1
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Votto SE, Schlesinger C, Dyer F, Caron V, Davis J. Investigating avian competition for surface water in an arid zone bioregion. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10396. [PMID: 37546569 PMCID: PMC10400276 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Interference competition has the potential to alter avian assemblages at long-lasting arid zone waterholes, particularly in a warming world, as more potentially aggressive species frequent these sites to drink. We used camera traps and observational surveys to investigate interference competition between terrestrial avian species at six long-lasting waterholes across three sampling seasons (two summers and one winter) within the MacDonnell Ranges Bioregion in central Australia. The proportion of individuals drinking for each of four dietary classes (granivores, nectarivores, omnivores, and insectivores) was modelled in relation to their abundance in the immediate waterhole habitat, which informed the potential for competition in each season. We then used the temporal overlap estimators to quantify the degree of competition between species at waterholes with species grouped into families (Meliphagidae, Ptilonorhynchidae, Estrildidae, and Rhipiduridae). We found the proportion of individuals drinking at waterholes was greatest during hot and dry periods, suggesting the potential for interference competition is greatest during these times. This was particularly the case for nectarivores where, in hot and dry conditions, the proportion of drinking individuals increased significantly as their abundance also increased in the waterhole habitat. We predicted that subordinate species would alter their activity periods to avoid competitive interactions with meliphagids (honeyeaters), however, we found there was a high degree of temporal overlap between all families sampled across all seasons. These results suggest subordinate species are unlikely to be excluded from long-lasting waterholes by potentially aggressive species, such as honeyeaters. However, some species may face trade-offs between foraging and accessing waterholes to stay hydrated as they shift their activity to avoid the hottest parts of the day during the summer months. Under global warming, extended hot and dry periods will likely create conditions where balancing energy and hydration requirements becomes increasingly difficult and results in the loss of body condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon E. Votto
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityCasuarinaNorthern TerritoryAustralia
| | - Christine Schlesinger
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityCasuarinaNorthern TerritoryAustralia
| | - Fiona Dyer
- Centre for Applied Water ScienceUniversity of CanberraBruceAustralia Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Valerie Caron
- Centre for Applied Water ScienceUniversity of CanberraBruceAustralia Capital TerritoryAustralia
- Health and BiosecurityCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationBlack MountainAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Jenny Davis
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityCasuarinaNorthern TerritoryAustralia
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2
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Martin PR, Ghalambor CK. A Case for the "Competitive Exclusion-Tolerance Rule" as a General Cause of Species Turnover along Environmental Gradients. Am Nat 2023; 202:1-17. [PMID: 37384767 DOI: 10.1086/724683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
AbstractClosely related, ecologically similar species often segregate their distributions along environmental gradients of time, space, and resources, but previous research suggests diverse underlying causes. Here, we review reciprocal removal studies in nature that experimentally test the role of interactions among species in determining their turnover along environmental gradients. We find consistent evidence for asymmetric exclusion coupled with differences in environmental tolerance causing the segregation of species pairs, where a dominant species excludes a subordinate from benign regions of the gradient but is unable to tolerate challenging regions to which the subordinate species is adapted. Subordinate species were consistently smaller and performed better in regions of the gradient typically occupied by the dominant species compared with their native distribution. These results extend previous ideas contrasting competitive ability with adaptation to abiotic stress to include a broader diversity of species interactions (intraguild predation, reproductive interference) and environmental gradients, including gradients of biotic challenge. Collectively, these findings suggest that adaptation to environmental challenge compromises performance in antagonistic interactions with ecologically similar species. The consistency of this pattern across diverse organisms, environments, and biomes suggests generalizable processes structuring the segregation of ecologically similar species along disparate environmental gradients, a phenomenon that we propose should be named the competitive exclusion-tolerance rule.
