1
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Animal-mediated plant niche tracking in a changing climate. Trends Ecol Evol 2023:S0169-5347(23)00034-4. [PMID: 36932024 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.02.005] [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: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Over half of plant species are animal-dispersed, and our understanding of how animals can help plants move in response to climate change - a process known as niche tracking - is limited, but advancing rapidly. Recent research efforts find evidence that animals are helping plants track their niches. They also identify key conditions needed for animal-mediated niche tracking to occur, including alignment of the timing of seed availability, the directionality of animal movements, and microhabitat conditions where seeds are deposited. A research framework that measures niche tracking effectiveness by considering all parts of the niche-tracking process, and links together data and models from multiple disciplines, will lead to further insight and inform actions to help ecosystems adapt to a changing world.
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Paolacci S, Jansen MAK, Stejskal V, Kelly TC, Coughlan NE. Metabolically active angiosperms survive passage through the digestive tract of a large-bodied waterbird. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230090. [PMID: 36968238 PMCID: PMC10031429 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230090] [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: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Avian vectors, such as ducks, swans and geese, are important dispersers of plant propagules. Until recently, it was thought that small vegetative propagules were reliant on adherence to vectors and are unlikely to survive passage through the avian digestive tract. Here, we conclusively demonstrate that metabolically active angiosperms can survive passage through the digestive tract of a large-bodied waterbird. In addition, we show that extended periods of air exposure for up to 7 days does not inhibit the survival of plantlets embedded in faecal matter. Following air exposure, plantlets (n = 3000) were recovered from 75 faecal samples of mute swans, Cygnus olor, with the survival of 203 plantlets. The number of recovered and surviving plantlets did not significantly differ among durations of air exposure. For recovered plantlets, the long-term viability and clonal reproduction of two duckweed species, Lemna minor and L. gibba, were confirmed following greater than eight months of growth. These data further amplify the key role of waterbirds as vectors for aquatic plant dispersal and demonstrate the internal transport (i.e. endozoochory) of metabolically active plantlets. These data suggest dispersal of vegetative plant propagules by avian vectors is likely to be a common occurrence, underpinning connectivity, range expansion and invasions of some aquatic plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Paolacci
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Ireland, T23 TK30
| | - Marcel A. K. Jansen
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Ireland, T23 TK30
| | - Vlastimil Stejskal
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Ireland, T23 TK30
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Institute of Aquaculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Husova třida 458/102, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas C. Kelly
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Ireland, T23 TK30
| | - Neil E. Coughlan
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Ireland, T23 TK30
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3
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Emura N, Muranaka T, Iwasaki T, Honjo MN, Nagano AJ, Isagi Y, Kudoh H. Effects of fruit dimorphism on genetic structure and gene flow in the coastal shrub Scaevola taccada. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:1029-1040. [PMID: 36534688 PMCID: PMC9851332 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plant propagules often possess specialized morphologies that facilitate dispersal across specific landscapes. In the fruit dimorphism of a coastal shrub, Scaevola taccada, individual plants produce either cork-morph or pulp-morph fruits. The former is buoyant and common on sandy beaches, whereas the latter does not float, is bird-dispersed, and is common on elevated sites such as slopes on sea cliffs and behind rocky shores. We hypothesized that beach populations bridge the heterogeneous landscapes by serving as a source of both fruit types, while dispersal is biased for the pulp morph on elevated sites within the islands and for the cork morph between beaches of different islands. Based on this hypothesis, we predicted that populations in elevated sites would diverge genetically over time due to isolation by distance, whereas beach populations would maintain high genetic similarity via current gene flow. METHODS The genetic structure and gene flow in S. taccada were evaluated by investigating genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms in plants from 17 sampling sites on six islands (belonging to the Ryukyu, Daito and Ogasawara Islands) in Japan. KEY RESULTS Geographical isolation was detected among the three distant island groups. Analyses within the Ryukyu Islands suggested that sandy beach populations were characterized by genetic admixture, whereas populations in elevated sites were relatively isolated between the islands. Pairwise FST values between islands were lowest between sandy beaches, intermediate between sandy beaches and elevated sites, and highest between elevated sites. CONCLUSIONS Dispersal across the ocean by cork morphs is sufficiently frequent to prevent genetic divergence between beaches of different islands. Stronger genetic isolation of elevated sites between islands suggests that bird dispersal by pulp morphs is restricted mainly within islands. These contrasting patterns of gene flow realized by fruit dimorphism provide evidence that fruit characteristics can strongly mediate genetic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoko Emura
