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Sánchez Sánchez M, Lara C. Exotic and native plants play equally important roles in supporting and structuring plant-hummingbird networks within urban green spaces. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16996. [PMID: 38406283 PMCID: PMC10893870 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Urban gardens, despite their transformed nature, serve as invaluable microcosms for a quantitative examination of floral resource provision to urban pollinators, considering the plant's origin. Thus, knowledge has increased, emphasizing the importance of these green areas for hosting and conserving pollinator communities. However, there is a significant knowledge gap concerning the changing availability of these native and exotic floral resources over time and their impact on structuring interaction networks with specific pollinators. Methods Over a year-long period, monthly surveys were conducted to record both native and exotic plant species visited by hummingbirds in an urban garden at Tlaxcala, Mexico. Flower visits were recorded, and the total flowers on each plant visited were tallied. Additionally, all observed hummingbirds were recorded during the transect walks, regardless of plant visits, to determine hummingbird abundance. The interactions were summarized using matrices, and network descriptors like connectance, specializacion, nestedness, and modularity were computed. Plant and hummingbird species in the core and periphery of the network were also identified. Lastly, simulations were performed to assess the network's resilience to the extinction of highly connected native and exotic plant species, including those previously situated in the network's core. Results We recorded 4,674 interactions between 28 plant species, and eight hummingbird species. The majority of plants showed an ornithophilic syndrome, with 20 species considered exotic. Despite asynchronous flowering, there was overlap observed across different plant species throughout the year. Exotic plants like Jacaranda mimosifolia and Nicotiana glauca produced more flowers annually than native species. The abundance of hummingbirds varied throughout the study, with Saucerottia berillyna being the most abundant species. The plant-hummingbird network displayed high connectance, indicating generalization in their interaction. Significant nestedness was observed, mainly influenced by exotic plant species. The core of the network was enriched with exotic plants, while Basilinna leucotis and Cynanthus latirostris played central roles among hummingbirds. Network resilience to species extinction remained generally high. Conclusions Our findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics and structure of plant-hummingbird interactions in urban gardens, emphasizing the influence of exotic plant species and the network's resilience to perturbations. Understanding and managing the impact of exotic plants on such networks is crucial for the conservation and sustainable functioning of urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monserrat Sánchez Sánchez
- Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Maestría en Biotecnología y Manejo de Recursos Naturales, San Felipe Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Carlos Lara
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
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Costa A, Moré M, Sérsic AN, Cocucci AA, Drewniak ME, Izquierdo JV, Coetzee A, Pauw A, Traveset A, Paiaro V. Floral colour variation of Nicotiana glauca in native and non-native ranges: Testing the role of pollinators' perception and abiotic factors. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2023; 25:403-410. [PMID: 36744723 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Invasive plants displaying disparate pollination environments and abiotic conditions in native and non-native ranges provide ideal systems to test the role of different ecological factors driving flower colour variation. We quantified corolla reflectance of the ornithophilous South American Nicotiana glauca in native populations, where plants are pollinated by hummingbirds, and in populations from two invaded regions: South Africa, where plants are pollinated by sunbirds, and the Balearic island of Mallorca, where plants reproduce by selfing. Using visual modelling we examined how corolla reflectance could be perceived by floral visitors present in each region. Through Mantel tests we assessed a possible association between flower colour and different abiotic factors. Corolla reflectance variation (mainly along medium to long wavelengths, i.e. human green-yellow to red colours) was greater among studied regions than within them. Flower colour was more similar between South America and South Africa, which share birds as pollinators. Within invaded regions, corolla reflectance variation was lower in South Africa, where populations could not be distinguished from each other by sunbirds, than in Spain, where populations could be distinguished from each other by their occasional visitors. Differences in corolla colour among populations were partially associated with differences in temperature. Our findings suggest that shifts in flower colour of N. glauca across native and invaded ranges could be shaped by changes in both pollination environment and climatic factors. This is the first study on plant invasions considering visual perception of different pollinators and abiotic drivers of flower colour variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Costa
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M Moré
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - A N Sérsic
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - A A Cocucci
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M E Drewniak
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - J V Izquierdo
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - A Coetzee
- Fitz Patrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - A Pauw
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - A Traveset
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC, UIB), Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - V Paiaro
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
