1
|
Fedriani JM, Garrote PJ, Burgos T, Escribano-Ávila G, Morera B, Virgós E. The seed dispersal syndrome hypothesis in ungulate-dominated landscapes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5436. [PMID: 38443407 PMCID: PMC10914747 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55820-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The Seed Dispersal Syndrome Hypothesis (SDSH) posits that fruit traits predict the main dispersers interacting with plant species. Mammalian dispersers, relying heavily on olfactory cues, are expected to select dull-colored, scented, and larger fruits compared to birds. However, challenges like overabundant seed predators and context-dependency of frugivore-plant interactions complicate SDSH expectations. We studied the Iberian pear, Pyrus bourgaeana, an expected mammal-dispersed tree based on its fruit traits. Extensive camera-trapping data (over 35,000 records) from several tree populations and years revealed visits from seven frugivore groups, with ungulate fruit predators (59-97%) and carnivore seed dispersers (1-20%) most frequent, while birds, lagomorphs, and rodents were infrequent (0-10%). Red deer and wild boar were also the main fruit removers in all sites and years but acted as fruit and seed predators, and thus likely exert conflicting selection pressures to those exerted by seed dispersers. Although, as predicted by the SDSH, most Iberian pear fruits were consumed by large and medium-sized mammals, the traits of Iberian pear fruits likely reflect selection pressures from dispersal vectors in past times. Our results do not challenge the SDHS but do reveal the importance of considering frugivore functional roles for its adequate evaluation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose M Fedriani
- Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Desertificación CIDE, CSIC-UVEG-GV, Carretera de Moncada a Náquera, km 4.5, 46113, Moncada (Valencia), Spain.
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD - CSIC), c/Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Seville, Spain.
| | - Pedro J Garrote
- Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Desertificación CIDE, CSIC-UVEG-GV, Carretera de Moncada a Náquera, km 4.5, 46113, Moncada (Valencia), Spain
| | - Tamara Burgos
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Escribano-Ávila
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution Department, Biological Science Faculty, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, C/ José Antonio Novais 12, Madrid, Spain
| | - Brayan Morera
- Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Desertificación CIDE, CSIC-UVEG-GV, Carretera de Moncada a Náquera, km 4.5, 46113, Moncada (Valencia), Spain
| | - Emilio Virgós
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
González-Varo JP, Albrecht J, Arroyo JM, Bueno RS, Burgos T, Escribano-Ávila G, Farwig N, García D, Illera JC, Jordano P, Kurek P, Rösner S, Virgós E, Sutherland WJ. Frugivore-mediated seed dispersal in fragmented landscapes: Compositional and functional turnover from forest to matrix. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2302440120. [PMID: 37871198 PMCID: PMC10622928 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2302440120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal by frugivores is a fundamental function for plant community dynamics in fragmented landscapes, where forest remnants are typically embedded in a matrix of anthropogenic habitats. Frugivores can mediate both connectivity among forest remnants and plant colonization of the matrix. However, it remains poorly understood how frugivore communities change from forest to matrix due to the loss or replacement of species with traits that are less advantageous in open habitats and whether such changes ultimately influence the composition and traits of dispersed plants via species interactions. Here, we close this gap by using a unique dataset of seed-dispersal networks that were sampled in forest patches and adjacent matrix habitats of seven fragmented landscapes across Europe. We found a similar diversity of frugivores, plants, and interactions contributing to seed dispersal in forest and matrix, but a high turnover (replacement) in all these components. The turnover of dispersed seeds was smaller than that of frugivore communities because different frugivore species provided complementary seed dispersal in forest and matrix. Importantly, the turnover involved functional changes toward larger and more mobile frugivores in the matrix, which dispersed taller, larger-seeded plants with later fruiting periods. Our study provides a trait-based understanding of frugivore-mediated seed dispersal through fragmented landscapes, uncovering nonrandom shifts that can have cascading consequences for the composition of regenerating plant communities. Our findings also highlight the importance of forest remnants and frugivore faunas for ecosystem resilience, demonstrating a high potential for passive forest restoration of unmanaged lands in the matrix.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan P. González-Varo
- Departamento de Biología, Instituto de Investigación Vitivinícola y Agroalimentaria, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real11510, Spain
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main60325, Germany
| | - Juan M. Arroyo
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla41092, Spain
| | - Rafael S. Bueno
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo90128, Italy
| | - Tamara Burgos
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid28933, Spain
| | - Gema Escribano-Ávila
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution Department, Complutense University Madrid, Madrid28040, Spain
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg35032, Germany
| | - Daniel García
- Biodiversity Research Institute (University of Oviedo – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – Principado de Asturias), Mieres33600, Spain
| | - Juan C. Illera
- Biodiversity Research Institute (University of Oviedo – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – Principado de Asturias), Mieres33600, Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla41092, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla41012, Spain
| | - Przemysław Kurek
- Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Protection, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań61-712, Poland
| | - Sascha Rösner
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg35032, Germany
| | - Emilio Virgós
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid28933, Spain
| | - William J. Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3QZ, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Isla J, Jácome-Flores M, Arroyo JM, Jordano P. The turnover of plant-frugivore interactions along plant range expansion: consequences for natural colonization processes. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222547. [PMID: 37221844 PMCID: PMC10206477 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant-animal mutualisms such as seed dispersal are key interactions for sustaining plant range shifts. It remains elusive whether the organization of interactions with seed dispersers is reconfigured along the expansion landscape template and, if so, whether its effects accelerate or slow colonization. Here we analyse plant-frugivore interactions in a scenario of rapid population expansion of a Mediterranean juniper. We combined network analyses with field surveys, sampling interactions between individual plants and frugivores by DNA-barcoding and phototrapping over two seasons. We assess the role of intrinsic and extrinsic intraspecific variability in shaping interactions and we estimate the individual plant contributions to the seed rain. The whole interaction network was highly structured, with a distinct set of modules including individual plants and frugivore species arranged concordantly along the expansion gradient. The modular configuration was partially shaped by individual neighbourhood context (density and fecundity) and phenotypic traits (cone size). Interaction reconfiguration resulted in a higher and more uneven propagule contribution, with most effective dispersers having a prominent role at the colonization front stand, where a distinct subset of early arriving plants dominated the seed rain. Our study offers new insights into the key role of mutualistic interactions in colonization scenarios by promoting fast plant expansion processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Isla
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Av. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Miguel Jácome-Flores
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Av. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
- CONACYT-Centro del Cambio Global y la Sustentabilidad, 86080 Villahermosa, Tabasco, México
| | - Juan M. Arroyo
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Av. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Av. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
- Dept. Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Garrote PJ, Castilla AR, Picó FX, Fedriani JM. Examining the spatiotemporal variation of genetic diversity and genetic rarity in the natural plant recolonization of human-altered areas. CONSERV GENET 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-023-01503-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe spatiotemporal genetic variation at early plant life stages may substantially affect the natural recolonization of human-altered areas, which is crucial to understand plant and habitat conservation. In animal-dispersed plants, dispersers’ behavior may critically drive the distribution of genetic variation. Here, we examine how genetic rarity is spatially and temporally structured in seedlings of a keystone pioneer palm (Chamaerops humilis) and how the variation of genetic rarity could ultimately affect plant recruitment. We intensively monitored the seed rain mediated by two medium-sized carnivores during two consecutive seasons in a Mediterranean human-altered area. We genotyped 143 out of 309 detected seedlings using 12 microsatellite markers. We found that seedlings emerging from carnivore-dispersed seeds showed moderate to high levels of genetic diversity and no evidence of inbreeding. We found inflated kinship among seedlings that emerged from seeds within a single carnivore fecal sample, but a dilution of such FSGS at larger spatial scales (e.g. latrine). Seedlings showed a significant genetic sub-structure and the sibling relationships varied depending on the spatial scale. Rare genotypes arrived slightly later throughout the dispersal season and tended to be spatially isolated. However, genetic rarity was not a significant predictor by itself which indicates that, at least, its influence on seedling survival was smaller than other spatiotemporal factors. Our results suggest strong C. humilis resilience to genetic bottlenecks due to human disturbances. We highlight the study of plant-animal interactions from a genetic perspective since it provides crucial information for plant conservation and the recovery of genetic plant resilience.
