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Figueroa-Ponce F, Hinojosa LF. Environmental Filters Structure Cushion Bogs' Floristic Composition along the Southern South American Latitudinal Gradient. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2202. [PMID: 39204637 PMCID: PMC11359879 DOI: 10.3390/plants13162202] [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: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The environmental filtering hypothesis predicts that abiotic factors restrict communities by selecting species capable of survival and persistence under specific conditions, resulting in variations in beta diversity, phylogenetic clustering, and niche differentiation among communities when studying environmental gradients. Cushion bogs and high-altitude wetlands along the Andes display homogeneous flora contrasting with zonal vegetation. Despite being influenced by microclimatic conditions, these ecosystems are subject to diverse environmental effects. Here, we test the environmental filtering hypothesis on the structure of cushion bog communities along a broad-scale latitudinal gradient from 15° S to 42° S. We analyzed 421 bogs and 293 species across three macroclimatic regions with distinct summer, winter, and transitional arid rainfall regimes. Using variance partitioning and membership-based regionalization models, we examined the impacts of climatic, edaphic, and spatial variables on beta diversity. We also assessed species' niche overlap and the influence of environmental filters on the communities' phylogenetic diversity. Results show that species turnover and niche overlap vary with macroclimatic differences, delineating three distinct regions. Notably, phylogenetic clustering in the driest part of the gradient (23° S-24° S) highlights the impact of environmental filtering. Aridity and temperature variations at a broad scale serve as environmental filters shaping the composition of bog communities across southern South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Figueroa-Ponce
- Laboratory of Paleoecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Luis Felipe Hinojosa
- Laboratory of Paleoecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
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Chen J, Chen X, Qian L, Zhang Y, Li B, Shi H, Sun L, Schöb C, Sun H. Degeneration of foundation cushion species induced by ecological constraints can cause massive changes in alpine plant communities. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:789-802. [PMID: 38057621 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2383-6] [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: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Foundational cushion plants can re-organize community structures and sustain a prominent proportion of alpine biodiversity, but they are sensitive to climate change. The loss of cushion species can have broad consequences for associated biota. The potential plant community changes with the population dynamics of cushion plants remain, however, unclear. Using eight plant communities along a climatic and community successional gradient, we assessed cushion population dynamics, the underlying ecological constraints and hence associated plant community changes in alpine communities dominated by the foundational cushion plant Arenaria polytrichoides. The population dynamics of Arenaria are attributed to ecological constraints at a series of life history stages. Reproductive functions are constrained by increasing associated beneficiary plants; subsequent seedling establishment is constrained by temperature, water and light availability, extreme climate events, and interspecific competition; strong competitive exclusion may accelerate mortality and degeneration of cushion populations. Along with cushion dynamics, species composition, abundance and community structure gradually change. Once cushion plants completely degenerate, previously cushion-dominated communities shift to relatively stable communities that are overwhelmingly dominated by sedges. Climate warming may accelerate the degeneration process of A. polytrichoides. Degeneration of this foundational cushion plant will possibly induce massive changes in alpine plant communities and hence ecosystem functions in alpine ecosystems. The assessment of the population dynamics of foundation species is critical for an effective conservation of alpine biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Xufang Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lishen Qian
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yazhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bo Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Honghua Shi
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lu Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Christian Schöb
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, 28933, Spain.
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
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Chen X, Zhang Y, Qian L, Zhou R, Sun H, Chen J. Sex-specific facilitation and reproduction of the gynodioecious cushion plant Arenaria polytrichoides on the Himalaya-Hengduan mountains, SW China. PLANT DIVERSITY 2024; 46:247-255. [PMID: 38807903 PMCID: PMC11128911 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
When benefiting other beneficiaries, cushion plants may reciprocally receive feedback effects. The feedback effects on different sex morphs, however, remains unclear. In this study, taking the gynodioecious Arenaria polytrichiodes as a model species, we aimed to assess the sex-specific facilitation intensity of cushion plant by measuring the beneficiary cover ratio, and to assess the potential costs in cushion reproductive functions by measuring the flower and fruit cover ratios. The total beneficiary cover ratio was similar between females and hermaphrodites. Females produced much less flowers but more fruits than hermaphrodites. These results suggested that females and hermaphrodites possess similar facilitation intensity, and female cushion A. polytrichoides may allocate more resources saved from pollen production to seed production, while hermaphrodites possibly allocate more resources to pollen production hence reducing seed production. The surface areas covered by beneficiaries produced less flowers and fruits than areas without beneficiaries. In addition, strong negative correlations between beneficiary cover and flower cover were detected for both females and hermaphrodites, but the correlation strength were similar for these two sex morphs. However, the correlation between beneficiary cover and fruit cover was only significantly negative for females, suggesting that beneficiary plants negatively affect fruit reproduction of females while have neutral effects on hermaphrodites. All the results suggest that to facilitate other beneficiaries can induce reproductive costs on cushion A. polytrichoides, with females possibly suffering greater cost than hermaphrodites. Such differentiation in reproductive costs between sex morphs, in long-term perspective, may imply sex imbalance in population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yazhou Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lishen Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Renyu Zhou
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Hang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jianguo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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Ale R, Zhang L, Bahadur Raskoti B, Cui G, Pugnaire FI, Luo T. Leaf carbon isotope tracks the facilitation pattern of legume shrubs shaped by water availability and species replacement along a large elevation gradient in Trans-Himalayas. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:429-442. [PMID: 37632795 PMCID: PMC10667008 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Understanding patterns and mechanisms of nurse plant facilitation is important to predict the resilience of arid/semi-arid ecosystems to climate change. We investigate whether water availability and nurse species turnover interact to shape the facilitation pattern of widespread legume shrubs along a large elevation gradient. We also investigate whether leaf δ13C of nurse plants can track the facilitation pattern. METHODS We measured the relative interaction index (RII) of the number of species within and outside the canopy of two widespread legume shrub species (Caragana gerardiana and Caragana versicolor) alternatively distributed along a large elevation gradient in the Trans-Himalayas. We also assessed the proportional increase of species richness (ISR) at the community level using the paired plot data. To determine site-specific water availability, we measured the leaf δ13C of nurse shrubs and calculated the Thornthwaite moisture index (MI) for each elevation site. KEY RESULTS Elevational variations in RII, ISR and δ13C were mainly explained by the MI when the effects of soil nitrogen and plant traits (leaf nitrogen and shrub size) were controlled. Variations in RII and ISR across the two nurse species were explained better by δ13C than by smoothly changing climatic factors along elevation. At the transition zone between the upper limit of C. gerardiana (4100 m) and the lower limit of C. versicolor (4200 m), RII and ISR were much higher in C. versicolor than in C. gerardiana under a similar MI. Such an abrupt increase in facilitation induced by nurse species replacement was well tracked by the variation of δ13C. CONCLUSIONS Water availability and nurse species replacement are crucial to shaping facilitation patterns by legume shrubs along a large elevation gradient in dry mountainous regions, such as the Trans-Himalayas. Turnover in nurse species under global change might significantly alter the pattern of nurse plant facilitation associated with water availability, which can be well tracked by leaf δ13C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Ale