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Barberis M, Calabrese D, Galloni M, Nepi M. Secondary Metabolites in Nectar-Mediated Plant-Pollinator Relationships. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:550. [PMID: 36771634 PMCID: PMC9920422 DOI: 10.3390/plants12030550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, our understanding of the complex chemistry of floral nectar and its ecological implications for plant-pollinator relationships has certainly increased. Nectar is no longer considered merely a reward for pollinators but rather a plant interface for complex interactions with insects and other organisms. A particular class of compounds, i.e., nectar secondary compounds (NSCs), has contributed to this new perspective, framing nectar in a more comprehensive ecological context. The aim of this review is to draft an overview of our current knowledge of NSCs, including emerging aspects such as non-protein amino acids and biogenic amines, whose presence in nectar was highlighted quite recently. After considering the implications of the different classes of NSCs in the pollination scenario, we discuss hypotheses regarding the evolution of such complex nectar profiles and provide cues for future research on plant-pollinator relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Barberis
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Daniele Calabrese
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Marta Galloni
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Massimo Nepi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), 90123 Palermo, Italy
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Moles AT, Dalrymple RL, Raghu S, Bonser SP, Ollerton J. Advancing the missed mutualist hypothesis, the under-appreciated twin of the enemy release hypothesis. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220220. [PMID: 36259169 PMCID: PMC9579764 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduced species often benefit from escaping their enemies when they are transported to a new range, an idea commonly expressed as the enemy release hypothesis. However, species might shed mutualists as well as enemies when they colonize a new range. Loss of mutualists might reduce the success of introduced populations, or even cause failure to establish. We provide the first quantitative synthesis testing this natural but often overlooked parallel of the enemy release hypothesis, which is known as the missed mutualist hypothesis. Meta-analysis showed that plants interact with 1.9 times more mutualist species, and have 2.3 times more interactions with mutualists per unit time in their native range than in their introduced range. Species may mitigate the negative effects of missed mutualists. For instance, selection arising from missed mutualists could cause introduced species to evolve either to facilitate interactions with a new suite of species or to exist without mutualisms. Just as enemy release can allow introduced populations to redirect energy from defence to growth, potentially evolving increased competitive ability, species that shift to strategies without mutualists may be able to reallocate energy from mutualism toward increased competitive ability or seed production. The missed mutualist hypothesis advances understanding of the selective forces and filters that act on plant species in the early stages of introduction and establishment and thus could inform the management of introduced species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela T. Moles
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Rhiannon L. Dalrymple
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - S. Raghu
- CSIRO, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Stephen P. Bonser
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Jeff Ollerton
- Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology, University of Northampton, Waterside Campus, Northampton NN1 5PH, UK
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
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Assaeed AM, Alharthi AS, Abd-ElGawad AM. Impacts of Nicotiana glauca Graham Invasion on the Vegetation Composition and Soil: A Case Study of Taif, Western Saudi Arabia. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10122587. [PMID: 34961058 PMCID: PMC8708854 DOI: 10.3390/plants10122587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Invasive species are considered a serious problem in different ecosystems worldwide. They can compete and interfere with native plants, leading to a shift in community assembly and ecosystem function. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Nicotiana glauca Graham invasion on native vegetation composition and soil of the most invaded locations in the Taif region, Western Saudi Arabia, including Alwaht (WHT), Ar-Ruddaf (RDF), and Ash-shafa (SHFA). Plant species list, life span, life form, and chorotypes were assessed. Six locations highly infested with N. glauca shrubs were selected, and the morphological parameters of the shrubs were measured. Within each location, richness, evenness, relative density of species, and soil were measured either under the canopy of N. glauca shrubs or outside the canopy. Floristic analysis revealed the existence of 144 plant species, mainly perennial. The shrubs at the SHFA1 location showed the highest values of all measured morphological parameters. The WHT 1 location showed high richness and evenness, while the WHAT 2 location showed less richness and evenness. The invaded locations showed substantial variation in the community composition. Additionally, the effect of N. glauca on the understory species varied from competition to facilitation, where most of the understory species were inhibited. As an average of all locations, 65.86% of the plant species were recorded only outside the canopy of N. glauca. The vegetation analysis revealed that the SHFA location is more vulnerable to invasion that could be ascribed to its wide range of habitats and high disturbance. The soil–vegetation relationships showed significant variations among the studied locations regarding soil composition, and thereby showed a wide ecological range of the invasive shrubs N. glauca. Therefore, the invasion of N. glauca in the Taif region altered the species interactions, nutrients, and soil properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulaziz M. Assaeed
- Plant Production Department, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Abdullah S. Alharthi
- Plant Production Department, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
- Correspondence: (A.S.A.); or (A.M.A.-E.); Tel.: +966-533322287 (A.S.A.); Tel.: +966-562680864 (A.M.A.-E.)
| | - Ahmed M. Abd-ElGawad
- Plant Production Department, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
- Correspondence: (A.S.A.); or (A.M.A.-E.); Tel.: +966-533322287 (A.S.A.); Tel.: +966-562680864 (A.M.A.-E.)