Collapse
|
5
|
Spengler RN, Kienast F, Roberts P, Boivin N, Begun DR, Ashastina K, Petraglia M. Bearing Fruit: Miocene Apes and Rosaceous Fruit Evolution. BIOLOGICAL THEORY 2023; 18:134-151. [PMID: 37214192 PMCID: PMC10191964 DOI: 10.1007/s13752-022-00413-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Extinct megafaunal mammals in the Americas are often linked to seed-dispersal mutualisms with large-fruiting tree species, but large-fruiting species in Europe and Asia have received far less attention. Several species of arboreal Maloideae (apples and pears) and Prunoideae (plums and peaches) evolved large fruits starting around nine million years ago, primarily in Eurasia. As evolutionary adaptations for seed dispersal by animals, the size, high sugar content, and bright colorful visual displays of ripeness suggest that mutualism with megafaunal mammals facilitated the evolutionary change. There has been little discussion as to which animals were likely candidate(s) on the late Miocene landscape of Eurasia. We argue that several possible dispersers could have consumed the large fruits, with endozoochoric dispersal usually relying on guilds of species. During the Pleistocene and Holocene, the dispersal guild likely included ursids, equids, and elephantids. During the late Miocene, large primates were likely also among the members of this guild, and the potential of a long-held mutualism between the ape and apple clades merits further discussion. If primates were a driving factor in the evolution of this large-fruit seed-dispersal system, it would represent an example of seed-dispersal-based mutualism with hominids millions of years prior to crop domestication or the development of cultural practices, such as farming.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert N. Spengler
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Domestication and Anthropogenic Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Frank Kienast
- Senckenberg Research Station of Quaternary, Palaeontology, Weimar, Germany
| | - Patrick Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- isoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Nicole Boivin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC USA
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - David R. Begun
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kseniia Ashastina
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Domestication and Anthropogenic Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Michael Petraglia
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC USA
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Differentiation and seasonality in suitable microsites of seed dispersal by an assemblage of omnivorous mammals. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
|
7
|
Draper JP, Young JK, Schupp EW, Beckman NG, Atwood TB. Frugivory and Seed Dispersal by Carnivorans. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.864864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal is critical to the ecological performance of sexually reproducing plant species and the communities that they form. The Mammalian order Carnivora provide valuable and effective seed dispersal services but tend to be overlooked in much of the seed dispersal literature. Here we review the literature on the role of Carnivorans in seed dispersal, with a literature search in the Scopus reference database. Overall, we found that Carnivorans are prolific seed dispersers. Carnivorans’ diverse and plastic diets allow them to consume large volumes of over a hundred families of fruit and disperse large quantities of seeds across landscapes. Gut passage by these taxa generally has a neutral effect on seed viability. While the overall effect of Carnivorans on seed dispersal quality is complex, Carnivorans likely increase long-distance dispersal services that may aid the ability of some plant species to persist in the face of climate change.
Collapse
|
8
|
Burgos T, Fedriani JM, Escribano-Ávila G, Seoane J, Hernández-Hernández J, Virgós E. Predation risk can modify the foraging behaviour of frugivorous carnivores: Implications of rewilding apex predators for plant-animal mutualisms. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1024-1035. [PMID: 35322415 PMCID: PMC9311824 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Apex predators play key roles in food webs and their recovery can trigger trophic cascades in some ecosystems. Intra‐guild competition can reduce the abundances of smaller predators and perceived predation risk can alter their foraging behaviour thereby limiting seed dispersal by frugivorous carnivores. However, little is known about how plant–frugivore mutualisms could be disturbed in the presence of larger predators. We evaluated the top‐down effect of the regional superpredator, the Iberian lynx Lynx pardinus, on the number of visits and fruits consumed by medium‐sized frugivorous carnivores, as well as the foraging behaviour of identified individuals, by examining the consumption likelihood and the foraging time. We carried out a field experiment in which we placed Iberian pear Pyrus bourgaeana fruits beneath fruiting trees and monitored pear removal by frugivorous carnivores, both inside and outside lynx ranges. Using camera traps, we recorded the presence of the red fox Vulpes vulpes, the Eurasian badger Meles meles and the stone marten Martes foina, as well as the number of fruits they consumed and their time spent foraging. Red fox was the most frequent fruit consumer carnivore. We found there were fewer visits and less fruit consumed by foxes inside lynx ranges, but lynx presence did not seem to affect badgers. We did not observe any stone marten visits inside lynx territories. The foraging behaviour of red foxes was also altered inside lynx ranges whereby foxes were less efficient, consuming less fruit per unit of time and having shorter visits. Local availability of fruit resources, forest coverage and individual personality also were important variables to understand visitation and foraging in a landscape of fear. Our results show a potential trophic cascade from apex predators to primary producers. The presence of lynx can reduce frugivorous carnivore numbers and induce shifts in their feeding behaviour that may modify the seed dispersal patterns with likely consequences for the demography of many fleshy‐fruited plant species. We conclude that knowledge of the ecological interactions making up trophic webs is an asset to design effective conservation strategies, particularly in rewilding programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Burgos
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose M Fedriani
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación CIDE, CSIC-UVEG-GV, Carretera de Moncada a Náquera, Moncada, Spain.,Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD - CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Gema Escribano-Ávila
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Seoane
- Terrestrial Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Hernández-Hernández
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain.,Road Ecology Lab, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Virgós
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mesocarnivore Distribution along Gradients of Anthropogenic Disturbance in Mediterranean Landscapes. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14020133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Wildfires are important sources of landscape change in Mediterranean environments, creating large patches of low-growth natural habitats (i.e., scrublands) inside protected areas, whereas woodland patches remain mostly near well protected human settlements. Landscape patterns resulting from these gradients influence habitat suitability for mesocarnivores regarding food and shelter. In winter and summer 2019, we sampled 16 independent line-transects with four camera traps each (64 cameras overall), covering the main habitats of the study area (woodlands, scrublands, and crops). Cameras were baited to compensate for the low detectability of target species, and mesocarnivore contacts were analysed by means of GLMMs and occupancy models. Our results showed a positive and stronger association of wild species with woodland habitats, despite the low proportion of habitat available, higher presence of competitors (other mesocarnivores), and potential predators (human pets, i.e., dogs), and low natural prey availability than in scrubland (i.e., small mammals). However, mesocarnivores will find protection against predators and resting sites in forests as well as other food opportunities in crops and urban areas, despite the possible interference with humans and their pets. Potential cascading effects linked to ecological roles of Mediterranean mesocarnivores on the succession of Mediterranean landscapes would imply longer-term effects of human disturbance on landscape trends.