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | | | - Guangshuai Cui
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Francisco I Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Tianxiang Luo
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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Cui G, Pugnaire FI, Yang L, Zhao W, Ale R, Shen W, Luo T, Liang E, Zhang L. Shrub-mediated effects on soil nitrogen determines shrub-herbaceous interactions in drylands of the Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1137365. [PMID: 36844071 PMCID: PMC9950575 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1137365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Shrub promotes the survival, growth and reproduction of understory species by buffering the environmental extremes and improving limited resources (i.e., facilitation effect) in arid and semiarid regions. However, the importance of soil water and nutrient availability on shrub facilitation, and its trend along a drought gradient have been relatively less addressed in water-limited systems. METHODS We investigated species richness, plant size, soil total nitrogen and dominant grass leaf δ13C within and outside the dominant leguminous cushion-like shrub Caragana versicolor along a water deficit gradient in drylands of Tibetan Plateau. RESULTS We found that C. versicolor increased grass species richness but had a negative effect on annual and perennial forbs. Along the water deficit gradient, plant interaction assessed by species richness (RIIspecies) showed a unimodal pattern with shift from increase to decrease, while plant interaction assessed by plant size (RIIsize) did not vary significantly. The effect of C. versicolor on soil nitrogen, rather than water availability, determined its overall effect on understory species richness. Neither the effect of C. versicolor on soil nitrogen nor water availability affected plant size. DISCUSSION Our study suggests that the drying tendency in association with the recent warming trends observed in drylands of Tibetan Plateau, will likely hinder the facilitation effect of nurse leguminous shrub on understories if moisture availability crosses a critical minimum threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshuai Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Francisco I. Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Liu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wanglin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rita Ale
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianxiang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Eryuan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Science and Technology Information of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, China
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Zhang YZ, Qian LS, Chen XF, Sun L, Sun H, Chen JG. Diversity patterns of cushion plants on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: A basic study for future conservation efforts on alpine ecosystems. PLANT DIVERSITY 2022; 44:231-242. [PMID: 35769589 PMCID: PMC9209862 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is an important cushion plant hotspot. However, the distribution of cushion plants on the QTP is unknown, as are the factors that drive cushion plant distribution, limiting our understanding of the evolution of cushion species in the region. In this study, we assessed spatial patterns of total cushion plant diversity (including taxonomic and phylogenetic) over the entire QTP and compared patterns of diversity of cushion plants with different typologies (i.e., compact vs. loose). We also examined how these patterns were related to climatic features. Our results indicate that the southern QTP hosts the highest total cushion plant richness, especially in the south-central Hengduan Mountains subregion. The total number of cushion species declines from south to north and from southeast to northwest. Compact cushion plants exhibit similar patterns as the total cushion plant richness, whereas loose cushion plants show random distribution. Cushion plant phylogenetic diversity showed a similar pattern as that of the total cushion plant richness. In addition, cushion plant phylogenetic community structure was clustered in the eastern and southwestern QTP, whereas random or overdispersed in other areas. Climatic features represented by annual energy and water trends, seasonality and extreme environmental factors, had significant effects on cushion plant diversity patterns but limited effects on the phylogenetic community structure, suggesting that climatic features indeed promote the formation of cushion plants. Because cushion plants play vital roles in alpine ecosystems, our findings not only promote our understanding of the evolution and formation of alpine cushion plant diversity but also provide an indispensable foundation for future studies on cushion plant functions and thus alpine ecosystem sustainability in the entire QTP region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Zhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Shen Qian
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xu-Fang Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jian-Guo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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7
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Azorella Cushion Plants and Aridity are Important Drivers of Soil Microbial Communities in Andean Ecosystems. Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00603-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Dickson CR, Baker DJ, Bergstrom DM, Brookes RH, Whinam J, McGeoch MA. Widespread dieback in a foundation species on a sub‐Antarctic World Heritage Island: Fine‐scale patterns and likely drivers. AUSTRAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - David J. Baker
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria3800Australia
| | - Dana M. Bergstrom
- Australian Antarctic DivisionDepartment of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Kingston TasmaniaAustralia
| | - Rowan H. Brookes
- Melbourne School for Professional and Continuing Education The University of Melbourne Melbourne VictoriaAustralia
| | - Jennie Whinam
- School of Geography and Spatial Sciences University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - Melodie A. McGeoch
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria3800Australia
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Liautaud K, Barbier M, Loreau M. Ecotone formation through ecological niche construction: the role of biodiversity and species interactions. ECOGRAPHY 2020; 43:714-723. [PMID: 33304029 PMCID: PMC7116457 DOI: 10.1111/ecog.04902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Rapid changes in species composition, also known as ecotones, can result from various causes including rapid changes in environmental conditions, or physiological thresholds. The possibility that ecotones arise from ecological niche construction by ecosystem engineers has received little attention. In this study, we investigate how the diversity of ecosystem engineers, and their interactions, can give rise to ecotones. We build a spatially explicit dynamical model that couples a multispecies community and its abiotic environment. We use numerical simulations and analytical techniques to determine the biotic and abiotic conditions under which ecotone emergence is expected to occur, and the role of biodiversity therein. We show that the diversity of ecosystem engineers can lead to indirect interactions through the modification of their shared environment. These interactions, which can be either competitive or mutualistic, can lead to the emergence of discrete communities in space, separated by sharp ecotones where a high species turnover is observed. Considering biodiversity is thus critical when studying the influence of species-environment interactions on the emergence of ecotones. This is especially true for the wide range of species that have small to moderate effects on their environment. Our work highlights new mechanisms by which biodiversity loss could cause significant changes in spatial community patterns in changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Liautaud
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, UMR 5321, CNRS and Paul Sabatier Univ., Moulis, France
| | - Matthieu Barbier
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, UMR 5321, CNRS and Paul Sabatier Univ., Moulis, France
| | - Michel Loreau
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, UMR 5321, CNRS and Paul Sabatier Univ., Moulis, France