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Abdallah M, Hervías-Parejo S, Traveset A. Low Pollinator Sharing Between Coexisting Native and Non-native Plant Pairs: The Effect of Corolla Length and Flower Abundance. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.709876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms by which non-native plants can attract pollinators in their new geographical zones is important because such species infiltrate native communities and can disrupt native ecological interactions. Despite the large number of studies assessing how invasive plants impact plant–pollinator interactions, the specific comparison of pollination interactions between native and non-native plant pairs has received much less attention. Here we focused on four coexisting co-flowering pairs of common native and non-native species, both with abundant flowers but different floral traits, and asked: (1) to what extent native and non-native plants share pollinator species, and whether the non-native plants attract a different set of pollinators, (2) whether the most shared pollinators are the most frequent floral visitors and the most generalized in their interactions, and (3) how much of the variation in the diversity and frequency of pollinator species between native and non-native plant species can be explained by floral trait dissimilarity and flower abundance. Direct pollinator observations revealed that the plant pairs shared a low fraction (0–33%) of insect species, i.e., non-native plants tended to acquire a different set of pollinators than their native counterparts. The most shared pollinators in each plant pair were the most common but not the most generalized species, and non-native species attracted both generalized and specialized pollinators. Corolla length at opening and flower abundance showed to be important in determining the differences in flower visitation rate between natives and non-natives. Our findings support the general pattern that non-native species have no barriers at the pollination stage to integrate into native communities and that they may attract a different assemblage of pollinators relative to those that visit native plants with which they coexist.
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Alharthi AS, Abd-ElGawad AM, Assaeed AM. Influence of the invasive shrub Nicotiana glauca Graham on the plant seed bank in various locations in Taif region, western of Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:360-370. [PMID: 33424318 PMCID: PMC7785435 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive species have been considered as one of the most serious threats to the biodiversity of various ecosystems, particularly in arid regions. The present study aimed to assess the influence of the invasive shrub Nicotiana glauca on the biodiversity of different habitats in Taif region, Saudi Arabia as well as to determine the highest habitat with seed bank of N. glauca. Soil samples were collected from three locations (Alwaht, Ash-shafa, and Ar Ruddaf), invaded with N. glauca, and analyzed for the soil seed bank. A soil seed experiment was designed in a greenhouse, whereby emerged plant seedlings were left to grow for three months and identified as well as the species density and biodiversity were assessed under and outside the canopy of N. glauca. Also, the floristic composition, life forms, and chorotype spectra of the plant species of the seed bank were analyzed. A total of 42 species, belonging to 23 families, were recorded in the soil seed bank. Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Cyperaceae were the major families (42.9%). The life form spectra of the recorded species were dominated by Therophytes (59.5%). Chorotype spectra analysis revealed that Mediterranean, Saharo-Arabian, and Irano-Turanian were the most represented elements. The species richness and evenness were higher outside the canopy, which indicates a negative effect of the invasive shrub N. glauca on the plant biodiversity in the study area, particularly in Ar Ruddaf location. This could be attributed to the competition or allelopathic effect of N. glauca. In contrast, the density of N. glauca seeds was higher under the canopy compared to outside. The soil nutrients and moisture under the canopy were higher than outside canopy. The present study provides a deeper understanding of the most susceptible habitats or communities to the invasion by N. glauca and thereby open the challenge toward control of this noxious plant and vegetation restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah S. Alharthi
- Plant Production Department, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed M. Abd-ElGawad
- Plant Production Department, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Abdulaziz M. Assaeed
- Plant Production Department, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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García M, Benítez-Vieyra S, Sérsic AN, Pauw A, Cocucci AA, Traveset A, Sazatornil F, Paiaro V. Is variation in flower shape and length among native and non-native populations of Nicotiana glauca a product of pollinator-mediated selection? Evol Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-020-10082-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Phillips RD, Peakall R, van der Niet T, Johnson SD. Niche Perspectives on Plant-Pollinator Interactions. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 25:779-793. [PMID: 32386827 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ecological niches are crucial for species coexistence and diversification, but the niche concept has been underutilized in studying the roles of pollinators in plant evolution and reproduction. Pollination niches can be objectively characterized using pollinator traits, abundance, and distributions, as well as network topology. We review evidence that floral traits represent adaptations to pollination niches, where tradeoffs in trait deployment reinforce niche specialization. In turn, specialized pollination niches potentially increase speciation rates, foster species coexistence, and constrain species range limits. By linking studies of adaptation with those on speciation and coexistence, the pollination niche provides an organizing principle for research on plant reproduction, and conceptually unites these studies with fields of biology where the niche perspective is already firmly established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Phillips
- Department of Ecology, Environment, and Evolution, La Trobe University, VIC 3086, Australia; Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions, WA 6005, Australia; Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
| | - Rod Peakall
- Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Timotheüs van der Niet
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
| | - Steven D Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
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