Collapse
|
10
|
Arnberg MP, Frank SC, Blaalid R, Davey ML, Eycott AE, Steyaert SMJG. Directed endozoochorous dispersal by scavengers facilitate sexual reproduction in otherwise clonal plants at cadaver sites. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8503. [PMID: 35127028 PMCID: PMC8794756 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The regeneration niche of many plant species involves spatially and temporally unpredictable disturbances, called recruitment windows of opportunity. However, even species with clear dispersal adaptations such as fleshy berries may not successfully reach such elusive regeneration microsites. Ericaceous, berry-producing species in the northern hemisphere demonstrate this dispersal limitation. They are said to display a reproductive paradox owing to their lack of regeneration in apparently suitable microsites despite considerable investment in producing large quantities of berries.Cadavers generate vegetation-denuded and nutrient-rich disturbances termed cadaver decomposition islands (CDIs). Cadavers attract facultative scavengers with considerable capacity for endozoochorous seed dispersal. We hypothesize that CDIs facilitate recruitment in berry-producing ericaceous species due to endozoochorous dispersal directed toward favorable microsites with low competition.We examined seedling establishment within a permanent, semi-regular 10 × 10 m grid across an ungulate mass die-off on the Hardangervidda plateau in southeastern Norway. Competing models regarding the relative importance of factors governing recruitment were evaluated, specifically cadaver location (elevated seed rain) and microsite conditions (competition).We found that CDIs did facilitate seedling establishment, as cadaver density was the best predictor of seedling distribution. Other important factors governing seedling establishment such as percentage cover of soil and vascular plants alone were inadequate to explain seedling establishment. Synthesis: This study provides a novel understanding of sexual reproduction in species with cryptic generative reproduction. The directed nature of endozoochorous dispersal combined with long-distance dispersal abilities of medium to large vertebrate scavengers toward cadavers allows plants to exploit the advantageous but ephemeral resource provided by CDIs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mie Prik Arnberg
- Faculty of Biosciences and AquacultureNord UniversitySteinkjerNorway
| | | | - Rakel Blaalid
- Department of Natural HistoryUniversity Museum of BergenBergenNorway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Gómez JM, Schupp EW, Jordano P. The ecological and evolutionary significance of effectiveness landscapes in mutualistic interactions. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:264-277. [PMID: 34971487 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mutualism effectiveness, the contribution of an interacting organism to its partner's fitness, is defined as the number of immediate outcomes of the interactions (quantity component) multiplied by the probability that an immediate outcome results in a new individual (quality component). These components form a two-dimensional effectiveness landscape with each species' location determined by its values of quantity (x-axis) and quality (y-axis). We propose that the evolutionary history of mutualistic interactions leaves a footprint that can be identified by three properties of the spatial structure of effectiveness values: dispersion of effectiveness values, relative contribution of each component to the effectiveness values and correlation between effectiveness components. We illustrate this approach using a large dataset on synzoochory, seed dispersal by seed-caching animals. The synzoochory landscape was clumped, with effectiveness determined primarily by the quality component, and with quantity and quality positively correlated. We suggest this type of landscape structure is common in generalised coevolved mutualisms, where multiple functionally equivalent, high-quality partners exert similarly strong selection. Presumably, only those organisms located in high-quality regions will impact the evolution of their partner. Exploring properties of effectiveness landscapes in other mutualisms will provide new insight into the evolutionary and ecological consequences of mutualisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José María Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA- CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | - Eugene W Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, S. J. and Jesse E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA.,Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.,Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Rey PJ, Camacho FM, Tarifa R, Martínez-Núñez C, Salido T, Pérez AJ, García D. Persistence of Seed Dispersal in Agroecosystems: Effects of Landscape Modification and Intensive Soil Management Practices in Avian Frugivores, Frugivory and Seed Deposition in Olive Croplands. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.782462] [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
Farming impacts animal-mediated seed dispersal through mechanisms operating on at least two spatial scales. First, at the landscape scale, through habitat loss and land conversion to agriculture/livestock grazing, and second, at the farm scale, via a local intensification of agricultural practices. These two scales of farming impact seed dispersal function but have rarely been integrated. In particular, studies evaluating the effect of agriculture on the seed dispersal function of frugivorous birds in Mediterranean ecosystems are lacking. This study evaluates the role of landscape transformation, from fruit-rich woodland habitats to olive grove landscapes, together with local intensive practices of soil management on the persistence of the seed dispersal function for Mediterranean fleshy-fruited plants in olive landscapes of south Spain. We used bird censuses, mist-nets, and seed traps to characterize avian frugivore assemblages, frugivory, and seed deposition in the seminatural woodland habitat (SNWH) patches and olive fields of 40 olives farms spanning 20 localities distributed across the whole range of olive cultivation in Andalusia (southern Spain). We found that despite the remarkable dispersal function of olive grove landscapes, avian frugivore abundance and diversity, frugivory, and seed arrival decreased in olive fields compared to SNWH patches. Likewise, SNWH cover loss and/or olive growing expansion decreased avian frugivory and seed arrival. Interestingly, the habitat effects in the olive farms often depended on the landscape context. In particular, less diverse fruit-eating bird assemblages pooled in SNWH patches as olive grove cover increased or SNWH decreased in the landscape, while remaining relatively invariant in the olive fields. Finally, compared to conventional intensive agriculture, low-intensity management increased frugivory and seed deposition. We conclude that olive fields are less permeable to frugivores than expected due to the agroforest-like nature of these landscapes and that the presence of SNWH patches is crucial for the maintenance of frugivory and seed dispersal in agricultural landscapes. These results evidence that woodland habitat loss by olive expansion and intensive practices seriously threaten the dispersal service in olive-dominated landscapes. Maintenance, restoration, and promotion of woodland patches should be prioritized for the conservation of seed dispersal service and for enhancing the functional connectivity in human-shaped olive landscapes.