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3
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McCoy RM, Widhalm JR, McNickle GG. Allelopathy as an evolutionary game. PLANT DIRECT 2022; 6:e382. [PMID: 35169675 PMCID: PMC8832168 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
In plants, most competition is resource competition, where one plant simply preempts the resources away from its neighbors. Interference competition, as the name implies, is a form of direct interference to prevent resource access. Interference competition is common among animals that can physically fight, but in plants, one of the main mechanisms of interference competition is allelopathy. Allelopathic plants release cytotoxic chemicals into the environment which can increase their ability to compete with surrounding organisms for limited resources. The circumstances and conditions favoring the development and maintenance of allelochemicals, however, are not well understood. Particularly, despite the obvious benefits of allelopathy, current data suggest it seems to have only rarely evolved. To gain insight into the cost and benefit of allelopathy, we have developed a 2 × 2 matrix game to model the interaction between plants that produce allelochemicals and plants that do not. Production of an allelochemical introduces novel cost associated with both synthesis and detoxifying a toxic chemical but may also convey a competitive advantage. A plant that does not produce an allelochemical will suffer the cost of encountering one. Our model predicts three cases in which the evolutionarily stable strategies are different. In the first, the nonallelopathic plant is a stronger competitor, and not producing allelochemicals is the evolutionarily stable strategy. In the second, the allelopathic plant is the better competitor, and production of allelochemicals is the more beneficial strategy. In the last case, neither is the evolutionarily stable strategy. Instead, there are alternating stable states, depending on whether the allelopathic or nonallelopathic plant arrived first. The generated model reveals circumstances leading to the evolution of allelochemicals and sheds light on utilizing allelochemicals as part of weed management strategies. In particular, the wide region of alternative stable states in most parameterizations, combined with the fact that the absence of allelopathy is likely the ancestral state, provides an elegant answer to the question of why allelopathy seems to rarely evolve despite its obvious benefits. Allelopathic plants can indeed outcompete nonallelopathic plants, but this benefit is simply not great enough to allow them to go to fixation and spread through the population. Thus, most populations would remain purely nonallelopathic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. McCoy
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteINUSA
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape ArchitecturePurdue UniversityWest LafayetteINUSA
| | - Joshua R. Widhalm
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteINUSA
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape ArchitecturePurdue UniversityWest LafayetteINUSA
| | - Gordon G. McNickle
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteINUSA
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteINUSA
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4
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Ritchie AL, Elliott CP, Sinclair EA, Krauss SL. Restored and remnant Banksia woodlands elicit different foraging behavior in avian pollinators. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11774-11785. [PMID: 34522340 PMCID: PMC8427588 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollinators and the pollination services they provide are critical for seed set and self-sustainability of most flowering plants. Despite this, pollinators are rarely assessed in restored plant communities, where their services are largely assumed to re-establish. Bird-pollinator richness, foraging, and interaction behavior were compared between natural and restored Banksia woodland sites in Western Australia to assess their re-establishment in restored sites. These parameters were measured for natural communities of varying size and degree of fragmentation, and restored plant communities of high and low complexity for three years, in the summer and winter flowering of Banksia attenuata and B. menziesii, respectively. Bird visitor communities varied in composition, richness, foraging movement distances, and aggression among sites. Bird richness and abundance were lowest in fragmented remnants. Differences in the composition were associated with the size and degree of fragmentation in natural sites, but this did not differ between seasons. Restored sites and their adjacent natural sites had similar species composition, suggesting proximity supports pollinator re-establishment. Pollinator foraging movements were influenced by the territorial behavior of different species. Using a network analysis approach, we found foraging behavior varied, with more frequent aggressive chases observed in restored sites, resulting in more movements out of the survey areas, than observed in natural sites. Aggressors were larger-bodied Western Wattlebirds (Anthochaera chrysoptera) and New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) that dominated nectar resources, particularly in winter. Restored sites had re-established pollination services, albeit with clear differences, as the degree of variability in the composition and behavior of bird pollinators for Banksias in the natural sites created a broad completion target against which restored sites were assessed. The abundance, diversity, and behavior of pollinator services to remnant and restored Banksia woodland sites were impacted by the size and degree of fragmentation, which in turn influenced bird-pollinator composition, and were further influenced by seasonal changes between summer and winter. Consideration of the spatial and temporal landscape context of restored sites, along with plant community diversity, is needed to ensure the maintenance of the effective movement of pollinators between natural remnant woodlands and restored sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L. Ritchie
- School of Biological ScienceThe University of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