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Uyà M, Bulleri F, Wright JT, Gribben PE. Facilitation of an invader by a native habitat-former increases along interacting gradients of environmental stress. Ecology 2019; 101:e02961. [PMID: 31863455 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Native habitat-forming species can facilitate invasion by reducing environmental stress or consumer pressure. However, the intensity of one stressor along a local gradient may differ when expanding the scale of observation to encompass major variations in background environmental conditions. In this study, we determined how facilitation of the invasive porcelain crab, Petrolisthes elongatus, by the native tube-forming serpulid, Galeolaria caespitosa, varied with environmental gradients at local (tidal height) and larger (wave exposure) spatial scales. G. caespitosa constructs a complex calcareous matrix on the underside of intertidal boulders and we predicted that its positive effects on P. elongatus density would increase in intensity with shore height and be stronger at wave-sheltered than wave-exposed locations. To test these predictions, we conducted two experiments. First, we determined the effects of serpulid presence (boulders with live or dead serpulid matrix vs. bare boulders) at six shore heights that covered the intertidal distribution of P. elongatus. Second, we determined the effects of serpulid presence (present vs. absent), shore height (high vs. low) and wave exposure (sheltered vs. exposed) on crabs across six locations within the invaded range in northern Tasmania, Australia. In Experiment 1, the presence of serpulids (either dead or alive) enhanced P. elongatus densities at all shore heights, with facilitation intensity (as determined by a relative interaction index; RII) tending to increase with shore height. In Experiment 2, serpulids facilitated P. elongatus across shore heights and wave exposures, although crab densities were lower at high shore levels of wave-sheltered locations. However, the intensity of crab facilitation by serpulids was greater on wave-sheltered than on wave-exposed shores, but only at the high shore level. This study demonstrates that local effects of native habitat-formers on invasive species are dependent on prevailing environmental conditions at larger spatial scales and that, under more stressful conditions, invaders become increasingly reliant on positive interactions with native habitat-formers. Increased strength of local-scale facilitation by native species, dampening broader scale variations in environmental stressors, could enhance the ability of invasive species to establish self-sustaining populations in the invaded range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Uyà
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy.,Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Fabio Bulleri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy.,CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Roma, Italy
| | - Jeffrey T Wright
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, 7001, Australia
| | - Paul E Gribben
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, 2088, New South Wales, Australia
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11
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Vacant Bivalve Boreholes Increase Invertebrate Species Richness in a Physically Harsh, Low Intertidal Platform. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11030039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ecosystem engineers can modulate harsh abiotic conditions, thus creating habitat for species that cannot withstand the local environment. In this study, we investigated if vacant boreholes created by the rock-boring bivalve Petricola dactylus increase species richness in the low intertidal zone of a Patagonian rocky shore characterized by intense hydrodynamic forcing and sediment scour. Invertebrate species richness was three times higher in engineered than unengineered habitats (i.e., with and without Petricola boreholes, respectively) and the increase in species richness was area-independent. The most prevalent species in unengineered areas showed strong adhesion mechanisms, whereas infaunal and vagile species were mostly restricted to boreholes. The positive influence of engineered microhabitats on species richness can largely be attributed to amelioration of physical conditions, particularly a reduction in hydrodynamic forces and sediment trapping/stabilization within boreholes. We conclude that vacant boreholes are essential microhabitats for the maintenance of biodiversity within the otherwise inhospitable low intertidal zone.
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13
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Espinosa CI, Vélez‐Mora DP, Ramón P, Gusmán‐Montalván E, Duncan DH, Quintana‐Ascencio PF. Intraspecific interactions affect the spatial pattern of a dominant shrub in a semiarid shrubland: A prospective approach. POPUL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.1018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pablo Ramón
- Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja Loja Ecuador
| | | | - David H. Duncan
- Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja Loja Ecuador
- School of BioSciences University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Pedro F. Quintana‐Ascencio
- Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja Loja Ecuador
- Department of Biology University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida
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14
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Roy J, Bonneville J, Saccone P, Ibanez S, Albert CH, Boleda M, Gueguen M, Ohlmann M, Rioux D, Clément J, Lavergne S, Geremia RA. Differences in the fungal communities nursed by two genetic groups of the alpine cushion plant, Silene acaulis. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11568-11581. [PMID: 30598757 PMCID: PMC6303776 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Foundation plants shape the composition of local biotic communities and abiotic environments, but the impact of a plant's intraspecific variations on these processes is poorly understood. We examined these links in the alpine cushion moss campion (Silene acaulis) on two neighboring mountain ranges in the French Alps. Genotyping of cushion plants revealed two genetic clusters matching known subspecies. The exscapa subspecies was found on both limestone and granite, while the longiscapa one was only found on limestone. Even on similar limestone bedrock, cushion soils from the two S. acaulis subspecies deeply differed in their impact on soil abiotic conditions. They further strikingly differed from each other and from the surrounding bare soils in fungal community composition. Plant genotype variations accounted for a large part of the fungal composition variability in cushion soils, even when considering geography or soil chemistry, and particularly for the dominant molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs). Both saprophytic and biotrophic fungal taxa were related to the MOTUs recurrently associated with a single plant genetic cluster. Moreover, the putative phytopathogens were abundant, and within the same genus (Cladosporium) or species (Pyrenopeziza brassicae), MOTUs showing specificity for each plant subspecies were found. Our study highlights the combined influences of bedrock and plant genotype on fungal recruitment into cushion soils and suggests the coexistence of two mechanisms, an indirect selection resulting from the colonization of an engineered soil by free-living saprobes and a direct selection resulting from direct plant-fungi interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Roy
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
- Present address:
Institut für Biologie, Ökologie der PflanzenFreie Universität BerlinGermany
| | - Jean‐Marc Bonneville
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
| | - Patrick Saccone
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
- Present address:
Centre for Polar EcologyUniversity of South BohemiaCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
| | - Sébastian Ibanez
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
| | - Cécile H. Albert
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
- Present address:
Aix Marseille Univ, Univ Avignon, CNRS, IMBEMarseilleFrance
| | - Marti Boleda
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
| | - Maya Gueguen
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
| | - Marc Ohlmann
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
| | - Delphine Rioux
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
| | - Jean‐Christophe Clément
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
- Present address:
CARRTEL, INRA – Université Savoie Mont BlancThonon‐les‐BainsFrance
| | - Sébastien Lavergne
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
| | - Roberto A. Geremia
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA)University Grenoble AlpesUniversity Savoie Mont BlancCNRS, LECAGrenobleFrance