Collapse
|
13
|
Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
|
14
|
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Manuel Morales
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA‐CONICET, Univ. Nacional del Comahue Bariloche Argentina
| | - Teresa Morán López
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA‐CONICET, Univ. Nacional del Comahue Bariloche Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Thierry H, Rose E, Rogers H. Landscape configuration and frugivore identity affect seed rain during restoration. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Thierry
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State Univ. Ames IA USA
| | - Ethan Rose
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State Univ. Ames IA USA
| | - Haldre Rogers
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State Univ. Ames IA USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Heleno RH, Mendes F, Coelho AP, Ramos JA, Palmeirim JM, Rainho A, de Lima RF. The upsizing of the São Tomé seed dispersal network by introduced animals. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ruben H. Heleno
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE‐UC), Dept of Life Sciences, Univ. of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas Coimbra Portugal
| | - Filipa Mendes
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE‐UC), Dept of Life Sciences, Univ. of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas Coimbra Portugal
| | - Ana P. Coelho
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) and Dept of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Univ. of Lisbon Lisboa Portugal
- Dept of Biology and CESAM, Univ. of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago Aveiro Portugal
| | - Jaime A. Ramos
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) and Dept of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Univ. of Lisbon Lisboa Portugal
| | - Jorge M. Palmeirim
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Dept of Life Sciences, Univ. of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - Ana Rainho
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) and Dept of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Univ. of Lisbon Lisboa Portugal
| | - Ricardo F. de Lima
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) and Dept of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Univ. of Lisbon Lisboa Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Draper JP, Atwood TB, Beckman NG, Kettenring KM, Young JK. Mesopredator frugivory has no effect on seed viability and emergence under experimental conditions. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- John P. Draper
- Department of Watershed Sciences and the Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | - Trisha B. Atwood
- Department of Watershed Sciences and the Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | - Noelle G. Beckman
- Department of Biology and the Ecology Center Utah State University 5305 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | - Karin M. Kettenring
- Department of Watershed Sciences and the Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | - Julie K. Young
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Predator Research Facility National Wildlife Research Center Millville Utah 84326 USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
González‐Varo JP, Onrubia A, Pérez‐Méndez N, Tarifa R, Illera JC. Fruit abundance and trait matching determine diet type and body condition across frugivorous bird populations. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan P. González‐Varo
- Depto de Biología, IVAGRO, Univ. de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro Puerto Real Cádiz Spain
| | - Alejandro Onrubia
- Migres Foundation, International Bird Migration Center (CIMA) Tarifa Cádiz Spain
| | - Néstor Pérez‐Méndez
- Inst. de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentaries (IRTA), Estació Experimental de l'Ebre Amposta Tarragona Spain
| | - Rubén Tarifa
- Depto de Biología Animal, Vegetal y Ecología, Univ. de Jaén Jaén Spain
| | - Juan C. Illera
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO‐CSIC‐PA), Depto de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Univ. de Oviedo, Campus of Mieres Mieres Asturias Spain
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Spengler RN, Petraglia M, Roberts P, Ashastina K, Kistler L, Mueller NG, Boivin N. Exaptation Traits for Megafaunal Mutualisms as a Factor in Plant Domestication. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:649394. [PMID: 33841476 PMCID: PMC8024633 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.649394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Megafaunal extinctions are recurring events that cause evolutionary ripples, as cascades of secondary extinctions and shifting selective pressures reshape ecosystems. Megafaunal browsers and grazers are major ecosystem engineers, they: keep woody vegetation suppressed; are nitrogen cyclers; and serve as seed dispersers. Most angiosperms possess sets of physiological traits that allow for the fixation of mutualisms with megafauna; some of these traits appear to serve as exaptation (preadaptation) features for farming. As an easily recognized example, fleshy fruits are, an exaptation to agriculture, as they evolved to recruit a non-human disperser. We hypothesize that the traits of rapid annual growth, self-compatibility, heavy investment in reproduction, high plasticity (wide reaction norms), and rapid evolvability were part of an adaptive syndrome for megafaunal seed dispersal. We review the evolutionary importance that megafauna had for crop and weed progenitors and discuss possible ramifications of their extinction on: (1) seed dispersal; (2) population dynamics; and (3) habitat loss. Humans replaced some of the ecological services that had been lost as a result of late Quaternary extinctions and drove rapid evolutionary change resulting in domestication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert N. Spengler
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Michael Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Patrick Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Kseniia Ashastina
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Logan Kistler
- Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Natalie G. Mueller
- Department of Archaeology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Nicole Boivin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Mori E, Ficetola GF, Bartolomei R, Capobianco G, Varuzza P, Falaschi M. How the South was won: current and potential range expansion of the crested porcupine in Southern Italy. Mamm Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-020-00058-2] [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]
|
21
|
Spengler RN. Anthropogenic Seed Dispersal: Rethinking the Origins of Plant Domestication. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 25:340-348. [PMID: 32191870 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
It is well documented that ancient sickle harvesting led to tough rachises, but the other seed dispersal properties in crop progenitors are rarely discussed. The first steps toward domestication are evolutionary responses for the recruitment of humans as dispersers. Seed dispersal-based mutualism evolved from heavy human herbivory or seed predation. Plants that evolved traits to support human-mediated seed dispersal express greater fitness in increasingly anthropogenic ecosystems. The loss of dormancy, reduction in seed coat thickness, increased seed size, pericarp density, and sugar concentration all led to more-focused seed dispersal through seed saving and sowing. Some of the earliest plants to evolve domestication traits had weak seed dispersal processes in the wild, often due to the extinction of animal dispersers or short-distance mechanical dispersal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert N Spengler
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Rubalcava‐Castillo FA, Sosa‐Ramírez J, Luna‐Ruíz JJ, Valdivia‐Flores AG, Díaz‐Núñez V, Íñiguez‐Dávalos LI. Endozoochorous dispersal of forest seeds by carnivorous mammals in Sierra Fría, Aguascalientes, Mexico. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:2991-3003. [PMID: 32211171 PMCID: PMC7083659 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Some carnivorous mammals ingest fruit and disperse seeds of forest plant species capable of colonizing disturbed areas in ecosystems. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the dissemination of Arctostaphylos pungens and Juniperus deppeana seeds by the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), coyote (Canis latrans), and other carnivores in the Protected Natural Area Sierra Fría, in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Scat collection was undertaken via transects using the direct search method, while the seasonal phenology of A. pungens and J. deppeana was evaluated by recording flower and fruit abundance on both the plant and the surrounding forest floor ground. Seed viability was assessed by optical densitometry via X-ray and a germination test. It was found that the gray fox, coyote, ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), and bobcat (Lynx rufus) disseminated seeds of A. pungens (212 ± 48.9 seeds/scat) and J. deppeana (23.6 ± 4.9 seeds/scat), since a large proportion of the collected scat of these species contained seeds (28/30 = 93.33%, 12/43 = 27.9%, 6/12 = 50% and 7/25 = 28% respectively). The gray fox, coyote, ringtail, and bobcat presented an average of seed dispersion of both plant species of 185.4 ± 228.7, 4.0 ± 20.0, 12.1 ± 30.4, and 0.8 ± 1.5 per scat; the seed proportions in the gray fox, coyote, ringtail, and bobcat were 89.6/10.4%, 82.3/17.7%, 90.4/9.6%, and 38.1/61.9% for A. pungens and J. deppeana, respectively. The phenology indicated a finding related to the greater abundance of ripe fruit in autumn and winter (p < .01). This coincided with the greater abundance of seeds found in scats during these seasons. Endozoochory and diploendozoochory enhanced the viability and germination of the seeds (p > .05), except in those of A. pungens dispersed by coyote. These results suggest that carnivores, particularly the gray fox, the coyote, and the bobcat, play an important role in forest seed dissemination, and thus forest regeneration, by making both a quantitative and qualitative contribution to the dispersal of the two pioneer species under study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joaquín Sosa‐Ramírez
