1
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Berkström C, Wennerström L, Bergström U. Ecological connectivity of the marine protected area network in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak: Current knowledge and management needs. AMBIO 2022; 51:1485-1503. [PMID: 34964951 PMCID: PMC9005595 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01684-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have become a key component of conservation and fisheries management to alleviate anthropogenic pressures. For MPA networks to efficiently promote persistence and recovery of populations, ecological connectivity, i.e. dispersal and movement of organisms and material across ecosystems, needs to be taken into account. To improve the ecological coherence of MPA networks, there is hence a need to evaluate the connectivity of species spreading through active migration and passive dispersal. We reviewed knowledge on ecological connectivity in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak in the northeast Atlantic and present available information on species-specific dispersal and migration distances. Studies on genetic connectivity are summarised and discussed in relation to dispersal-based analyses. Threats to ecological connectivity, limiting dispersal of populations and lowering the resilience to environmental change, were examined. Additionally, a review of studies evaluating the ecological coherence of MPA networks in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak was performed, and suggestions for future evaluations to meet management needs are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Berkström
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Lovisa Wennerström
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Ulf Bergström
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
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2
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Daniel J, Rooney RC. Functional dispersion of wetland birds, invertebrates, and plants more strongly influenced by hydroperiod than each other. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3971] [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] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jody Daniel
- Department of Biology University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
| | - Rebecca C. Rooney
- Department of Biology University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
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3
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Morley NJ. Vertebrates as uninfected disseminators of helminth eggs and larvae. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2022; 115:45-170. [PMID: 35249663 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2021.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The passive dispersal of non-mobile organisms by vertebrates (zoochory) is a common mechanism used to explain their often widespread distribution. Transport occurs either internally via the vertebrate digestive tract (endozoochory), or externally be adhering to skin, feathers or fur (ectozoochory), and its success is due to both physiological and ecological factors associated with the disseminating 'hosting' animal. Helminth eggs and larvae are generally non-mobile stages that are largely dependent on the movement of another animal, typically a host, for geographical dissemination. Studies on the zoochory of helminths by vertebrates are extensive and particularly long-standing, stretching back to the 19th century, although this literature is often overlooked when considering the biogeography of parasites. This review assesses the potential of helminths to be dispersed passively by zoochory examining evidence from both laboratory and field studies. The physiological dynamics of the vertebrate intestines and skin surface as hostile environments, as well as the characteristics of eggs and larvae which may facilitate successful transport are evaluated. The various mechanisms of helminth endo- and ectozoochory are presented and the likelihood of long-distance dispersal determined. It is concluded that zoochory is a potentially important means of disseminating parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil J Morley
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom.
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4
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Schuett GW, Reiserer RS, Salywon AM, Blackwell S, Hodgson WC, Foster CD, Hall J, Zach R, Davis MA, Greene HW. Secondary Seed Ingestion in Snakes: Germination Frequency and Rate, Seedling Viability, and Implications for Dispersal in Nature. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.761293] [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
The importance of vertebrate animals as seed dispersers (zoochory) has received increasing attention from researchers over the past 20 years, yet one category in particular, diploendozoochory, remains understudied. As the term implies, this is a two-phase seed dispersal system whereby a secondary seed predator (carnivorous vertebrate) consumes a primary seed predator or granivore (rodent and bird) with undamaged seeds in their digestive tract (mouth, cheek pouch, crop, stomach, or other organ), which are subsequently eliminated with feces. Surprisingly, although snakes are among the most abundant predators of granivorous vertebrates, they are the least studied group insofar as our knowledge of seed rescue and secondary dispersal in a diploendozoochorous system. Here, using live snake subjects of the Sonoran Desert (one viperid and two colubrid species) and seeds of the Foothill Palo Verde (Parkinsonia microphylla), a dominant tree of the same region, we experimentally tested germination frequency and rate, and seedling viability. Specifically, to mimic rodents with seed-laden cheek pouches, we tested whether wild-collected P. microphylla seeds placed in the abdomen of thawed laboratory mice and ingested by the snakes would retain their germination viability. Second, we examined whether seeds exposed to gut transit germinated at a greater frequency and rate than the controls. While we found strong statistical support for our first hypothesis, both aspects of the second one were not significant. Accordingly, we provide an explanation for these results based on specific life-history traits (dormant and non-dormant seeds) of P. microphylla. Our study provides support for the role of snakes as important agents of seed rescue and dispersal in nature, their potential as ecosystem engineers, and crucial evidence for the investment of field-based studies on diploendozoochorous systems in deserts and other ecosystems.