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Costa AN, Bruna EM, Vasconcelos HL. Do an ecosystem engineer and environmental gradient act independently or in concert to shape juvenile plant communities? Tests with the leaf-cutter ant Atta laevigata in a Neotropical savanna. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5612. [PMID: 30324010 PMCID: PMC6183508 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ecosystem engineers are species that transform habitats in ways that influence other species.While the impacts of many engineers have been well described, our understanding of how their impact varies along environmental gradients remains limited. Although disentangling the effects of gradients and engineers on biodiversity is complicated-the gradients themselves can be altered by engineers-doing so is necessary to advance conceptual and mathematical models of ecosystem engineering. We used leaf-cutter ants (Atta spp.) to investigate the relative influence of gradients and environmental engineers on the abundance and species richness of woody plants. Methods We conducted our research in South America's Cerrado. With a survey of plant recruits along a canopy cover gradient, and data on environmental conditions that influence plant recruitment, we fit statistical models that addressed the following questions: (1) Does A. laevigata modify the gradient in canopy cover found in our Cerrado site? (2) Do environmental conditions that influence woody plant establishment in the Cerrado vary with canopy cover or proximity to A. laevigata nests? (3) Do A. laevigata and canopy cover act independently or in concert to influence recruit abundance and species richness? Results We found that environmental conditions previously shown to influence plant establishment in the Cerrado varied in concert with canopy cover, but that ants are not modifying the cover gradient or cover over nests. However, ants are modifying other local environmental conditions, and the magnitude and spatial extent of these changes are consistent across the gradient. In contrast to prior studies, we found that ant-related factors (e.g., proximity to nests, ant changes in surface conditions), rather than canopy cover, had the strongest effect on the abundance of plant recruits. However, the diversity of plants was influenced by both the engineer and the canopy cover gradient. Discussion Atta laevigata in the Cerrado modify local conditions in ways that have strong but spatially restricted consequences for plant communities. We hypothesize that ants indirectly reduce seedling establishment by clearing litter and reducing soil moisture, which leads to seed and seedling desiccation. Altering soil nutrients could also reduce juvenile growth and survivorship; if so these indirect negative effects of engineering could exacerbate their direct effects of harvesting plants. The effects of Atta appear restricted to nest mounds, but they could be long-lasting because mounds persist long after a colony has died or migrated. Our results support the hypothesis that leaf-cutter ants play a dominant role in Cerrado plant demography. We suggest the ecological and economic footprint of these engineers may increase dramatically in coming decades due to the transformation of the Cerrado by human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan N Costa
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Emilio M Bruna
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Heraldo L Vasconcelos
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Chang S, Chen J, Su J, Yang Y, Sun H. Seasonal comparison of bacterial communities in rhizosphere of alpine cushion plants in the Himalayan Hengduan Mountains. PLANT DIVERSITY 2018; 40:209-216. [PMID: 30740566 PMCID: PMC6224804 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Positive associations between alpine cushion plants and other species have been extensively studied. However, almost all studies have focused on the associations between macrofauna. Studies that have investigated positive associations between alpine cushion plants and rhizospheric microbes have been limited to the vegetation growing season. Here, we asked whether the positive effects that alpine cushion plants confer on rhizospheric microbe communities vary with seasons. We assessed seasonal variations in the bacterial diversity and composition in rhizosphere of two alpine cushion plants and surrounding bare ground by employing a high throughput sequencing method targeting the V3 region of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Soil properties of the rhizosphere and the bare ground were also examined. We found that cushion rhizospheres harbored significantly more C, N, S, ammonia nitrogen, and soil moisture than the bare ground. Soil properties in cushion rhizospheres were not notably different, except for soil pH. Bacterial diversities within the same microhabitats did not vary significantly with seasons. We concluded that alpine cushion plants had positive effects on the rhizospheric bacterial communities, even though the strength of the effect varied in different cushion species. Cushion species and the soil sulfur content were probably the major factors driving the spatial distribution and structure of soil bacterial communities in the alpine communities dominated by cushion plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Chang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Jianqiang Su
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
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Giménez-Benavides L, Escudero A, García-Camacho R, García-Fernández A, Iriondo JM, Lara-Romero C, Morente-López J. How does climate change affect regeneration of Mediterranean high-mountain plants? An integration and synthesis of current knowledge. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2018; 20 Suppl 1:50-62. [PMID: 28985449 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Mediterranean mountains are extraordinarily diverse and hold a high proportion of endemic plants, but they are particularly vulnerable to climate change, and most species distribution models project drastic changes in community composition. Retrospective studies and long-term monitoring also highlight that Mediterranean high-mountain plants are suffering severe range contractions. The aim of this work is to review the current knowledge of climate change impacts on the process of plant regeneration by seed in Mediterranean high-mountain plants, by combining available information from observational and experimental studies. We also discuss some processes that may provide resilience against changing environmental conditions and suggest some research priorities for the future. With some exceptions, there is still little evidence of the direct effects of climate change on pollination and reproductive success of Mediterranean high-mountain plants, and most works are observational and/or centred only in the post-dispersal stages (germination and establishment). The great majority of studies agree that the characteristic summer drought and the extreme heatwaves, which are projected to be more intense in the future, are the most limiting factors for the regeneration process. However, there is an urgent need for studies combining elevational gradient approaches with experimental manipulations of temperature and drought to confirm the magnitude and variability of species' responses. There is also limited knowledge about the ability of Mediterranean high-mountain plants to cope with climate change through phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation processes. This could be achieved by performing common garden and reciprocal translocation experiments with species differing in life history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Giménez-Benavides
- Department Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, C/Tulipán, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Escudero
- Department Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, C/Tulipán, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - R García-Camacho
- Department Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, C/Tulipán, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - A García-Fernández
- Department Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, C/Tulipán, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - J M Iriondo
- Department Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, C/Tulipán, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - C Lara-Romero
- Global Change Research Department, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - J Morente-López
- Department Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, C/Tulipán, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
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18
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Chen J, Li Y, Yang Y, Sun H. How cushion communities are maintained in alpine ecosystems: A review and case study on alpine cushion plant reproduction. PLANT DIVERSITY 2017; 39:221-228. [PMID: 30159515 PMCID: PMC6112308 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Cushion species occur in nearly all alpine environments worldwide. In past decades, the adaptive and ecosystem-engineering roles of such highly specialized life forms have been well studied. However, the adaptive strategies responsible for cushion species reproductive success and maintenance in severe alpine habitats remain largely unclear. In this study, we reviewed the current understanding of reproductive strategies and population persistence in alpine cushion species. We then present a preliminary case study on the sexual reproduction of Arenaria polytrichoides (Caryophyllaceae), a typical cushion species inhabiting high elevations of the Himalaya Hengduan Mountains, which is a hotspot for diversification of cushion species. Finally, we highlight the limitations of our current understanding of alpine cushion species reproduction and propose future directions for study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yanbo Li
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Corresponding author. Fax: +86 871 65215002.