- Centro de Ciencias AgropecuariasUniversidad Autónoma de AguascalientesAguascalientesMéxico
| | - José J. Luna‐Ruíz
- Centro de Ciencias AgropecuariasUniversidad Autónoma de AguascalientesAguascalientesMéxico
| | | | - Vicente Díaz‐Núñez
- Centro de Ciencias AgropecuariasUniversidad Autónoma de AguascalientesAguascalientesMéxico
| | - Luis I. Íñiguez‐Dávalos
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos NaturalesCentro Universitario de la Costa SurUniversidad de GuadalajaraAutlán de NavarroJaliscoMéxico
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Stephens RB, Rowe RJ. The underappreciated role of rodent generalists in fungal spore dispersal networks. Ecology 2020; 101:e02972. [PMID: 31943145 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Animals are often the primary dispersers of seeds and fungal spores. Specialist species that consume fruits or fungal fruiting bodies (sporocarps) as their main food source are thought to play a more important role in dispersal networks compared to generalist species. However, dispersal networks are often based on occurrence data, overlooking the influence of animal abundance and dispersal effectiveness on network interactions. Using rodent-mycorrhizal fungi networks, we determined how diet specialization and abundance influence the role of rodent species in dispersing fungal spores in temperate forests of northern New Hampshire, USA. We tracked the interactions of five rodent species and 34 fungal taxa over a 3-yr period across hardwood, mixed, and softwood forest stands. We accounted for fluctuations in rodent abundance and differences in the number of spores dispersed in rodent scat. Myodes gapperi, a fungal specialist, dispersed a more diverse spore community than rodent generalists and was consistently the most important disperser in forest types with high fungal availability. Nevertheless, during years when generalist species such as Tamias striatus and Peromyscus maniculatus reached high abundance, their relative importance (species strength) in networks approached or even surpassed that of M. gapperi, particularly in forest types where M. gapperi was less common and fungal availability was low. Increased numbers of generalists enhanced network interaction diversity and the number of fungal taxa dispersed, the timing of which was coincident with seedling establishment following masting, a stage when inoculation by mycorrhizal fungi is critical for growth and survival. Our findings suggest that although specialists play key roles in dispersing mycorrhizal fungal spores, generalists play a heretofore underappreciated role.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan B Stephens
- Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, 114 James Hall, 56 College Road, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA
| | - Rebecca J Rowe
- Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, 114 James Hall, 56 College Road, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Morán‐López T, González‐Castro A, Morales JM, Nogales M. Behavioural complementarity among frugivorous birds and lizards can promote plant diversity in island ecosystems. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Morán‐López
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa INIBIOMA‐CONICET Universidad Nacional del Comahue San Carlos De Bariloche Rio Negro Argentina
| | | | - Juan Manuel Morales
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa INIBIOMA‐CONICET Universidad Nacional del Comahue San Carlos De Bariloche Rio Negro Argentina
| | - Manuel Nogales
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group (CSIC‐IPNA) La Laguna Spain
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Garrote PJ, Castilla AR, Fedriani JM. The endemic Mediterranean dwarf palm boosts the recolonization of old-fields: Implications for restoration. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 250:109478. [PMID: 31493700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms underlying the recolonization of old-fields is critical to promote the recovery of the ecosystem functioning, particularly in regions where agricultural abandonment has increased in the last 60 years. Given that seed arrival and seedling survival often limit the recolonization process by woody species in many Mediterranean habitats, the 'perching' and 'nursing' effects exerted by some pioneer species could be crucial for the restoration of such abandoned lands. We examined the role of an endemic Mediterranean palm (Chamaerops humilis) on the recolonization of old-fields by woody species in southern Iberian Peninsula. We chose three independent old-fields differing in their shrub encroachment levels. To identify potential facilitation by C. humilis, we used a spatially-explicit approach and analyzed its spatial associations with ten common woody species (e.g. Asparagus spp., Daphne gnidium, Olea europaea var. sylvestris, Pyrus bourgaeana). We detected positive spatial associations between C. humilis and woody species at small-scale (1-5 m) in the three plots. Most of such small-scale associations were linked to the bird-dispersal of woody species. Nonetheless, there were marked differences among plots in spatial associations between C. humilis and woody plants, being Asparagus spp. the only species positively associated with C. humilis within the three studied old-fields. These species-specific differences were likely related to variations among old-fields in encroachment level and the legacy of human management. Such small-scales spatial associations between C. humilis and woody species across Iberian old-fields were linked to the perching and nursing effects exerted by the palm. We emphasize the strong potential of this pioneer Mediterranean palm for the restoration of native ecosystems and the recovery of ecosystems services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro J Garrote
- Centro de Ecologia Aplicada "Prof. Baeta Neves" CEABN/InBio, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa. Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Antonio R Castilla
- Centro de Ecologia Aplicada "Prof. Baeta Neves" CEABN/InBio, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa. Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal; Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jose M Fedriani
- Centro de Ecologia Aplicada "Prof. Baeta Neves" CEABN/InBio, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa. Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal; Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Sevilla, Spain; Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación CIDE, CSIC-UVEG-GV, Carretera de Moncada a Náquera, km 4,5, 46113, Moncada, Valencia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
La Mantia T, Rühl J, Massa B, Pipitone S, Lo Verde G, Bueno RS. Vertebrate‐mediated seed rain and artificial perches contribute to overcome seed dispersal limitation in a Mediterranean old field. Restor Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso La Mantia
- Dipartimento SAAFViale delle Scienze, Ed. 4, Ingresso H Palermo 90128 Italy
| | - Juliane Rühl
- Landesamt für Natur, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz Nordrhein‐Westfalen, Leibnizstraße 10 Recklinghausen 45659 Germany
| | - Bruno Massa
- Dipartimento SAAFViale delle Scienze, Ed. 4, Ingresso H Palermo 90128 Italy
| | - Sergio Pipitone
- Dipartimento SAAFViale delle Scienze, Ed. 4, Ingresso H Palermo 90128 Italy
| | - Gabriella Lo Verde
- Dipartimento SAAFViale delle Scienze, Ed. 4, Ingresso H Palermo 90128 Italy
| | - Rafael S. Bueno
- Dipartimento SAAFViale delle Scienze, Ed. 4, Ingresso H Palermo 90128 Italy