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5
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Silva GG, Green AJ, Stenert C, Maltchik L. Invertebrate dispersal by waterbird species in neotropical wetlands. BRAZ J BIOL 2021; 84:e250280. [PMID: 34932625 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.250280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Endozoochory by waterbirds is particularly relevant to the dispersal of non-flying aquatic invertebrates. This ecological function exercised by birds has been demonstrated in different biogeographical regions, but there are no studies for the neotropical region. In this work, we identified propagules of invertebrates in faeces of 14 syntopic South American waterbird species representing six families, and hatched additional invertebrates from cultured faeces. We tested whether propagule abundance, species richness and composition varied among bird species, and between the cold and warm seasons. We found 164 invertebrate propagules in faecal samples from seven different waterbirds species, including eggs of the Temnocephalida and Notonectidae, statoblasts of bryozoans (Plumatella sp.) and ephippia of Cladocera. Ciliates (including Paramecium sp. and Litostomatea), nematodes and rotifers (Adineta sp. and Nottomatidae) hatched from cultured samples. Potential for endozoochory was confirmed for 12 of 14 waterbird species. Our statistical models suggest that richness and abundance of propagules are associated with bird species and not affected by seasonality. Dispersal by endozoochory is potentially important to a broad variety of invertebrates, being promoted by waterbirds with different ecological and morphological traits, which are likely to drive the dispersal of invertebrates in neotropical wetlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- G G Silva
- Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS, Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems, São Leopoldo, RS, Brasil
| | - A J Green
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - EBD-CSIC, Department of Wetland Ecology, Sevilla, Spain
| | - C Stenert
- Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS, Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems, São Leopoldo, RS, Brasil
| | - L Maltchik
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Graduate Program in Biology of Continental Aquatic Environments, Rio Grande, RS, Brasil
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6
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Sokolova AM, Palatov DM, Masuda Y, Itskovich VB. Investigation of the spongillid Spongilla alba Carter, 1849 reveals a new group of brackish-water sponges. SYST BIODIVERS 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2021.1958948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Agniya M. Sokolova
- N. K. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Science, Vavilova str., 26, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Dmitry M. Palatov
- A. N. Severtzov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Science, Leninskij prosp. 33, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Yoshiki Masuda
- Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, 288 Matsushima, Kurashiki, 701-0193, Okayama, Japan
| | - Valeria B. Itskovich
- Limnological Institute of Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Science, Ulan-Batorskaya, 3, Irkutsk, 664033, Russia
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7
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Mulder AJE, Aalderen R, Leeuwen CHA. Tracking temperate fish reveals their relevance for plant seed dispersal. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J. E. Mulder
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University (WUR) Wageningen The Netherlands
| | | | - Casper H. A. Leeuwen
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
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8
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Miklós M, Laczkó L, Sramkó G, Sebestyén F, Barta Z, Tökölyi J. Phenotypic plasticity rather than genotype drives reproductive choices in Hydra populations. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1206-1222. [PMID: 33465828 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Facultative clonality is associated with complex life cycles where sexual and asexual forms can be exposed to contrasting selection pressures. Facultatively clonal animals often have distinct developmental capabilities that depend on reproductive mode (e.g., negligible senescence and exceptional regeneration ability in asexual individuals, which are lacking in sexual individuals). Understanding how these differences in life history strategies evolved is hampered by limited knowledge of the population structure underlying sexual and asexual forms in nature. Here we studied genetic differentiation of coexisting sexual and asexual Hydra oligactis polyps, a freshwater cnidarian where reproductive mode-dependent life history patterns are observed. We collected asexual and sexual polyps from 13 Central European water bodies and used restriction-site associated DNA sequencing to infer population structure. We detected high relatedness among populations and signs that hydras might spread with resting eggs through zoochory. We found no genetic structure with respect to mode of reproduction (asexual vs. sexual). On the other hand, clear evidence was found for phenotypic plasticity in mode of reproduction, as polyps inferred to be clones differed in reproductive mode. Moreover, we detected two cases of apparent sex change (males and females found within the same clonal lineages) in this species with supposedly stable sexes. Our study describes population genetic structure in Hydra for the first time, highlights the role of phenotypic plasticity in generating patterns of life history variation, and contributes to understanding the evolution of reproductive mode-dependent life history variation in coexisting asexual and sexual forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Máté Miklós
- MTA-DE Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Levente Laczkó
- Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,MTA-DE "Lendület" Evolutionary Phylogenomics Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary.,Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gábor Sramkó
- MTA-DE "Lendület" Evolutionary Phylogenomics Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary.,Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Flóra Sebestyén
- MTA-DE Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Barta
- MTA-DE Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Jácint Tökölyi
- MTA-DE Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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9
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Ruggeri P, Pasternak E, Okamura B. To remain or leave: Dispersal variation and its genetic consequences in benthic freshwater invertebrates. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:12069-12088. [PMID: 31832145 PMCID: PMC6854113 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in dispersal capacity may influence population genetic variation and relatedness of freshwater animals thus demonstrating how life-history traits influence patterns and processes that in turn influence biodiversity. The majority of studies have focused on the consequences of dispersal variation in taxa inhabiting riverine systems whose dendritic nature and upstream/downstream gradients facilitate characterizing populations along networks. We undertook extensive, large-scale investigations of the impacts of hydrological connectivity on population genetic variation in two freshwater bryozoan species whose dispersive propagules (statoblasts) are either attached to surfaces (Fredericella sultana) or are released as buoyant stages (Cristatella mucedo) and that live primarily in either lotic (F. sultana) or lentic environments (C. mucedo). Describing population genetic structure in multiple sites characterized by varying degrees of hydrological connectivity within each of three (or four) UK regions enabled us to test the following hypotheses: (1) genetic diversity and gene flow will be more influenced by hydrological connectivity in populations of C. mucedo (because F. sultana dispersal stages are retained); (2) populations of F. sultana will be characterized by greater genetic divergence than those of C. mucedo (reflecting their relative dispersal capacities); and (3) genetic variation will be greatest in F. sultana (reflecting a propensity for genetic divergence as a result of its low dispersal potential). We found that hydrological connectivity enhanced genetic diversity and gene flow among C. mucedo populations but not in F. sultana while higher overall measures of clonal diversity and greater genetic divergence characterized populations of F. sultana. We suggest that genetic divergence over time within F. sultana populations reflects a general constraint of releasing propagules that might eventually be swept to sea when taxa inhabit running waters. In contrast, taxa that primarily inhabit lakes and ponds may colonize across hydrologically connected regions, establishing genetically related populations. Our study contributes more nuanced views about drivers of population genetic structures in passively dispersing freshwater invertebrates as outlined by the Monopolization Hypothesis (Acta Oecologica, 23, 2002, 121) by highlighting how a range of demographic and evolutionary processes reflect life-history attributes of benthic colonial invertebrates (bryozoans) and cyclically parthenogenetic zooplankton. In addition, growing evidence that genetic divergence may commonly characterize populations of diverse groups of riverine taxa suggests that organisms inhabiting lotic systems may be particularly challenged by environmental change. Such change may predispose riverine populations to extinction as a result of genetic divergence combined with limited dispersal and gene flow. OPEN RESEARCH BADGES This article has earned an Open Data Badge for making publicly available the digitally-shareable data necessary to reproduce the reported results. The data is available at https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1tm8705.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Ruggeri
- Department of Life SciencesNatural History MuseumLondonUK
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology of Marine ModelsStation Biologique de RoscoffCNRS‐Sorbonne UniversityRoscoffFrance
| | - Ellen Pasternak
- Department of Life SciencesNatural History MuseumLondonUK
- Zoology DepartmentOxford UniversityOxfordUK
| | - Beth Okamura
- Department of Life SciencesNatural History MuseumLondonUK
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10
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Coughlan NE, Dickey JWE, Cuthbert RN, Kelly TC, Jansen MAK, Dick JTA. Driver's Seat: Understanding Divergent Zoochorous Dispersal of Propagules. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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11
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Boedeltje G, Klutman B, Schaap M, Sollman P, de Vos M, Lenssen JPM, Verberk WCEP. Plant Dispersal in a Temperate Stream by Fish Species With Contrasting Feeding Habits: The Role of Plant Traits, Fish Diet, Season, and Propagule Availability. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Okamura B, Hartikainen H, Trew J. Waterbird-Mediated Dispersal and Freshwater Biodiversity: General Insights From Bryozoans. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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13
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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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14