- Kings Park ScienceDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsKings Park and Botanic GardenKings ParkWAAustralia
| | - Carole P. Elliott
- School of Biological ScienceThe University of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
- Kings Park ScienceDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsKings Park and Botanic GardenKings ParkWAAustralia
| | - Elizabeth A. Sinclair
- School of Biological ScienceThe University of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
- Kings Park ScienceDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsKings Park and Botanic GardenKings ParkWAAustralia
| | - Siegfried L. Krauss
- School of Biological ScienceThe University of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
- Kings Park ScienceDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsKings Park and Botanic GardenKings ParkWAAustralia
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5
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Fea N, Linklater W, Hartley S. Responses of New Zealand forest birds to management of introduced mammals. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:35-49. [PMID: 31893568 PMCID: PMC7984369 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 1000 years New Zealand has lost 40-50% of its bird species, and over half of these extinctions are attributable to predation by introduced mammals. Populations of many extant forest bird species continue to be depredated by mammals, especially rats, possums, and mustelids. The management history of New Zealand's forests over the past 50 years presents a unique opportunity because a varied program of mammalian predator control has created a replicated management experiment. We conducted a meta-analysis of population-level responses of forest birds to different levels of mammal control recorded across New Zealand. We collected data from 32 uniquely treated sites and 20 extant bird species representing a total of 247 population responses to 3 intensities of invasive mammal control (zero, low, and high). The treatments varied from eradication of invasive mammals via ground-based techniques to periodic suppression of mammals via aerially sown toxin. We modeled population-level responses of birds according to key life history attributes to determine the biological processes that influence species' responses to management. Large endemic species, such as the Kaka (Nestor meridionalis) and New Zealand Pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), responded positively at the population level to mammal control in 61 of 77 cases for species ≥20 g compared with 31 positive responses from 78 cases for species <20 g. The Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) and Grey Warbler (Gerygone igata), both shallow endemic species, and 4 nonendemic species (Blackbird [Turdus merula], Chaffinch [Fringilla coelebs], Dunnock [Prunella modularis], and Silvereye [Zosterops lateralis]) that arrived in New Zealand in the last 200 years tended to have slight negative or neutral responses to mammal control (59 of 77 cases). Our results suggest that large, deeply endemic forest birds, especially cavity nesters, are most at risk of further decline in the absence of mammal control and, conversely suggest that 6 species apparently tolerate the presence of invasive mammals and may be sensitive to competition from larger endemic birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nyree Fea
- Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, School of Biological SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonP.O. Box 600Wellington6140New Zealand
| | - Wayne Linklater
- California State UniversitySacramento 6000 J StreetSacramentoCA95819U.S.A
| | - Stephen Hartley
- Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, School of Biological SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonP.O. Box 600Wellington6140New Zealand
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6
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Friedman NR, Miller ET, Ball JR, Kasuga H, Remeš V, Economo EP. Evolution of a multifunctional trait: shared effects of foraging ecology and thermoregulation on beak morphology, with consequences for song evolution. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20192474. [PMID: 31847778 PMCID: PMC6939928 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While morphological traits are often associated with multiple functions, it remains unclear how evolution balances the selective effects of different functions. Birds' beaks function not only in foraging but also in thermoregulating and singing, among other behaviours. Studies of beak evolution abound, however, most focus on a single function. Hence, we quantified relative contributions of different functions over an evolutionary timescale. We measured beak shape using geometric morphometrics and compared this trait with foraging behaviour, climatic variables and song characteristics in a phylogenetic comparative study of an Australasian radiation of songbirds (Meliphagidae). We found that both climate and foraging behaviour were significantly correlated with the beak shape and size. However, foraging ecology had a greater effect on shape, and climate had a nearly equal effect on size. We also found that evolutionary changes in beak morphology had significant consequences for vocal performance: species with elongate-shaped beaks sang at higher frequencies, while species with large beaks sang at a slower pace. The evolution of the avian beak exemplifies how morphological traits can be an evolutionary compromise among functions, and suggests that specialization along any functional axis may increase ecological divergence or reproductive isolation along others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Friedman
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan.,Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Eliot T Miller
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jason R Ball
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Haruka Kasuga
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan.,Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Vladimír Remeš
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic.,Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Evan P Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan
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7