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Spengler RN. Origins of the Apple: The Role of Megafaunal Mutualism in the Domestication of Malus and Rosaceous Trees. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:617. [PMID: 31191563 PMCID: PMC6545323 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The apple (Malus domestica [Suckow] Borkh.) is one of the most economically and culturally significant fruits in the world today, and it is grown in all temperate zones. With over a thousand landraces recognized, the modern apple provides a unique case study for understanding plant evolution under human cultivation. Recent genomic and archaeobotanical studies have illuminated parts of the process of domestication in the Rosaceae family. Interestingly, these data seem to suggest that rosaceous arboreal crops did not follow the same pathway toward domestication as other domesticated, especially annual, plants. Unlike in cereal crops, tree domestication appears to have been rapid and driven by hybridization. Apple domestication also calls into question the concept of centers of domestication and human intentionality. Studies of arboreal domestication also illustrate the importance of fully understanding the seed dispersal processes in the wild progenitors when studying crop origins. Large fruits in Rosaceae evolved as a seed-dispersal adaptation recruiting megafaunal mammals of the late Miocene. Genetic studies illustrate that the increase in fruit size and changes in morphology during evolution in the wild resulted from hybridization events and were selected for by large seed dispersers. Humans over the past three millennia have fixed larger-fruiting hybrids through grafting and cloning. Ultimately, the process of evolution under human cultivation parallels the natural evolution of larger fruits in the clade as an adaptive strategy, which resulted in mutualism with large mammalian seed dispersers (disperser recruitment).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Nicholas Spengler
- Paleoethnobotany Laboratories, Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Aslan C, Beckman NG, Rogers HS, Bronstein J, Zurell D, Hartig F, Shea K, Pejchar L, Neubert M, Poulsen J, HilleRisLambers J, Miriti M, Loiselle B, Effiom E, Zambrano J, Schupp G, Pufal G, Johnson J, Bullock JM, Brodie J, Bruna E, Cantrell RS, Decker R, Fricke E, Gurski K, Hastings A, Kogan O, Razafindratsima O, Sandor M, Schreiber S, Snell R, Strickland C, Zhou Y. Employing plant functional groups to advance seed dispersal ecology and conservation. AOB PLANTS 2019; 11:plz006. [PMID: 30895154 PMCID: PMC6420810 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Seed dispersal enables plants to reach hospitable germination sites and escape natural enemies. Understanding when and how much seed dispersal matters to plant fitness is critical for understanding plant population and community dynamics. At the same time, the complexity of factors that determine if a seed will be successfully dispersed and subsequently develop into a reproductive plant is daunting. Quantifying all factors that may influence seed dispersal effectiveness for any potential seed-vector relationship would require an unrealistically large amount of time, materials and financial resources. On the other hand, being able to make dispersal predictions is critical for predicting whether single species and entire ecosystems will be resilient to global change. Building on current frameworks, we here posit that seed dispersal ecology should adopt plant functional groups as analytical units to reduce this complexity to manageable levels. Functional groups can be used to distinguish, for their constituent species, whether it matters (i) if seeds are dispersed, (ii) into what context they are dispersed and (iii) what vectors disperse them. To avoid overgeneralization, we propose that the utility of these functional groups may be assessed by generating predictions based on the groups and then testing those predictions against species-specific data. We suggest that data collection and analysis can then be guided by robust functional group definitions. Generalizing across similar species in this way could help us to better understand the population and community dynamics of plants and tackle the complexity of seed dispersal as well as its disruption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Aslan
- Landscape Conservation Initiative, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | | | - Haldre S Rogers
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Judie Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Damaris Zurell
- Dynamic Macroecology, Landscape Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Florian Hartig
- Faculty of Biology and Pre-Clinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Katriona Shea
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Liba Pejchar
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Mike Neubert
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - John Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, USA
| | | | - Maria Miriti
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Bette Loiselle
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Edu Effiom
- CRS Forestry Commission, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Jenny Zambrano
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, 1 Park Place, Annapolis, MD, USA
| | - Geno Schupp
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Gesine Pufal
- Naturschutz & Landschaftsökologie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jeremy Johnson
- Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Jedediah Brodie
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Emilio Bruna
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Evan Fricke
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Katie Gurski
- Department of Mathematics, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Oleg Kogan
- Physics Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | | | - Manette Sandor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Snell
- Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | | | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Mathematics, Lafayette College, Easton, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Rey PJ, Cancio I, Manzaneda AJ, González-Robles A, Valera F, Salido T, Alcántara JM. Regeneration of a keystone semiarid shrub over its range in Spain: habitat degradation overrides the positive effects of plant-animal mutualisms. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2018; 20:1083-1092. [PMID: 29933518 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Global change drivers are currently affecting semiarid ecosystems. Because these ecosystems differ from others in biotic and abiotic filters, cues for plant regeneration and management derived from elsewhere may not be applicable to semiarid ecosystems. We sought to determine the extent to which regional variation in regeneration prospects of a long-lived semiarid keystone shrub depends on anthropogenic habitat degradation, plant-animal interactions and climate determinants. We investigated the regeneration ability (via population size structure, juvenile density and juvenile/adult ratio), fruit set and seed dispersal of Ziziphus lotus in 25 localities spanning the range of its threatened habitats in Spain. We dissected the relative contribution of different regeneration determinants using multiple regression and structural equation modelling. Population regeneration was extremely poor, and size structures were biased towards large classes and low juvenile densities and juvenile/adult ratios. Poor regeneration was often coincident with seed dispersal collapse. However, the positive effect of seed dispersal on population regeneration disappeared after considering its relationship with habitat degradation. Protected areas did have juveniles. Together, these data suggest that habitat degradation directly impacts juvenile establishment. Our results provide insights into habitat and species management at the regional level. Z. lotus populations are currently driven by persistence-based dynamics through the longevity of the species. Nonetheless, collapsed seed dispersal, poor regeneration and the removal of adults from their habitats forecast extinction of Z. lotus in many remnants. The extreme longevity of Z. lotus provides opportunities for recovery of its populations and habitats through effective enforcement of regulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P J Rey
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - I Cancio
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - A J Manzaneda
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - A González-Robles
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - F Valera
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, EEZA-CSIC, Almería, Spain
| | - T Salido
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - J M Alcántara
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