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu 520-2113, Japan
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Muranaka
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu 520-2113, Japan
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Takaya Iwasaki
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu 520-2113, Japan
- Natural Science Division, Faculty of Core Research, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan
| | - Mie N Honjo
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu 520-2113, Japan
| | - Atsushi J Nagano
- Faculty of Agriculture, Ryukoku University, Yokotani, Seta Oe-cho, Otsu, Shiga 520-2194, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
| | - Yuji Isagi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kudoh
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu 520-2113, Japan
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4
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Nie S, Zhou L, Xu W. Effect of Seed Traits and Waterbird Species on the Dispersal Effectiveness of Wetland Plants. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:629. [PMID: 35625357 PMCID: PMC9137643 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Seed dispersal is an important ecological process in wetland ecosystems and helps maintain community structure and ecosystem biodiversity. Waterbird-mediated endozoochory is an effective and feasible dispersal mechanism for wetland plants; however, the influence of vectors and seed traits on this mechanism remains unclear. To investigate the effects of vector species and seed traits (length and lignin) on retention time, retrieval and germination of gut-surviving seeds, we fed Baikal teals (Anas formosa) and green-winged teals (Anas crecca) eight common plant seeds (Polygonum aviculare, Rumex dentatus, Polygonum orientale, Vallisneria natans, Ranunculus polii, Polygonum hydropiper, Carex cinerascen and Euphrasia pectinata) in the Shengjin Lake wetland (a Ramsar site). We collected fecal samples at intervals of 2-6 h for 36 h, and found that the percentage of recovered seeds differed significantly among teal and plant species (3%~30%); 94% of viable seeds were recovered within 12 h after feeding. Moreover, the germination rate of the recovered seeds (25%~56%) was higher than that of the control. The seed retention time was affected by seed lignin and disperser species; higher lignin made digestion difficult with higher retrieval. Smaller seeds passed through the guts but had no significant effect on recovered seeds. Seed length and disperser species showed no significant correlation with germination. These findings suggested endozoochory by dabbling ducks as an effective wetland seed dispersal mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenghong Nie
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China;
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-Term Scientific Research Base, Chizhou 247230, China;
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Lizhi Zhou
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China;
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-Term Scientific Research Base, Chizhou 247230, China;
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Wenbin Xu
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-Term Scientific Research Base, Chizhou 247230, China;
- Management Bureau of Anhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve, Chizhou 247210, China
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5
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Chmielewski MW, Eppley SM. Species-specific interactions in avian-bryophyte dispersal networks. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211230. [PMID: 35116150 PMCID: PMC8767201 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Studies from seed plants have shown that animal dispersal fundamentally alters the success of plant dispersal, shaping community composition through time. Our understanding of this phenomenon in spore plants is comparatively limited. Though little is known about species-specific dispersal relationships between passerine birds and bryophytes, birds are particularly attractive as a potential bryophyte dispersal vector given their highly vagile nature as well as their association with bryophytes when foraging and building nests. We captured birds in Gifford Pinchot National Forest to sample their legs and tails for bryophyte propagules. We found 24 bryophyte species across 34 bird species. We examined the level of interaction specificity: (i) within the overall network to assess community level patterns; and (ii) at the plant species level to determine the effect of bird behaviour on network structure. We found that avian-bryophyte associations are constrained within the network, with species-specific and foraging guild effects on the variety of bryophytes found on bird species. Our findings suggest that diffuse bird-bryophyte dispersal networks are likely to be common in habitats where birds readily encounter bryophytes and that further work aimed at understanding individual bird-bryophyte species relationships may prove valuable in determining nuance within this newly described dispersal mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W. Chmielewski
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR 97201, USA
| | - Sarah M. Eppley
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR 97201, USA
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Perry GLW, Wilmshurst JM, Wood JR. Reconstructing ecological functions provided by extinct fauna using allometrically informed simulation models: An in silico framework for ‘movement palaeoecology’. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Janet M. Wilmshurst
- School of Environment University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
- Manaaki Whenua‐Landcare Research Lincoln New Zealand
| | - Jamie R. Wood
- Manaaki Whenua‐Landcare Research Lincoln New Zealand
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7