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Malatesta L, Tardella FM, Piermarteri K, Catorci A. Evidence of Facilitation Cascade Processes as Drivers of Successional Patterns of Ecosystem Engineers at the Upper Altitudinal Limit of the Dry Puna. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167265. [PMID: 27902757 PMCID: PMC5130256 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Facilitation processes constitute basic elements of vegetation dynamics in harsh systems. Recent studies in tropical alpine environments demonstrated how pioneer plant species defined as “ecosystem engineers” are capable of enhancing landscape-level richness by adding new species to the community through the modification of microhabitats, and also provided hints about the alternation of different ecosystem engineers over time. Nevertheless, most of the existing works analysed different ecosystem engineers separately, without considering the interaction of different ecosystem engineers. Focusing on the altitudinal limit of Peruvian Dry Puna vegetation, we hypothesized that positive interactions structure plant communities by facilitation cascades involving different ecosystem engineers, determining the evolution of the microhabitat patches in terms of abiotic resources and beneficiary species hosted. To analyze successional mechanisms, we used a “space-for-time” substitution to account for changes over time, and analyzed data on soil texture, composition, and temperature, facilitated species and their interaction with nurse species, and surface area of engineered patches by means of chemical analyses, indicator species analysis, and rarefaction curves. A successional process, resulting from the dynamic interaction of different ecosystem engineers, which determined a progressive amelioration of soil conditions (e.g. nitrogen and organic matter content, and temperature), was the main driver of species assemblage at the community scale, enhancing species richness. Cushion plants act as pioneers, by starting the successional processes that continue with shrubs and tussocks. Tussock grasses have sometimes been found to be capable of creating microhabitat patches independently. The dynamics of species assemblage seem to follow the nested assemblage mechanism, in which the first foundation species to colonize a habitat provides a novel substrate for colonization by other foundation species through a facilitation cascade process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Malatesta
- School of Advanced Studies, University of Camerino, Camerino, Macerata, Italy
| | - Federico Maria Tardella
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Macerata, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Karina Piermarteri
- School of Advanced Studies, University of Camerino, Camerino, Macerata, Italy
| | - Andrea Catorci
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Macerata, Italy
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Wetzel WC, Screen RM, Li I, McKenzie J, Phillips KA, Cruz M, Zhang W, Greene A, Lee E, Singh N, Tran C, Yang LH. Ecosystem engineering by a gall‐forming wasp indirectly suppresses diversity and density of herbivores on oak trees. Ecology 2016; 97:427-38. [DOI: 10.1890/15-1347.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William C. Wetzel
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Robyn M. Screen
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Ivana Li
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Jennifer McKenzie
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Kyle A. Phillips
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Melissa Cruz
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Wenbo Zhang
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Austin Greene
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Esther Lee
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Nuray Singh
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Carolyn Tran
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Louie H. Yang
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
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21
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Travers SK, Eldridge DJ. Evidence for the Spatial Self-organisation of Litter Patches in a Semi-arid Woodland. Ecosystems 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-015-9876-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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22
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Sprague JC, Woods HA. Costs and Benefits of Underground Pupal Chambers Constructed by Insects: A Test UsingManduca sexta. Physiol Biochem Zool 2015; 88:521-34. [DOI: 10.1086/682251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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23
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Castanho CDT, Lortie CJ, Zaitchik B, Prado PI. A meta-analysis of plant facilitation in coastal dune systems: responses, regions, and research gaps. PeerJ 2015; 3:e768. [PMID: 25699214 PMCID: PMC4330909 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Empirical studies in salt marshes, arid, and alpine systems support the hypothesis that facilitation between plants is an important ecological process in severe or 'stressful' environments. Coastal dunes are both abiotically stressful and frequently disturbed systems. Facilitation has been documented, but the evidence to date has not been synthesized. We did a systematic review with meta-analysis to highlight general research gaps in the study of plant interactions in coastal dunes and examine if regional and local factors influence the magnitude of facilitation in these systems. The 32 studies included in the systematic review were done in coastal dunes located in 13 countries around the world but the majority was in the temperate zone (63%). Most of the studies adopt only an observational approach to make inferences about facilitative interactions, whereas only 28% of the studies used both observational and experimental approaches. Among the factors we tested, only geographic region mediates the occurrence of facilitation more broadly in coastal dune systems. The presence of a neighbor positively influenced growth and survival in the tropics, whereas in temperate and subartic regions the effect was neutral for both response variables. We found no evidence that climatic and local factors, such as life-form and life stage of interacting plants, affect the magnitude of facilitation in coastal dunes. Overall, conclusions about plant facilitation in coastal dunes depend on the response variable measured and, more broadly, on the geographic region examined. However, the high variability and the limited number of studies, especially in tropical region, indicate we need to be cautious in the generalization of the conclusions. Anyway, coastal dunes provide an important means to explore topical issues in facilitation research including context dependency, local versus regional drivers of community structure, and the importance of gradients in shaping the outcome of net interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Benjamin Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Paulo Inácio Prado
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Pescador DS, Chacón-Labella J, de la Cruz M, Escudero A. Maintaining distances with the engineer: patterns of coexistence in plant communities beyond the patch-bare dichotomy. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2014; 204:140-148. [PMID: 24954264 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Two-phase plant communities with an engineer conforming conspicuous patches and affecting the performance and patterns of coexisting species are the norm under stressful conditions. To unveil the mechanisms governing coexistence in these communities at multiple spatial scales, we have developed a new point-raster approach of spatial pattern analysis, which was applied to a Mediterranean high mountain grassland to show how Festuca curvifolia patches affect the local distribution of coexisting species. We recorded 22 111 individuals of 17 plant perennial species. Most coexisting species were negatively associated with F. curvifolia clumps. Nevertheless, bivariate nearest-neighbor analyses revealed that the majority of coexisting species were confined at relatively short distances from F. curvifolia borders (between 0-2 cm and up to 8 cm in some cases). Our study suggests the existence of a fine-scale effect of F. curvifolia for most species promoting coexistence through a mechanism we call 'facilitation in the halo'. Most coexisting species are displaced to an interphase area between patches, where two opposite forces reach equilibrium: attenuated severe conditions by proximity to the F. curvifolia canopy (nutrient-rich islands) and competitive exclusion mitigated by avoiding direct contact with F. curvifolia.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Pescador
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnológicas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, E-28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Julia Chacón-Labella
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnológicas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, E-28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Marcelino de la Cruz
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnológicas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, E-28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Adrian Escudero
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnológicas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, E-28933, Móstoles, Spain