González-Varo JP, Arroyo JM, Jordano P. The timing of frugivore-mediated seed dispersal effectiveness. Mol Ecol 2018; 28:219-231. [PMID: 30151871 PMCID: PMC6905405 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The seed dispersal effectiveness framework allows assessing mutualistic services from frugivorous animals in terms of quantity and quality. Quantity accounts for the number of seeds dispersed and quality for the probability of recruitment of dispersed seeds. Research on this topic has largely focused on the spatial patterns of seed deposition because seed fates often vary between microhabitats due to differences in biotic and abiotic factors. However, the temporal dimension has remained completely overlooked despite these factors-and even local disperser assemblages-can change dramatically during long fruiting periods. Here, we test timing effects on seed dispersal effectiveness, using as study case a keystone shrub species dispersed by frugivorous birds and with a fruiting period of 9 months. We evaluated quantity and quality in different microhabitats of a Mediterranean forest and different periods of the fruiting phenophase. We identified the bird species responsible for seed deposition through DNA barcoding and evaluated the probability of seedling recruitment through a series of field experiments on sequential demographic processes. We found that timing matters: The disperser assemblage was temporally structured, seed viability decreased markedly during the plant's fruiting phenophase, and germination was lower for viable seeds dispersed in the fruiting peak. We show how small contributions to seed deposition by transient migratory species can result in a relevant effectiveness if they disperse seeds in a high-quality period for seedling recruitment. This study expands our understanding of seed dispersal effectiveness, highlighting the importance of timing and infrequent interactions for population and community dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan P González-Varo
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.,Terrestrial Ecology Group, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, UIB-CSIC, Esporles, Spain
| | - Juan M Arroyo
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Jacobsen RM, Sverdrup-Thygeson A, Kauserud H, Birkemoe T. Revealing hidden insect-fungus interactions; moderately specialized, modular and anti-nested detritivore networks. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2017.2833. [PMID: 29618548 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological networks are composed of interacting communities that influence ecosystem structure and function. Fungi are the driving force for ecosystem processes such as decomposition and carbon sequestration in terrestrial habitats, and are strongly influenced by interactions with invertebrates. Yet, interactions in detritivore communities have rarely been considered from a network perspective. In the present study, we analyse the interaction networks between three functional guilds of fungi and insects sampled from dead wood. Using DNA metabarcoding to identify fungi, we reveal a diversity of interactions differing in specificity in the detritivore networks, involving three guilds of fungi. Plant pathogenic fungi were relatively unspecialized in their interactions with insects inhabiting dead wood, while interactions between the insects and wood-decay fungi exhibited the highest degree of specialization, which was similar to estimates for animal-mediated seed dispersal networks in previous studies. The low degree of specialization for insect symbiont fungi was unexpected. In general, the pooled insect-fungus networks were significantly more specialized, more modular and less nested than randomized networks. Thus, the detritivore networks had an unusual anti-nested structure. Future studies might corroborate whether this is a common aspect of networks based on interactions with fungi, possibly owing to their often intense competition for substrate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rannveig M Jacobsen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Høgskoleveien 12, 1433 Ås, Norway .,The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Gaustadalléen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Høgskoleveien 12, 1433 Ås, Norway
| | - Håvard Kauserud
- Section for Genetics and Evolutionary Biology (EVOGENE), University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Tone Birkemoe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Høgskoleveien 12, 1433 Ås, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
García-Cervigón AI, Żywiec M, Delibes M, Suárez-Esteban A, Perea R, Fedriani JM. Microsites of seed arrival: spatio-temporal variations in complex seed-disperser networks. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana I. García-Cervigón
- Biology Dept; Univ. of Cádiz; Campus Río San Pedro s/n ES-11510 Puerto Real Spain
- Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves”/InBio, Inst. Superior of Agronomy; Univ. of Lisbon; Portugal
| | - Magdalena Żywiec
- Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves”/InBio, Inst. Superior of Agronomy; Univ. of Lisbon; Portugal
- W. Szafer Inst. of Botany; Polish Academy of Sciences; Krakow Poland
| | - Miguel Delibes
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD - C.S.I.C.); Seville Spain
| | - Alberto Suárez-Esteban
- Dept of Renewable Resources; Univ. of Alberta; Edmonton AB Canada
- Yukon College; Whitehorse YT Canada
| | - Ramón Perea
- Depto de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales; Univ. Politécnica de Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - José M. Fedriani
- Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves”/InBio, Inst. Superior of Agronomy; Univ. of Lisbon; Portugal
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD - C.S.I.C.); Seville Spain
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Jara-Guerrero A, Escribano-Avila G, Espinosa CI, De la Cruz M, Méndez M. White-tailed deer as the last megafauna dispersing seeds in Neotropical dry forests: the role of fruit and seed traits. Biotropica 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Jara-Guerrero
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas; Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; CP.: 11-01-608 Loja Ecuador
| | - Gema Escribano-Avila
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas; Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; CP.: 11-01-608 Loja Ecuador
- IMEDEA- Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB); Esporles Illes Balears Spain
| | - Carlos Iván Espinosa
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas; Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; CP.: 11-01-608 Loja Ecuador
| | - Marcelino De la Cruz
- Departamento de Biología y Geología; Física y Química Inorgánica; Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; E-28933 Madrid Spain
| | - Marcos Méndez
- Departamento de Biología y Geología; Física y Química Inorgánica; Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; E-28933 Madrid Spain
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Fedriani JM, Wiegand T, Ayllón D, Palomares F, Suárez-Esteban A, Grimm V. Assisting seed dispersers to restore oldfields: An individual-based model of the interactions among badgers, foxes and Iberian pear trees. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jose M. Fedriani
- Department of Ecological Modelling; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ; Leipzig Germany
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD - C.S.I.C.); Seville Spain
- Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves”/InBio; Institute of Agronomy; University of Lisbon; Lisboa Portugal
| | - Thorsten Wiegand
- Department of Ecological Modelling; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ; Leipzig Germany
| | - Daniel Ayllón
- Department of Ecological Modelling; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ; Leipzig Germany
| | | | - Alberto Suárez-Esteban
- Department of Renewable Resources; University of Alberta; Edmonton Canada
- Yukon College; Whitehorse YT Canada
| | - Volker Grimm
- Department of Ecological Modelling; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ; Leipzig Germany
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Strong dependence of a pioneer shrub on seed dispersal services provided by an endemic endangered lizard in a Mediterranean island ecosystem. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183072. [PMID: 28827820 PMCID: PMC5565188 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The accelerating rate of vertebrate extinctions and population declines threatens to disrupt important ecological interactions, altering key ecosystem processes such as animal seed dispersal. The study of highly specialized mutualistic interactions is crucial to predict the consequences of population declines and extinctions. Islands offer unique opportunities to study highly specialized interactions, as they often have naturally depauperated faunas and are experiencing high rates of human-driven extinctions. In this study, we assess the effect of seed dispersal on seedling recruitment of Ephedra fragilis (Ephedraceae) on a Mediterranean island ecosystem. We used field data and stochastic simulation modeling to estimate seed fate and recruitment patterns of this pioneer shrub typical of arid and semiarid areas, and to estimate the dependence of recruitment on the lizard Podarcis lilfordi (Lacertidae), its only known seed disperser. Ephedra fragilis recruitment highly depended on lizards: lizards produced 3.8 times more newly-emerged seedlings than non-dispersed seeds and no seedlings from undispersed seeds survived the study period. Seed dispersal by lizards was mostly to open sites, which was key for the increased success observed, while undispersed seeds, falling under mother plants, suffered higher predation and lower seedling emergence and survival. The ability of this pioneer shrub to get established in open ground is crucial for vegetation colonization and restoration, especially on degraded lands affected by desertification, where they act as nurse plants for other species. Lizards are key in this process, which has important consequences for community structure and ecosystem functioning.