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González-Varo JP, Rumeu B, Albrecht J, Arroyo JM, Bueno RS, Burgos T, da Silva LP, Escribano-Ávila G, Farwig N, García D, Heleno RH, Illera JC, Jordano P, Kurek P, Simmons BI, Virgós E, Sutherland WJ, Traveset A. Limited potential for bird migration to disperse plants to cooler latitudes. Nature 2021; 595:75-79. [PMID: 34163068 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03665-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is forcing the redistribution of life on Earth at an unprecedented velocity1,2. Migratory birds are thought to help plants to track climate change through long-distance seed dispersal3,4. However, seeds may be consistently dispersed towards cooler or warmer latitudes depending on whether the fruiting period of a plant species coincides with northward or southward migrations. Here we assess the potential of plant communities to keep pace with climate change through long-distance seed dispersal by migratory birds. To do so, we combine phenological and migration information with data on 949 seed-dispersal interactions between 46 bird and 81 plant species from 13 woodland communities across Europe. Most of the plant species (86%) in these communities are dispersed by birds migrating south, whereas only 35% are dispersed by birds migrating north; the latter subset is phylogenetically clustered in lineages that have fruiting periods that overlap with the spring migration. Moreover, the majority of this critical dispersal service northwards is provided by only a few Palaearctic migrant species. The potential of migratory birds to assist a small, non-random sample of plants to track climate change latitudinally is expected to strongly influence the formation of novel plant communities, and thus affect their ecosystem functions and community assembly at higher trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beatriz Rumeu
- Departamento de Biología, IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Juan M Arroyo
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Rafael S Bueno
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali e Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Tamara Burgos
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Luís P da Silva
- CIBIO-InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Gema Escribano-Ávila
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniel García
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University, Mieres, Spain
| | - Ruben H Heleno
- CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Juan C Illera
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University, Mieres, Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Przemysław Kurek
- Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Protection, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Benno I Simmons
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Emilio Virgós
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
| | - William J Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
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8
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Ando H, Mori Y, Nishihiro M, Mizukoshi K, Akaike M, Kitamura W, Sato NJ. Highly mobile seed predators contribute to interisland seed dispersal within an oceanic archipelago. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Haruko Ando
- Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Inst. for Environmental Studies, Japan Tsukuba Japan
| | - Yuka Mori
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Director for Wildlife Protection Hachijo Tokyo Japan
| | | | - Kanon Mizukoshi
- College of Agro‐Biological Resource Sciences, Univ. of Tsukuba Tsukuba Japan
| | - Masaki Akaike
- Division of Intelligent Interaction Technologies, Faculty of Engineering, Information and Systems, Univ. of Tsukuba Tsukuba Ibaraki Japan
| | - Wataru Kitamura
- Dept of Restoration Ecology and Built Environment, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Tokyo City Univ. Yokohama City Kanagawa Japan
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9
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Abraham AJ, Prys‐Jones TO, De Cuyper A, Ridenour C, Hempson GP, Hocking T, Clauss M, Doughty CE. Improved estimation of gut passage time considerably affects trait‐based dispersal models. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Abraham
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Tomos O. Prys‐Jones
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Annelies De Cuyper
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Ghent University Merelbeke Belgium
| | - Chase Ridenour
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Gareth P. Hempson
- Centre for African Ecology School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Toby Hocking
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals Exotic Pets and Wildlife Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Christopher E. Doughty
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
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10
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Downsizing of animal communities triggers stronger functional than structural decay in seed-dispersal networks. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1582. [PMID: 32221279 PMCID: PMC7101352 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15438-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Downsizing of animal communities due to defaunation is prevalent in many ecosystems. Yet, we know little about its consequences for ecosystem functions such as seed dispersal. Here, we use eight seed-dispersal networks sampled across the Andes and simulate how downsizing of avian frugivores impacts structural network robustness and seed dispersal. We use a trait-based modeling framework to quantify the consequences of downsizing-relative to random extinctions-for the number of interactions and secondary plant extinctions (as measures of structural robustness) and for long-distance seed dispersal (as a measure of ecosystem function). We find that downsizing leads to stronger functional than structural losses. For instance, 10% size-structured loss of bird species results in almost 40% decline of long-distance seed dispersal, but in less than 10% of structural loss. Our simulations reveal that measures of the structural robustness of ecological networks underestimate the consequences of animal extinction and downsizing for ecosystem functioning.