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Schöb C, Callaway RM, Anthelme F, Brooker RW, Cavieres LA, Kikvidze Z, Lortie CJ, Michalet R, Pugnaire FI, Xiao S, Cranston BH, García MC, Hupp NR, Llambí LD, Lingua E, Reid AM, Zhao L, Butterfield BJ. The context dependence of beneficiary feedback effects on benefactors in plant facilitation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2014; 204:386-96. [PMID: 24985245 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Facilitative effects of some species on others are a major driver of biodiversity. These positive effects of a benefactor on its beneficiary can result in negative feedback effects of the beneficiary on the benefactor and reduced fitness of the benefactor. However, in contrast to the wealth of studies on facilitative effects in different environments, we know little about whether the feedback effects show predictable patterns of context dependence. We reanalyzed a global data set on alpine cushion plants, previously used to assess their positive effects on biodiversity and the nature of the beneficiary feedback effects, to specifically assess the context dependence of how small- and large-scale drivers alter the feedback effects of cushion-associated (beneficiary) species on their cushion benefactors using structural equation modelling. The effect of beneficiaries on cushions became negative when beneficiary diversity increased and facilitation was more intense. Local-scale biotic and climatic conditions mediated these community-scale processes, having indirect effects on the feedback effect. High-productivity sites demonstrated weaker negative feedback effects of beneficiaries on the benefactor. Our results indicate a limited impact of the beneficiary feedback effects on benefactor cushions, but strong context dependence. This context dependence may help to explain the ecological and evolutionary persistence of this widespread facilitative system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schöb
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
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Harris LW, Elliott TL, Davies TJ. Community restructuring can maintain diversity across a severity gradient in the absence of foundation species. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00242.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Kleinhesselink AR, Magnoli SM, Cushman JH. Shrubs as ecosystem engineers across an environmental gradient: effects on species richness and exotic plant invasion. Oecologia 2014; 175:1277-90. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-2972-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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28
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Sanders D, Jones CG, Thébault E, Bouma TJ, van der Heide T, van Belzen J, Barot S. Integrating ecosystem engineering and food webs. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2013.01011.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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McIntire EJB, Fajardo A. Facilitation as a ubiquitous driver of biodiversity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2014; 201:403-416. [PMID: 24102266 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Models describing the biotic drivers that create and maintain biological diversity within trophic levels have focused primarily on negative interactions (i.e. competition), leaving marginal room for positive interactions (i.e. facilitation). We show facilitation to be a ubiquitous driver of biodiversity by first noting that all species use resources and thus change the local biotic or abiotic conditions, altering the available multidimensional niches. This can cause a shift in local species composition, which can cause an increase in beta, and sometimes alpha, diversity. We show that these increases are ubiquitous across ecosystems. These positive effects on diversity occur via a broad host of disparate direct and indirect mechanisms. We identify and unify several of these facilitative mechanisms and discuss why it has been easy to underappreciate the importance of facilitation. We show that net positive effects have a long history of being considered ecologically or evolutionarily unstable, and we present recent evidence of its potential stability. Facilitation goes well beyond the common case of stress amelioration and it probably gains importance as community complexity increases. While biodiversity is, in part, created by species exploiting many niches, many niches are available to exploit only because species create them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliot J B McIntire
- Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 506 Burnside Road W., Victoria, BC, Canada, V8Z 1M5
- Canada Research Chair - Conservation Biology and Modeling, Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Alex Fajardo
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP) Conicyt-Regional R10C1003, Universidad Austral de Chile, Ignacio Serrano 509, Coyhaique, Chile
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Cavieres LA, Brooker RW, Butterfield BJ, Cook BJ, Kikvidze Z, Lortie CJ, Michalet R, Pugnaire FI, Schöb C, Xiao S, Anthelme F, Björk RG, Dickinson KJM, Cranston BH, Gavilán R, Gutiérrez-Girón A, Kanka R, Maalouf JP, Mark AF, Noroozi J, Parajuli R, Phoenix GK, Reid AM, Ridenour WM, Rixen C, Wipf S, Zhao L, Escudero A, Zaitchik BF, Lingua E, Aschehoug ET, Callaway RM. Facilitative plant interactions and climate simultaneously drive alpine plant diversity. Ecol Lett 2013; 17:193-202. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lohengrin A. Cavieres
- Departamento de Botánica; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas; Universidad de Concepción; Casilla 160-C Concepción Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad; Casilla 653 Santiago Chile
| | - Rob W. Brooker
- The James Hutton Institute; Craigiebuckler Aberdeen AB15 8QH UK
| | - Bradley J. Butterfield
- Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research; Northern Arizona University; P.O. Box 6077 Flagstaff AZ 86011 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences; Northern Arizona University; P.O. Box 5640 Flagstaff AZ 86011 USA
| | - Bradley J. Cook
- Department of Biological Sciences; Minnesota State University; Mankato MN 56001 USA
| | - Zaal Kikvidze
- Institute of Ecology; Ilia State University; 32 I.Chavchavadze Av. Tbilisi 0179 Georgia
| | | | - Richard Michalet
- University of Bordeaux; UMR CNRS 5805 EPOC; 33405 Talence France
| | - Francisco I. Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Carretera de Sacramento s/n; La Cañada de San Urbano; Almería E-04120 Spain
| | - Christian Schöb
- The James Hutton Institute; Craigiebuckler Aberdeen AB15 8QH UK
| | - Sa Xiao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations; School of Life Science; Lanzhou University; Lanzhou 730000 People's Republic of China
| | - Fabien Anthelme
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD); UMR DIADE/AMAP, CIRAD; TA A51/PS2 Montpellier Cedex 5 34398 France
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; Av. 12 de Octubre y Roca Quito Ecuador
| | - Robert G. Björk
- Department of Earth Sciences; University of Gothenburg; P.O. Box 460 Gothenburg SE-405 30 Sweden
| | | | | | - Rosario Gavilán
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II; Facultad de Farmacia; Universidad Complutense; Madrid E-28040 Spain
| | - Alba Gutiérrez-Girón
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II; Facultad de Farmacia; Universidad Complutense; Madrid E-28040 Spain
| | - Robert Kanka
- Institute of Landscape Ecology; Slovak Academy of Sciences; Štefánikova 3 Bratislava 814 99 Slovakia
| | | | - Alan F. Mark
- Department of Botany; University of Otago; P. O. Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand
| | - Jalil Noroozi
- Department of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology; University of Vienna; Rennweg 14 Vienna 1030 Austria
| | | | - Gareth K. Phoenix
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; The University of Sheffield; Western Bank Sheffield S10 2TN UK
| | - Anya M. Reid
- Department of Biology; York University; 4700 Keele Street Toronto ON M3J 1P3 Canada
| | - Wendy M. Ridenour
- Biology Department; University of Montana Western; Dillon MT 59725 USA
| | - Christian Rixen
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF; Fluelastrasse 11 Davos 7260 Switzerland
| | - Sonja Wipf
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF; Fluelastrasse 11 Davos 7260 Switzerland
| | - Liang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin; Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 320 Donggang West Road Lanzhou 730000 China
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Departamento de Biología y Geología; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; Móstoles 28933 Spain
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Johns Hopkins University; 327 Olin Hall, 3400 N. Charles Street Baltimore MD 21218 USA
| | - Emanuele Lingua
- Department TeSAF; University of Padova; Viale dell'Universitá 16 Legnaro 35020 Italy
| | - Erik T. Aschehoug
- Department of Biology; North Carolina State University; P.O. Box 7617 Raleigh NC 27695 USA
| | - Ragan M. Callaway
- Division of Biological Sciences and the Institute on Ecosystems; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