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Beggs R, Pierson J, Tulloch AIT, Blanchard W, Westgate M, Lindenmayer D. An empirical test of the mechanistic underpinnings of interference competition. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Beggs
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National Univ Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Jennifer Pierson
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National Univ Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
- Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Parks and Conservation Service, Australian Capital Territory Government Tharwa Australia
| | - Ayesha I. T. Tulloch
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National Univ Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
- Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The Univ. of Queensland St Lucia Qld Australia
| | - Wade Blanchard
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National Univ Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Martin Westgate
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National Univ Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - David Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National Univ Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
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8
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Ayre BM, Roberts DG, Phillips RD, Hopper SD, Krauss SL. Near-neighbour optimal outcrossing in the bird-pollinated Anigozanthos manglesii. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 124:423-436. [PMID: 31115446 PMCID: PMC6798840 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz091] [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: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In plants, the spatial and genetic distance between mates can influence reproductive success and offspring fitness. Negative fitness consequences associated with the extremes of inbreeding and outbreeding suggest that there will be an intermediate optimal outcrossing distance (OOD), the scale and drivers of which remain poorly understood. In the bird-pollinated Anigozanthos manglesii (Haemodoraceae) we tested (1) for the presence of within-population OOD, (2) over what scale it occurs, and (3) for OOD under biologically realistic scenarios of multi-donor deposition associated with pollination by nectar-feeding birds. METHODS We measured the impact of mate distance (spatial and genetic) on seed set, fruit size, seed mass, seed viability and germination success following hand pollination from (1) single donors across 0 m (self), <1 m, 1-3 m, 7-15 m and 50 m, and (2) a mix of eight donors. Microsatellite loci were used to quantify spatial genetic structure and test for the presence of an OOD by paternity assignment after multi-donor deposition. KEY RESULTS Inter-mate distance had a significant impact on single-donor reproductive success, with selfed and nearest-neighbour (<1 m) pollination resulting in only ~50 seeds per fruit, lower overall germination success and slower germination. Seed set was greatest for inter-mate distance of 1-3 m (148 seeds per fruit), thereafter plateauing at ~100 seeds per fruit. Lower seed set following nearest-neighbour mating was associated with significant spatial genetic autocorrelation at this scale. Paternal success following pollination with multiple sires showed a significantly negative association with increasing distance between mates. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, single- and multi-donor pollinations indicated evidence for a near-neighbour OOD within A. manglesii. A survey of the literature suggests that within-population OOD may be more characteristic of plants pollinated by birds than those pollinated by insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronwyn M Ayre
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - David G Roberts
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, WA, Australia
- Centre for Excellence in Natural Resource Management, School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Albany, WA, Australia
| | - Ryan D Phillips
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, WA, Australia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Stephen D Hopper
- Centre for Excellence in Natural Resource Management, School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Albany, WA, Australia
| | - Siegfried L Krauss
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, WA, Australia
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9
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Crates R, Terauds A, Rayner L, Stojanovic D, Heinsohn R, Ingwersen D, Webb M. An occupancy approach to monitoring regent honeyeaters. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ross Crates
- Fenner School; Australian National University; Canberra 2601 Australia
| | - Aleks Terauds
- Fenner School; Australian National University; Canberra 2601 Australia
| | - Laura Rayner
- Fenner School; Australian National University; Canberra 2601 Australia
| | - Dejan Stojanovic
- Fenner School; Australian National University; Canberra 2601 Australia
| | - Robert Heinsohn
- Fenner School; Australian National University; Canberra 2601 Australia
| | | | - Matthew Webb
- Fenner School; Australian National University; Canberra 2601 Australia
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10
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Padyšáková E, Okrouhlík J, Brown M, Bartoš M, Janeček Š. Asymmetric competition for nectar between a large nectar thief and a small pollinator: an energetic point of view. Oecologia 2017; 183:1111-1120. [PMID: 28138819 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3817-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