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11
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Viana DS, Chase JM. Spatial scale modulates the inference of metacommunity assembly processes. Ecology 2019; 100:e02576. [PMID: 30516271 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The abundance and distribution of species across the landscape depend on the interaction between local, spatial, and stochastic processes. However, empirical syntheses relating these processes to spatiotemporal patterns of structure in metacommunities remain elusive. One important reason for this lack of synthesis is that the relative importance of the core assembly processes (dispersal, selection, and drift) critically depends on the spatial grain and extent over which communities are studied. To illustrate this, we simulated different aspects of community assembly on heterogeneous landscapes, including the strength of response to environmental heterogeneity (inherent to niche theory) vs. dispersal and stochastic drift (inherent to neutral theory). We show that increasing spatial extent leads to increasing importance of niche selection, whereas increasing spatial grain leads to decreasing importance of niche selection. The strength of these scaling effects depended on environment configuration, dispersal capacity, and niche breadth. By mapping the variation observed from the scaling effects in simulations, we could recreate the entire range of variation observed within and among empirical studies. This means that variation in the relative importance of assembly processes among empirical studies is largely scale dependent and cannot be directly compared. The scaling coefficient of the relative contribution of assembly processes, however, can be interpreted as a scale-integrative estimate to compare assembly processes across different regions and ecosystems. This emphasizes the necessity to consider spatial scaling as an explicit component of studies intended to infer the importance of community assembly processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duarte S Viana
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute for Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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12
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Kalwij JM, Medan D, Kellermann J, Greve M, Chown SL. Vagrant birds as a dispersal vector in transoceanic range expansion of vascular plants. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4655. [PMID: 30874602 PMCID: PMC6420631 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41081-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds are thought to be important vectors underlying the disjunct distribution patterns of some terrestrial biota. Here, we investigate the role of birds in the colonisation by Ochetophila trinervis (Rhamnaceae), a vascular plant from the southern Andes, of sub-Antarctic Marion Island. The location of O. trinervis on the island far from human activities, in combination with a reconstruction of island visitors' travel history, precludes an anthropogenic introduction. Notably, three bird species occurring in the southern Andes inland have been observed as vagrants on Marion Island, with the barn swallow Hirundo rustica as the most common one. This vagrant displays long-distance migratory behaviour, eats seeds when insects are in short supply, and has started breeding in South America since the 1980s. Since naturalised O. trinervis has never been found outside the southern Andes and its diaspores are incapable of surviving in seawater or dispersing by wind, a natural avian dispersal event from the Andes to Marion Island, a distance of >7500 km, remains the only probable explanation. Although one self-incompatible shrub seems doomed to remain solitary, its mere establishment on a Southern Ocean island demonstrates the potential of vagrancy as a driver of extreme long-distance dispersal of terrestrial biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse M Kalwij
- Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa.
- Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Reinhard-Baumeister-Platz 1, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Diego Medan
- Cátedra de Botánica General, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jürgen Kellermann
- State Herbarium of South Australia, Department for Environment and Water, GPO Box 1047, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia
- The University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Michelle Greve
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
| | - Steven L Chown
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
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13
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Kleyheeg E, Fiedler W, Safi K, Waldenström J, Wikelski M, van Toor ML. A Comprehensive Model for the Quantitative Estimation of Seed Dispersal by Migratory Mallards. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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14
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Yoshikawa T, Kawakami K, Masaki T. Allometric scaling of seed retention time in seed dispersers and its application to estimation of seed dispersal potentials of theropod dinosaurs. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuro Yoshikawa
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Inst. – 1 Matsunosato Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8687 Japan
- Natl Inst. for Environmental Studies – Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, 16‐2 Onogawa Tsukuba Ibaragi 305‐8506 Japan
| | - Kazuto Kawakami
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Inst. – 1 Matsunosato Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8687 Japan
| | - Takashi Masaki
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Inst. – 1 Matsunosato Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8687 Japan
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15
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Kleyheeg E, Nolet BA, Otero‐Ojea S, Soons MB. A mechanistic assessment of the relationship between gut morphology and endozoochorous seed dispersal by waterfowl. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10857-10867. [PMID: 30519412 PMCID: PMC6262722 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many plants and invertebrates rely on internal transport by animals for long-distance dispersal. Their dispersal capacity is greatly influenced by interactions with the animal's digestive tract. Omnivorous birds adjust their digestive tract morphology to seasonally variable diets. We performed feeding trials in waterfowl to unravel how changing organ size, in combination with seed size, affects dispersal potential. We subjected captive mallards to mimics of summer (animal-based), winter (plant-based), and intermediate diets, and analyzed gut passage of seeds before and after the treatment (trials 1 and 2). To test the effect of gut morphology on seed digestion, we measured digestive organ size after euthanasia. Three hours before euthanasia, differently sized seeds were fed to test how seed size affects gut passage by determining their relative position in the digestive tract (trial 3). Trials 1 and 2 showed that intact seed passage was lower in the plant-based than in the animal-based diet group. Retention time changed only within groups, decreasing in the animal-based, and increasing in the plant-based diet group. No post-diet differences in organ size were detected, probably due to large between-individual variation within groups. Digestive tract measures did not explain variation in seed survival or retention time. Trial 3 revealed that small seeds pass the digestive tract rapidly, while large seeds are retained longer, particularly in the gizzard. Differential retention in the gizzard, the section where seeds can be destroyed, is likely why larger seeds have a lower probability to pass the digestive tract intact. Our results confirm that rapid, flexible adaptation to diet shifts affects seed digestion in waterfowl, although we could not conclusively relate this to organ size. Large interindividual variation in digestive efficiency between mallards feeding on the same diet may provide opportunities for seed dispersal in the field throughout the annual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Kleyheeg
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Institute of Environmental BiologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Bart A. Nolet
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Theoretical and Computational EcologyIBED, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Sandra Otero‐Ojea
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Institute of Environmental BiologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Merel B. Soons
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Institute of Environmental BiologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