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Cameron EK, Proctor HC, Bayne EM. Effects of an ecosystem engineer on belowground movement of microarthropods. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62796. [PMID: 23646146 PMCID: PMC3640026 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2012] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecosystem engineers affect other species by changing physical environments. Such changes may influence movement of organisms, particularly belowground where soil permeability can restrict dispersal. We investigated whether earthworms, iconic ecosystem engineers, influence microarthropod movement. Our experiment tested whether movement is affected by tunnels (i.e., burrows), earthworm excreta (mucus, castings), or earthworms themselves. Earthworm burrows form tunnel networks that may facilitate movement. This effect may be enhanced by excreta, which could provide resources for microarthropods moving along the network. Earthworms may also promote movement via phoresy. Conversely, negative effects could occur if earthworms alter predator-prey relationships or change competitive interactions between microarthropods. We used microcosms consisting of a box connecting a “source” container in which microarthropods were present and a “destination” container filled with autoclaved soil. Treatments were set up within the boxes, which also contained autoclaved soil, as follows: 1) control with no burrows; 2) artificial burrows with no excreta; 3) abandoned burrows with excreta but no earthworms; and 4) earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus) present in burrows. Half of the replicates were sampled once after eight days, while the other half were sampled repeatedly to examine movement over time. Rather than performing classical pairwise comparisons to test our hypotheses, we used AICc to assess support for three competing models (presence of tunnels, excreta, and earthworms). More individuals of Collembola, Mesostigmata, and all microarthropods together dispersed when tunnels were present. Models that included excreta and earthworms were less well supported. Total numbers of dispersing Oribatida and Prostigmata+Astigmata were not well explained by any models tested. Further research is needed to examine the impact of soil structure and ecosystem engineering on movement belowground, as the substantial increase in movement of some microarthropods when corridors were present suggests these factors can strongly affect colonization and community assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin K Cameron
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Testing the stress-gradient hypothesis at the roof of the world: effects of the cushion plant Thylacospermum caespitosum on species assemblages. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53514. [PMID: 23326446 PMCID: PMC3542354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2012] [Accepted: 11/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many cushion plants ameliorate the harsh environment they inhabit in alpine ecosystems and act as nurse plants, with significantly more species growing within their canopy than outside. These facilitative interactions seem to increase with the abiotic stress, thus supporting the stress-gradient hypothesis. We tested this prediction by exploring the association pattern of vascular plants with the dominant cushion plant Thylacospermum caespitosum (Caryophyllaceae) in the arid Trans-Himalaya, where vascular plants occur at one of the highest worldwide elevational limits. We compared plant composition between 1112 pair-plots placed both inside cushions and in surrounding open areas, in communities from cold steppes to subnival zones along two elevational gradients (East Karakoram: 4850–5250 m and Little Tibet: 5350–5850 m). We used PERMANOVA to assess differences in species composition, Friedman-based permutation tests to determine individual species habitat preferences, species-area curves to assess whether interactions are size-dependent and competitive intensity and importance indices to evaluate plant-plant interactions. No indications for net facilitation were found along the elevation gradients. The open areas were not only richer in species, but not a single species preferred to grow exclusively inside cushions, while 39–60% of 56 species detected had a significant preference for the habitat outside cushions. Across the entire elevation range of T. caespitosum, the number and abundance of species were greater outside cushions, suggesting that competitive rather than facilitative interactions prevail. This was supported by lower soil nutrient contents inside cushions, indicating a resource preemption, and little thermal amelioration at the extreme end of the elevational gradient. We attribute the negative associations to competition for limited resources, a strong environmental filter in arid high-mountain environment selecting the stress-tolerant species that do not rely on help from other plants during their life cycle and to the fact the cushions do not provide a better microhabitat to grow in.
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Butterfield BJ, Callaway RM. A functional comparative approach to facilitation and its context dependence. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley J. Butterfield
- Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research and Department of Biological Sciences; Northern Arizona University; Flagstaff; Arizona; 86011; USA
| | - Ragan M. Callaway
- Division of Biological Sciences; University of Montana; Missoula; Montana; 59812; USA
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Reid AM, Lortie CJ. Cushion plants are foundation species with positive effects extending to higher trophic levels. Ecosphere 2012. [DOI: 10.1890/es12-00106.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Zhang F, Tao Y, Hui C. Organism-induced habitat restoration leads to bi-stability in metapopulations. Math Biosci 2012; 240:260-6. [PMID: 22982509 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2012.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2012] [Revised: 08/23/2012] [Accepted: 08/31/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Following Levins' patch occupancy model, we presented a differential-equation model, in which both the metapopulation dynamics and the dynamics of the fraction of suitable patches in the habitat are characterized. Habitat restoration induced by organism itself (internal restoration) and by other organisms or/and abiotic causes (external restoration) were incorporated in the model, together with habitat destruction. Stability analysis revealed the existence of alternative equilibriums (i.e., bi-stability) in the system. The internal restoration of habitat was identified as the trigger for the bi-stability, whereas the external restoration, in contrast, can eliminate the bi-stability from the system. The results, thus, emphasize the important role of the organism-environment feedback in biological conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhang
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.
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Raynaud X, Jones CG, Barot S. Ecosystem engineering, environmental decay and environmental states of landscapes. OIKOS 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20283.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Facilitative interactions do not wane with warming at high elevations in the Andes. Oecologia 2012; 170:575-84. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2316-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2011] [Accepted: 03/20/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Navel S, Mermillod-Blondin F, Montuelle B, Chauvet E, Marmonier P. Sedimentary context controls the influence of ecosystem engineering by bioturbators on microbial processes in river sediments. OIKOS 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.19742.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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de Bello F, Doležal J, Dvorský M, Chlumská Z, Řeháková K, Klimešová J, Klimeš L. Cushions of Thylacospermum caespitosum (Caryophyllaceae) do not facilitate other plants under extreme altitude and dry conditions in the north-west Himalayas. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2011; 108:567-573. [PMID: 21813564 PMCID: PMC3158696 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2011] [Accepted: 05/26/2011] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cushion plants are commonly considered as keystone nurse species that ameliorate the harsh conditions they inhabit in alpine ecosystems, thus facilitating other species and increasing alpine plant biodiversity. A literature search resulted in 25 key studies showing overwhelming facilitative effects of different cushion plants and hypothesizing greater facilitation with increased environmental severity (i.e. higher altitude and/or lower rainfall). At the same time, emerging ecological theory alongside the cushion-specific literature suggests that facilitation might not always occur under extreme environmental conditions, and especially under high altitude and dryness. METHODS To assess these hypotheses, possible nursing effects of Thylacospermum caespitosum (Caryophyllaceae) were examined at extremely high altitude (5900 m a.s.l.) and in dry conditions (precipitation <100 mm year(-1)) in Eastern Ladakh, Trans-Himalaya. This is, by far, the highest site, and the second driest, at which the effects of cushions have been studied so far. KEY RESULTS In accordance with the theoretical predictions, no nursing effects of T. caespitosum on other alpine plants were detected. The number and abundance of species were greater outside cushions than within and on the edge of cushions. None of the 13 species detected was positively associated with cushions, while nine of them were negatively associated. Plant diversity increased with the size of the area sampled outside cushions, but no species-area relationship was found within cushions. CONCLUSIONS The results support the emerging theoretical prediction of restricted facilitative effects under extreme combinations of cold and dryness, integrating these ideas in the context of the ecology of cushion plants. This evidence suggests that cases of missing strong facilitation are likely to be found in other extreme alpine conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco de Bello
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 82 Třeboň, Czech Republic.