There are two alternative hypotheses related to body size and competition for restricted food sources. The first one supposes that larger animals are superior competitors because of their increased feeding abilities, whereas the second one assumes superiority of smaller animals because of their lower food requirements. We examined the relationship between two unrelated species of different size, drinking technique, energy requirements and roles in plant pollination system, to reveal the features of their competitive interaction and mechanisms enabling their co-existence while utilising the same nectar source. We observed diurnal feeding behaviour of the main pollinator, the carpenter bee Xylocopa caffra and a nectar thief, the northern double-collared sunbird Cinnyris reichenowi on 19 clumps of Hypoestes aristata (Acanthaceae) in Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon. For comparative purpose, we established a simplistic model of daily energy expenditure and daily energy intake by both visitor species assuming that they spend all available daytime feeding on H. aristata. We revealed the energetic gain-expenditure balance of the studied visitor species in relation to diurnal changes in nectar quality and quantity. In general, smaller energy requirements and related ability to utilise smaller resources made the main pollinator X. caffra competitively superior to the larger nectar thief C. reichenowi. Nevertheless, sunbirds are endowed with several mechanisms to reduce asymmetry in exploitative competition, such as the use of nectar resources in times of the day when rivals are inactive, aggressive attacks on carpenter bees while defending the nectar plants, and higher speed of nectar consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliška Padyšáková
- Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. .,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. .,Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Okrouhlík
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Mark Brown
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Michael Bartoš
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.,Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dukelská 135, 379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Štěpán Janeček
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.,Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dukelská 135, 379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic
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11
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Martin PR, Freshwater C, Ghalambor CK. The outcomes of most aggressive interactions among closely related bird species are asymmetric. PeerJ 2017; 5:e2847. [PMID: 28070465 PMCID: PMC5217525 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive interactions among closely related species are common, and can play an important role as a selective pressure shaping species traits and assemblages. The nature of this selective pressure depends on whether the outcomes of aggressive contests are asymmetric between species (i.e., one species is consistently dominant), yet few studies have estimated the prevalence of asymmetric versus symmetric outcomes to aggressive contests. Here we use previously published data involving 26,212 interactions between 270 species pairs of birds from 26 taxonomic families to address the question: How often are aggressive interactions among closely related bird species asymmetric? We define asymmetry using (i) the proportion of contests won by one species, and (ii) statistical tests for asymmetric outcomes of aggressive contests. We calculate these asymmetries using data summed across different sites for each species pair, and compare results to asymmetries calculated using data separated by location. We find that 80% of species pairs had aggressive outcomes where one species won 80% or more of aggressive contests. We also find that the majority of aggressive interactions among closely related species show statistically significant asymmetries, and above a sample size of 52 interactions, all outcomes are asymmetric following binomial tests. Species pairs with dominance data from multiple sites showed the same dominance relationship across locations in 93% of the species pairs. Overall, our results suggest that the outcome of aggressive interactions among closely related species are usually consistent and asymmetric, and should thus favor ecological and evolutionary strategies specific to the position of a species within a dominance hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R Martin
- Department of Biology, Queen's University , Kingston , Ontario , Canada
| | - Cameron Freshwater
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria , Victoria , British Columbia , Canada
| | - Cameron K Ghalambor
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , Colorado , United States
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12
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Frick KM, Ritchie AL, Krauss SL. Field of Dreams: Restitution of Pollinator Services in Restored Bird-Pollinated Plant Populations. Restor Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karen M. Frick
- Science Directorate, Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority; Kings Park and Botanic Garden; Fraser Avenue West Perth 6005 Australia
- School of Plant Biology; University of Western Australia; Crawley 6005 Australia
| | - Alison L. Ritchie
- Science Directorate, Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority; Kings Park and Botanic Garden; Fraser Avenue West Perth 6005 Australia
- School of Plant Biology; University of Western Australia; Crawley 6005 Australia
| | - Siegfried L. Krauss
- Science Directorate, Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority; Kings Park and Botanic Garden; Fraser Avenue West Perth 6005 Australia
- School of Plant Biology; University of Western Australia; Crawley 6005 Australia
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13
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Owen Prum
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Yale University; New Haven CT 06520-8150 USA
- Peabody Natural History Museum; Yale University; New Haven CT 06520-8150 USA
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14
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O'Loughlin T, O'Loughlin LS, Clarke MF. Influence of the yellow-throated miner (Manorina flavigula) on bird communities and tree health in a fragmented landscape. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2014. [DOI: 10.1071/wr14174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Competition for space and resources within a fragmented landscape may change interspecific interactions within the remaining available habitat. These changes may inhibit the persistence of one species but facilitate the success of another. The yellow-throated miner (Manorina flavigula) is an example of a successful species, reportedly more common in the landscape as a result of fragmentation yet the consequences of its success are still relatively unknown.