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van Leeuwen CHA, Lovas-Kiss Á, Ovegård M, Green AJ. Great cormorants reveal overlooked secondary dispersal of plants and invertebrates by piscivorous waterbirds. Biol Lett 2018; 13:rsbl.2017.0406. [PMID: 28978756 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In wetland ecosystems, birds and fish are important dispersal vectors for plants and invertebrates, but the consequences of their interactions as vectors are unknown. Darwin suggested that piscivorous birds carry out secondary dispersal of seeds and invertebrates via predation on fish. We tested this hypothesis in the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo L.). Cormorants regurgitate pellets daily, which we collected at seven European locations and examined for intact propagules. One-third of pellets contained at least one intact plant seed, with seeds from 16 families covering a broad range of freshwater, marine and terrestrial habitats. Of 21 plant species, only two have an endozoochory dispersal syndrome, compared with five for water and eight for unassisted dispersal syndromes. One-fifth of the pellets contained at least one intact propagule of aquatic invertebrates from seven taxa. Secondary dispersal by piscivorous birds may be vital to maintain connectivity in meta-populations and between river catchments, and in the movement of plants and invertebrates in response to climate change. Secondary dispersal pathways associated with complex food webs must be studied in detail if we are to understand species movements in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper H A van Leeuwen
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ádám Lovas-Kiss
- Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Egyetem sq. 1, Debrecen 4032, Hungary
| | - Maria Ovegård
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Turistgatan 5, 453 30 Lysekil, Sweden
| | - Andy J Green
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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15
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Takács A, Molnár V A, Lukács BA, Nagy T, Lovas-Kiss Á, Green AJ, Popiela A, Somlyay L. Resurrection and typification of Elatine campylosperma (Elatinaceae), a long-forgotten waterwort species. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4913. [PMID: 29868294 PMCID: PMC5983001 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The name Elatine campylosperma Seub. is generally treated as one of the synonyms of E. macropoda Guss. However, recent morphological, phylogenetic and karyological studies indicate that this judgement should be revised. In the present paper we typify the name E. campylosperma, review its taxonomic history and provide a thorough description, with compilation of previously published data and our new measurements from in vitro cultures. Based on our herbarium survey, we outline its Atlantic-Mediterranean distribution area (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Algeria). Habitat preferences are summarized from our field observations, water quality measurements and the label information of the herbarium specimens examined. Intact E. campylosperma seeds were found in faecal samples of the Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra L.) in southern Spain and two of them were germinated, suggesting that E. campylosperma has a capacity for long distance dispersal via endozoochory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Takács
- MTA-DE 'Lendület' Evolutionary Phylogenomics Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary.,Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Attila Molnár V
- Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Balázs A Lukács
- Department of Tisza Research, MTA Centre for Ecological Research-DRI, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Timea Nagy
- Department of Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Pannonia, Georgikon Faculty, Keszthely, Hungary
| | - Ádám Lovas-Kiss
- Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Andy J Green
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Agnieszka Popiela
- Department of Botany and Nature Conservation, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
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16
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Bartel RD, Sheppard JL, Lovas-Kiss Á, Green AJ. Endozoochory by mallard in New Zealand: what seeds are dispersed and how far? PeerJ 2018; 6:e4811. [PMID: 29844967 PMCID: PMC5970560 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In Europe and North America waterfowl are major dispersers of aquatic and terrestrial plants, but in New Zealand their role has yet to be investigated. Mallards were introduced to New Zealand in the late 1800s, and today they are the most abundant and widespread waterfowl in the country. To assess seed dispersal, we radiomarked 284 female mallards from two study sites during the pre-breeding (June-August) and breeding (August-December) periods in 2014-2015, and examined movements that occurred within 24, 48 or 72 h when seed dispersal by endozoochory is considered likely. During June and July 2015, we collected 29 faecal samples from individual female mallards during radiomarking and 24 samples from mallard flocks. We recovered 69 intact seeds from the faecal samples and identified 12 plant taxa. Of the plant seeds identified and dispersed by mallards in this study, 40% were members of the Asteraceae family, nine plant species were alien to New Zealand, and the indigenous-status of three unidentified taxa could not be determined. Two taxa (and 9% of seeds) were germinated following gut passage: an unidentified Asteraceae and Solanum nigrum. During the pre-breeding and breeding periods, movement of females within 24 h averaged 394 m (SD = 706 m) and 222 m (SD = 605 m) respectively, with maximum distances of 3,970 m and 8,028 m. Maxima extended to 19,230 m within 48 h. Most plant species recorded are generally assumed to be self-dispersed or dispersed by water; mechanisms that provide a much lower maximum dispersal distance than mallards. The ability of mallards to disperse viable seeds up to 19 km within 48 h suggests they have an important and previously overlooked role as vectors for a variety of wetland or grassland plant species in New Zealand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley D Bartel
- Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Jennifer L Sheppard
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ádám Lovas-Kiss
- Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Andy J Green
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Seville, Spain
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