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Farmer JA, Webb EB, Pierce RA, Bradley KW. Evaluating the potential for weed seed dispersal based on waterfowl consumption and seed viability. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2017; 73:2592-2603. [PMID: 28837262 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2016] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migratory waterfowl have often been implicated in the movement of troublesome agronomic and wetland weed species. However, minimal research has been conducted to investigate the dispersal of agronomically important weed species by waterfowl. The two objectives for this project were to determine what weed species are being consumed by ducks and snow geese, and to determine the recovery rate and viability of 13 agronomic weed species after passage through a duck's digestive system. RESULTS Seed recovered from digestive tracts of 526 ducks and geese harvested during a 2-year field study had 35 020 plants emerge. A greater variety of plant species emerged from ducks each year (47 and 31 species) compared to geese (11 and 3 species). Viable seed from 11 of 13 weed species fed to ducks in a controlled feeding study were recovered. Viability rate and gut retention times indicated potential dispersal up to 2900 km from the source depending on seed characteristics and variability in waterfowl dispersal distances. CONCLUSIONS Study results confirm that waterfowl are consuming seeds from a variety of agronomically important weed species, including Palmer amaranth, which can remain viable after passage through digestive tracts and have potential to be dispersed over long distances by waterfowl. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime A Farmer
- Division of Plant Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Elisabeth B Webb
- U.S. Geological Survey Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Robert A Pierce
- Fisheries and Wildlife Division, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Kevin W Bradley
- Division of Plant Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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17
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Viana DS. Can Aquatic Plants Keep Pace with Climate Change? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1906. [PMID: 29209338 PMCID: PMC5701636 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The persistence of species may depend upon their capacity to keep pace with climate change. However, dispersal has been ignored in the vast majority of studies that aimed at estimating and predicting range shifts as a response to climate change. Long distance dispersal (LDD) in particular might promote rapid range shifts and allow species to track suitable habitat. Many aquatic plant species are dispersed by birds and have the potential to be dispersed over hundreds of kilometers during the bird migration seasons. I argue that such dispersal potential might be critical to allow species to track climate change happening at unprecedented high rates. As a case study, I used dispersal data from three aquatic plant species dispersed by migratory birds to model range shifts in response to climate change projections. By comparing four dispersal scenarios - (1) no dispersal, (2) unlimited dispersal, (3) LDD < 100 km, and (4) LDD mediated by bird migratory movements -, it was shown that, for bird-mediated dispersal, the rate of colonization is sufficient to counterbalance the rate of habitat loss. The estimated rates of colonization (3.2-31.5 km⋅year-1) are higher than, for example, the rate of global warming (previously estimated at 0.42 km⋅year-1). Although further studies are needed, the results suggest that these aquatic plant species can adjust their ranges under a severe climate change scenario. Therefore, investigating the dispersal capacity of species, namely their LDD potential, may contribute to estimate the likelihood of species to keep pace with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duarte S. Viana
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Kleyheeg E, van Dijk JGB, Tsopoglou-Gkina D, Woud TY, Boonstra DK, Nolet BA, Soons MB. Movement patterns of a keystone waterbird species are highly predictable from landscape configuration. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2017; 5:2. [PMID: 28174661 PMCID: PMC5289051 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-016-0092-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Movement behaviour is fundamental to the ecology of animals and their interactions with other organisms, and as such contributes to ecosystem dynamics. Waterfowl are key players in ecological processes in wetlands and surrounding habitats through predator-prey interactions and their transportation of nutrients and other organisms. Understanding the drivers of their movement behaviour is crucial to predict how environmental changes affect their role in ecosystem functioning. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) are the most abundant duck species worldwide and important dispersers of aquatic invertebrates, plants and pathogens like avian influenza viruses. By GPS tracking of 97 mallards in four landscape types along a gradient of wetland availability, we identified patterns in their daily movement behaviour and quantified potential effects of weather conditions and water availability on the spatial scale of their movements. RESULTS We demonstrate that mallard movement patterns were highly predictable, with regular commuting flights at dusk and dawn between a fixed day roost and one or several fixed nocturnal foraging sites, linked strongly to surface water. Wind and precipitation hardly affected movement, but flight distances and home range sizes increased when temperatures dropped towards zero. Flight distances and home range sizes increased exponentially with decreasing availability of freshwater habitat. Total shoreline length and the number of water bodies in the landscape surrounding the roost were the best predictors of the spatial scale of daily mallard movements. CONCLUSIONS Our results show how mallards may flexibly adjust the spatial scale of their movements to wetland availability in the landscape. This implies that mallards moving between discrete habitat patches continue to preserve biotic connectivity in increasingly fragmented landscapes. The high predictability of mallard movement behaviour in relation to landscape features makes them reliable dispersal vectors for organisms to adapt to, and allows prediction of their ecological role in other landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Kleyheeg
- Ecology & Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jacintha G. B. van Dijk
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing street, CB2 3EJ Cambridge, UK
| | - Despina Tsopoglou-Gkina
- Ecology & Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tara Y. Woud
- Ecology & Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dieuwertje K. Boonstra
- Ecology & Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bart A. Nolet
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Merel B. Soons
- Ecology & Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Bakker ES, Wood KA, Pagès JF, Veen G(C, Christianen MJ, Santamaría L, Nolet BA, Hilt S. Herbivory on freshwater and marine macrophytes: A review and perspective. AQUATIC BOTANY 2016. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
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20
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Viana DS, Gangoso L, Bouten W, Figuerola J. Overseas seed dispersal by migratory birds. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:rspb.2015.2406. [PMID: 26740610 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-distance dispersal (LDD) promotes the colonization of isolated and remote habitats, and thus it has been proposed as a mechanism for explaining the distributions of many species. Birds are key LDD vectors for many sessile organisms such as plants, yet LDD beyond local and regional scales has never been directly observed nor quantified. By sampling birds caught while in migratory flight by GPS-tracked wild falcons, we show that migratory birds transport seeds over hundreds of kilometres and mediate dispersal from mainland to oceanic islands. Up to 1.2% of birds that reached a small island of the Canary Archipelago (Alegranza) during their migration from Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa carried seeds in their guts. The billions of birds making seasonal migrations each year may then transport millions of seeds. None of the plant species transported by the birds occurs in Alegranza and most do not occur on nearby Canary Islands, providing a direct example of the importance of environmental filters in hampering successful colonization by immigrant species. The constant propagule pressure generated by these LDD events might, nevertheless, explain the colonization of some islands. Hence, migratory birds can mediate rapid range expansion or shifts of many plant taxa and determine their distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duarte S Viana
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, C/ Américo Vespucio, s/n, Sevilla 41092, Spain
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, C/ Américo Vespucio, s/n, Sevilla 41092, Spain
| | - Willem Bouten
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, C/ Américo Vespucio, s/n, Sevilla 41092, Spain
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21
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Viana DS, Santamaría L, Figuerola J. Migratory Birds as Global Dispersal Vectors. Trends Ecol Evol 2016; 31:763-775. [PMID: 27507683 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Propagule dispersal beyond local scales has been considered rare and unpredictable. However, for many plants, invertebrates, and microbes dispersed by birds, long-distance dispersal (LDD) might be regularly achieved when mediated by migratory movements. Because LDD operates over spatial extents spanning hundreds to thousands of kilometers, it can promote rapid range shifts and determine species distributions. We review evidence supporting this widespread LDD service and propose a conceptual framework for estimating LDD by migratory birds. Although further research and validation efforts are still needed, we show that current knowledge can be used to make more realistic estimations of LDD mediated by regular bird migrations, thus refining current predictions of its ecological and evolutionary consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duarte S Viana
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Calle Américo Vespucio, Sevilla, s/n, E-41092, Spain.