Aims
To investigate whether the yellow-throated miner had negative impacts on bird community assemblages, particularly small insectivorous species, and whether its presence resulted in higher psyllid abundances and lower tree health, similar to impacts noted for other miner species.
Methods
We undertook this study near Walpeup in Victoria’s Mallee region, a highly fragmented, agriculture-dominated, semiarid landscape. Yellow-throated miner colonies and control sites free of miners were identified and surveyed for bird species present, psyllid abundance and measures of tree health.
Conclusions
The presence of the yellow-throated miner was associated with a significant reduction in bird species richness, lower abundance of small birds and a dissimilar community composition. Psyllid abundance was higher in miner colonies and tree health was significantly lower. Small insectivorous birds compete directly with miners for resources and, as such, are likely targeted by interspecific aggressive behaviour. The absence of small species from miner colonies most likely caused a trend in increased psyllid abundance and subsequently reduced tree health.
Implications
Our findings suggest that management of these miners is likely required to prevent further loss of biodiversity in this fragmented landscape. The loss of bird species and reduced tree health due to the influence of the yellow-throated miner presents one of the greatest threats to these communities nationally and a challenging conservation problem.
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Tischler M, Dickman CR, Wardle GM. Avian functional group responses to rainfall across four vegetation types in the Simpson Desert, central Australia. AUSTRAL ECOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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CELEBREZZE THOMAS, PATON DAVIDC. Do introduced honeybees (Apis mellifera, Hymenoptera) provide full pollination service to bird-adapted Australian plants with small flowers? An experimental study of Brachyloma ericoides (Epacridaceae). AUSTRAL ECOL 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2004.tb00305.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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HINGSTON ANDREWB, POTTS BRADM. Pollinator activity can explain variation in outcrossing rates within individual trees. AUSTRAL ECOL 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2005.01476.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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TIMEWELL CAR, MAC NALLY R. Diurnal foraging-mode shifts and food availability in nectarivore assemblages during winter. AUSTRAL ECOL 2004. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2004.01344.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Celebrezze T, Paton DC. Do introduced honeybees (Apis mellifera, Hymenoptera) provide full pollination service to bird-adapted Australian plants with small flowers? An experimental study of Brachyloma ericoides (Epacridaceae). AUSTRAL ECOL 2004. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2003.01328.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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COLLINS BRIANG, PATON DAVIDC. Consequences of differences in body mass, wing length and leg morphology for nectar-feeding birds. AUSTRAL ECOL 1989. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1989.tb01437.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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McFARLAND DAVIDC. Seasonal changes in the abundance and body condition of honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) in response to inflorescence and nectar availability in the New England National Park, New South Wales. AUSTRAL ECOL 1986. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1986.tb01403.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Newland CE, Wooller RD. Seasonal changes in a honeyeater assemblage inBanksiawoodland near Perth, Western Australia. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 1985. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.1985.10428312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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