Collapse
|
36
|
Schupp EW, Jordano P, Gómez JM. A general framework for effectiveness concepts in mutualisms. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:577-590. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugene W. Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center; Utah State University; 5230 Old Main Hill Logan UT 84322-5230 USA
- Integrative Ecology Group; Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC; c/Americo Vespucio 26, Isla de La Cartuja E-41092 Sevilla Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group; Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC; c/Americo Vespucio 26, Isla de La Cartuja E-41092 Sevilla Spain
| | - José María Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva; Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Carretera de Sacramento s/n; La Cañada de San Urbano E-04120 Almería Spain
- Departamento de Ecología; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Granada; E-18071 Granada Spain
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Almazán-Núñez RC, Eguiarte LE, Arizmendi MDC, Corcuera P. Myiarchus flycatchers are the primary seed dispersers of Bursera longipes in a Mexican dry forest. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2126. [PMID: 27326382 PMCID: PMC4911949 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the seed dispersal of Bursera longipes by birds along a successional gradient of tropical dry forest (TDF) in southwestern Mexico. B. longipes is an endemic tree to the TDF in the Balsas basin. The relative abundance of frugivorous birds, their frequency of visits to B. longipes and the number of removed fruits were recorded at three study sites with different stages of forest succession (early, intermediate and mature) characterized by distinct floristic and structural elements. Flycatchers of the Myiarchus and Tyrannus genera removed the majority of fruits at each site. Overall, visits to B. longipes were less frequent at the early successional site. Birds that function as legitimate dispersers by consuming whole seeds and regurgitating or defecating intact seeds in the process also remove the pseudoaril from seeds, thereby facilitating the germination process. The highest germination percentages were recorded for seeds that passed through the digestive system of two migratory flycatchers: M. cinerascens and M. nutingii. Perch plants, mainly composed of legumes (e.g., Eysenhardtia polystachya, Acacia cochliacantha, Calliandra eryophylla, Mimosa polyantha), serve also as nurse plants since the number of young individuals recruited from B. longipes was higher under these than expected by chance. This study shows that Myiarchus flycatchers are the most efficient seed dispersers of B. longipes across all successional stages. This suggests a close mutualistic relationship derived from adaptive processes and local specializations throughout the distribution of both taxa, as supported by the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Carlos Almazán-Núñez
- Laboratorio Integral de Fauna Silvestre, Unidad Académica de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero , Chilpancingo, Guerrero , Mexico
| | - Luis E Eguiarte
- Laboratorio de Evolución Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Mexico, DF , Mexico
| | - María Del Coro Arizmendi
- Laboratorio de Ecología, Unidad de Biotecnología y Prototipos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Mexico, DF , Mexico
| | - Pablo Corcuera
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa , Mexico, DF , Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
de Santiago-Martín A, Vaquero-Perea C, Valverde-Asenjo I, Quintana Nieto JR, González-Huecas C, Lafuente AL, Vázquez de la Cueva A. Impact of vineyard abandonment and natural recolonization on metal content and availability in Mediterranean soils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 551-552:57-65. [PMID: 26874761 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Abandonment of vineyards after uprooting has dramatically increased in last decades in Mediterranean countries, often followed by vegetation expansion processes. Inadequate management strategies can have negative consequences on soil quality. We studied how the age and type of vegetation cover and several environmental characteristics (lithology, soil properties, vineyard slope and so on) after vineyard uprooting and abandonment contribute to the variation patterns in total, HAc (acetic acid-method, HAc) and EDTA-extractable (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-method) concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in soils. We sampled 141 points from vineyards and abandoned vineyard Mediterranean soils recolonized by natural vegetation in recent decades. The contribution of several environmental variables (e.g. age and type of vegetation cover, lithology, soil properties and vineyard slope) to the total and extractable concentrations of metals was evaluated by canonical ordination based on redundancy analysis, considering the interaction between both environmental and response variables. The ranges of total metal contents were: 0.01-0.15 (Cd), 2.6-34 (Cu), 6.6-30 (Pb), and 29-92mgkg(-1) (Zn). Cadmium (11-100%) had the highest relative extractability with both extractants, and Zn and Pb the lowest. The total and EDTA-extractable of Cd, Pb and Zn were positively related to the age of abandonment, to the presence of Agrostis castellana and Retama sphaerocarpa, and to the contents of Fe-oxides, clay and organic matter (OM). A different pattern was noted for Cu, positively related to vineyard soils. Soil properties successfully explained HAc-extractable Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn but the age and type of vegetation cover lost significance. Clay content was negatively related to HAc-extractable Cu and Pb; and OM was positively related to HAc-Cd and Zn. In conclusion, the time elapsed after vineyard uprooting, and subsequent land abandonment, affects the soil content and availability of metals, and this impact depended on the colonizing plant species and soil properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana de Santiago-Martín
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Cristina Vaquero-Perea
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jose R Quintana Nieto
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Concepción González-Huecas
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Antonio L Lafuente
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Lara-Romero C, de la Cruz M, Escribano-Ávila G, García-Fernández A, Iriondo JM. What causes conspecific plant aggregation? Disentangling the role of dispersal, habitat heterogeneity and plant-plant interactions. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Lara-Romero
- Biodiversity and Conservation Area, ESCET, Univ. Rey Juan Carlos; C/Tulipán s/n ES-28933 Móstoles Madrid Spain
| | - Marcelino de la Cruz
- Biodiversity and Conservation Area, ESCET, Univ. Rey Juan Carlos; C/Tulipán s/n ES-28933 Móstoles Madrid Spain
| | | | - Alfredo García-Fernández
- Biodiversity and Conservation Area, ESCET, Univ. Rey Juan Carlos; C/Tulipán s/n ES-28933 Móstoles Madrid Spain
| | - Jose M. Iriondo
- Biodiversity and Conservation Area, ESCET, Univ. Rey Juan Carlos; C/Tulipán s/n ES-28933 Móstoles Madrid Spain
| |
Collapse
|