbacks in plant invasion and, more generally, coexistence within plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana C Chiuffo
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de La Pampa [INCITAP (CONICET-UNLPam)], Mendoza 109, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
| | - Andrew S MacDougall
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - José L Hierro
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de La Pampa [INCITAP (CONICET-UNLPam)], Mendoza 109, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina. .,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEyN), UNLPam, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina.
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Muschetto E, Mazia N, Cueto GR, Busch M. Are rodents a source of biotic resistance to tree invasion in Pampean grasslands? Tree seed consumption under different conditions. AUSTRAL ECOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Muschetto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires - IEGEBA-CONICET; Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón 2 C1428EHA Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Noemí Mazia
- Cátedra de Dasonomía; Facultad de Agronomía; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Gerardo R. Cueto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires - IEGEBA-CONICET; Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón 2 C1428EHA Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - María Busch
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires - IEGEBA-CONICET; Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón 2 C1428EHA Buenos Aires Argentina
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Pearson DE, Icasatti NS, Hierro JL, Bird BJ. Are local filters blind to provenance? Ant seed predation suppresses exotic plants more than natives. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103824. [PMID: 25099535 PMCID: PMC4123878 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The question of whether species' origins influence invasion outcomes has been a point of substantial debate in invasion ecology. Theoretically, colonization outcomes can be predicted based on how species' traits interact with community filters, a process presumably blind to species' origins. Yet, exotic plant introductions commonly result in monospecific plant densities not commonly seen in native assemblages, suggesting that exotic species may respond to community filters differently than natives. Here, we tested whether exotic and native species differed in their responses to a local community filter by examining how ant seed predation affected recruitment of eighteen native and exotic plant species in central Argentina. Ant seed predation proved to be an important local filter that strongly suppressed plant recruitment, but ants suppressed exotic recruitment far more than natives (89% of exotic species vs. 22% of natives). Seed size predicted ant impacts on recruitment independent of origins, with ant preference for smaller seeds resulting in smaller seeded plant species being heavily suppressed. The disproportionate effects of provenance arose because exotics had generally smaller seeds than natives. Exotics also exhibited greater emergence and earlier peak emergence than natives in the absence of ants. However, when ants had access to seeds, these potential advantages of exotics were negated due to the filtering bias against exotics. The differences in traits we observed between exotics and natives suggest that higher-order introduction filters or regional processes preselected for certain exotic traits that then interacted with the local seed predation filter. Our results suggest that the interactions between local filters and species traits can predict invasion outcomes, but understanding the role of provenance will require quantifying filtering processes at multiple hierarchical scales and evaluating interactions between filters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean E. Pearson
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Nadia S. Icasatti
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Jose L. Hierro
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de La Pampa) and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
| | - Benjamin J. Bird
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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Connolly BM, Pearson DE, Mack RN. Granivory of invasive, naturalized, and native plants in communities differentially susceptible to invasion. Ecology 2014; 95:1759-69. [DOI: 10.1890/13-1774.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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