| | - Luis Santamaría
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Calle Américo Vespucio, Sevilla, s/n, E-41092, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Calle Américo Vespucio, Sevilla, s/n, E-41092, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Sevilla, Spain
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22
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Tesson SV, Okamura B, Dudaniec RY, Vyverman W, Löndahl J, Rushing C, Valentini A, Green AJ. Integrating microorganism and macroorganism dispersal: modes, techniques and challenges with particular focus on co-dispersal. ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2016.1148458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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23
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Viana DS, Santamaría L, Figuerola J. Optimal methods for fitting probability distributions to propagule retention time in studies of zoochorous dispersal. BMC Ecol 2016; 16:3. [PMID: 26830496 PMCID: PMC4736643 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-016-0057-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Propagule retention time is a key factor in determining propagule dispersal distance and the shape of "seed shadows". Propagules dispersed by animal vectors are either ingested and retained in the gut until defecation or attached externally to the body until detachment. Retention time is a continuous variable, but it is commonly measured at discrete time points, according to pre-established sampling time-intervals. Although parametric continuous distributions have been widely fitted to these interval-censored data, the performance of different fitting methods has not been evaluated. To investigate the performance of five different fitting methods, we fitted parametric probability distributions to typical discretized retention-time data with known distribution using as data-points either the lower, mid or upper bounds of sampling intervals, as well as the cumulative distribution of observed values (using either maximum likelihood or non-linear least squares for parameter estimation); then compared the estimated and original distributions to assess the accuracy of each method. We also assessed the robustness of these methods to variations in the sampling procedure (sample size and length of sampling time-intervals). RESULTS Fittings to the cumulative distribution performed better for all types of parametric distributions (lognormal, gamma and Weibull distributions) and were more robust to variations in sample size and sampling time-intervals. These estimated distributions had negligible deviations of up to 0.045 in cumulative probability of retention times (according to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic) in relation to original distributions from which propagule retention time was simulated, supporting the overall accuracy of this fitting method. In contrast, fitting the sampling-interval bounds resulted in greater deviations that ranged from 0.058 to 0.273 in cumulative probability of retention times, which may introduce considerable biases in parameter estimates. CONCLUSIONS We recommend the use of cumulative probability to fit parametric probability distributions to propagule retention time, specifically using maximum likelihood for parameter estimation. Furthermore, the experimental design for an optimal characterization of unimodal propagule retention time should contemplate at least 500 recovered propagules and sampling time-intervals not larger than the time peak of propagule retrieval, except in the tail of the distribution where broader sampling time-intervals may also produce accurate fits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duarte S Viana
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain.
| | - Luis Santamaría
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain.
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain. .,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Seville, Spain.
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Kleyheeg E, van Leeuwen CHA, Morison MA, Nolet BA, Soons MB. Bird‐mediated seed dispersal: reduced digestive efficiency in active birds modulates the dispersal capacity of plant seeds. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Kleyheeg
- Inst. of Environmental Biology, Utrecht Univ. Padualaan 8 NL‐3584 CH Utrecht the Netherlands
| | - Casper H. A. van Leeuwen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Dept of Biology Univ. of Oslo Kristine Bonnevies hus Blindernveien 31 NO‐0371 Oslo Norway
| | - Mary A. Morison
- Inst. of Environmental Biology, Utrecht Univ. Padualaan 8 NL‐3584 CH Utrecht the Netherlands
| | - Bart A. Nolet
- Dept of Animal Ecology Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Droevendaalsesteeg 10 NL‐6708 PB Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Merel B. Soons
- Inst. of Environmental Biology, Utrecht Univ. Padualaan 8 NL‐3584 CH Utrecht the Netherlands
- Dept of Animal Ecology Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Droevendaalsesteeg 10 NL‐6708 PB Wageningen the Netherlands
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Robledo-Arnuncio JJ, Klein EK, Muller-Landau HC, Santamaría L. Space, time and complexity in plant dispersal ecology. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2014; 2:16. [PMID: 25709828 PMCID: PMC4337469 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-014-0016-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Dispersal of pollen and seeds are essential functions of plant species, with far-reaching demographic, ecological and evolutionary consequences. Interest in plant dispersal has increased with concerns about the persistence of populations and species under global change. We argue here that advances in plant dispersal ecology research will be determined by our ability to surmount challenges of spatiotemporal scales and heterogeneities and ecosystem complexity. Based on this framework, we propose a selected set of research questions, for which we suggest some specific objectives and methodological approaches. Reviewed topics include multiple vector contributions to plant dispersal, landscape-dependent dispersal patterns, long-distance dispersal events, spatiotemporal variation in dispersal, and the consequences of dispersal for plant communities, populations under climate change, and anthropogenic landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Robledo-Arnuncio
- />Department of Forest Ecology & Genetics, INIA-CIFOR, Ctra. de la Coruña km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Etienne K Klein
- />INRA, UR546 Biostatistique et Processus Spatiaux (BioSP), Avignon, France
| | - Helene C Muller-Landau
- />Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092 Panamá, Republica de Panamá
| | - Luis Santamaría
- />Spatial Ecology Group, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
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