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Ransom TS. Earthworms, as ecosystem engineers, influence multiple aspects of a salamander's ecology. Oecologia 2010; 165:745-54. [PMID: 20848134 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1775-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2010] [Accepted: 08/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Ecosystem engineers create habitat that can be used by other species in multiple ways, such as refugees from predators, places to breed, or areas with increased prey resources. I conducted a series of enclosure experiments to: (1) determine if salamanders use earthworm burrows, and (2) examine the potential influence of earthworm burrow use and indirect effects on salamander intra- and interspecific competition, predator avoidance, and seasonal performance. I found that one species of woodland salamander, Plethodon cinereus, used earthworm burrows 50% of the time when burrows were present. Neither adults nor juveniles of the congeneric P. glutinosus used earthworm burrows. Intraspecific, but not interspecific, competition by P. cinereus affected salamander behavior when earthworms were absent, with P. cinereus found under cover objects >70% of the time when alone or with a P. glutinosus, but only 40% of the time when with another P. cinereus. When earthworms were present, the behavior of P. cinereus was similar across salamander treatments. Earthworms decreased the amount of leaf litter and microinvertebrates, although this did not affect salamander mass. In subsequent experiments using only P. cinereus, the refuge provided by earthworm burrows increased the survival of P. cinereus over the winter and allowed P. cinereus to avoid being consumed by the common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis). Because earthworm burrows provide a refuge for P. cinereus during intraspecific encounters, in the presence of a predator and over the winter, they may serve as an important belowground-aboveground linkage in eastern forests where salamanders are common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tami S Ransom
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4328, USA.
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Kinhal V, Parthasarathy N. Nucleated succession by an endemic palm Phoenix pusilla enhances diversity of woody species in the arid Coromandel Coast of India. AOB PLANTS 2010; 2010:plq007. [PMID: 22476065 PMCID: PMC3000698 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plq007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2009] [Revised: 03/02/2010] [Accepted: 05/15/2010] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Phoenix pusilla, an endemic shrubby palm, was used as a model nurse plant in degraded tropical dry evergreen forest (TDEF) landscapes. This choice was informed by traditional ecological knowledge of the Irula tribe of south India. We tested whether the presence of P. pusilla in water-stressed arid regions improves conditions for other species to establish, resulting in nucleated succession. Success would point the way forward for establishing species-rich woodland in abandoned farm land on the south-eastern Coromandel Coast of India. METHODOLOGY Spatial associations of woody species in the natural landscape were studied. Experimental tests of nurse plant potential examined the extent to which P. pusilla (i) promoted seed germination, (ii) seedling emergence and (iii) establishment of two TDEF species, and (iv) ameliorated soil and microclimatic conditions over 8 months. PRINCIPAL RESULTS Phoenix pusilla cooled the soil by up to 50 % and decreased radiation by up to 9-fold, especially in summer. Soil organic matter and water-holding capacity increased, as did seedling number and seedling height of tested TDEF species. The presence of P. pusilla favoured a greater abundance (20 %) of woody plants with a bias towards primary (11) rather than secondary (2) species, indicating species specificity of the effect. CONCLUSIONS Phoenix pusilla ameliorated abiotic stresses present in open ground to create a patchy species-rich mosaic. This nucleated succession created using P. pusilla provided an important refuge for primary TDEF species. This effect can be expected to have impact at the landscape scale and may prove useful in managing landscapes and in biodiversity conservation. The conservation value of these patchy landscapes deserves to be more widely recognized as they persist in populated areas and thus merit protection. The value of traditional tribal knowledge in identifying a highly effective nurse species is highlighted by this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijayalaxmi Kinhal
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India
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Haussmann N, McGeoch M, Boelhouwers J. Contrasting nurse plants and nurse rocks: The spatial distribution of seedlings of two sub-Antarctic species. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2010.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Cáceres‐Charneco RI, Ransom TS. The influence of habitat provisioning: use of earthworm burrows by the terrestrial salamander,
Plethodon cinereus. POPUL ECOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-010-0204-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rita I. Cáceres‐Charneco
- Institute for Tropical Ecosystem StudiesUniversity of Puerto RicoP.O. Box 7037700936‐8377San JuanPRUSA
| | - Tami S. Ransom
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Virginia22904CharlottesvilleVAUSA
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Wright JP. Linking populations to landscapes: richness scenarios resulting from changes in the dynamics of an ecosystem engineer. Ecology 2010; 90:3418-29. [PMID: 20120810 DOI: 10.1890/08-1885.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Predicting the effects of the loss of individual species on diversity represents one of the primary challenges facing community ecology. One pathway by which organisms of one species affect the distribution of species is ecosystem engineering. Changes in the dynamics of ecosystem engineers that lead to changes in the distribution of the patches of altered habitat are likely to lead to changes in diversity. I link data on the distribution of plant species found in the riparian zone of the Adirondacks (New York, USA) in patches modified by beaver and in unmodified forest patches to a model connecting the dynamics of ecosystem engineers to the dynamics of the patches that they create. These analyses demonstrate that changes in key parameters of the model, such as decreases in beaver colonization rates and rate of patch abandonment, lead to changes in species richness of up to 45% at the landscape scale, and that these changes are likely to occur over long time scales. This general approach of linking the population dynamics or behavior of a single species to changes in species richness at the landscape scale provides a means for both testing the importance of ecosystem engineering in different systems and developing scenarios to predict how changes in the dynamics of a single species are likely to affect species richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Wright
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
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Bartel RA, Haddad NM, Wright JP. Ecosystem engineers maintain a rare species of butterfly and increase plant diversity. OIKOS 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.18080.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Predicting effects of ecosystem engineering on species richness along primary productivity gradients. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2009.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Gribben PE, Byers JE, Clements M, McKenzie LA, Steinberg PD, Wright JT. Behavioural interactions between ecosystem engineers control community species richness. Ecol Lett 2009; 12:1127-36. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01366.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Arredondo-Núñez A, Badano E, Bustamante R. How beneficial are nurse plants? A meta-analysis of the effects of cushion plants on high-Andean plant communities. COMMUNITY ECOL 2009. [DOI: 10.1556/comec.10.2009.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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49
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Slope orientation enhances the nurse effect of a paramo shrub, Hypericum irazuense (Hypericaceae) in Costa Rica. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2009. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467409005999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The nurse effect is a positive interaction in which one plant (the nurse) provides conditions that enhance the establishment and growth of another plant species (Callaway 1995). Increased environmental severity appeared to increase the strength of nurse effects (Brooker et al. 2008, Lortie & Callaway 2006). On the one hand, the impact of the nurse effect depends on the magnitude of the environmental changes exerted by the nurse plant. On the other hand, the impact could depend on the number of plant species in the regional pool that respond to such changes. For example, better conditions beneath the crowns of nurse plants might allow the occurrence of species that are sensitive to environmental stress and that occur infrequently in open areas. Thus, if a nurse plant modulates environmental conditions that are critical for the persistence of other plant species, it seems likely that such nurse plants would have greater effects in stressful habitats, where they cause relatively larger environmental mitigation (Badano et al. 2006, Callaway et al. 2002).
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FAJARDO ALEX, QUIROZ CONSTANZAL, CAVIERES LOHENGRINA. Distinguishing colonisation modes from spatial structures in populations of the cushion plantAzorella madreporicain the high-Andes of central Chile. AUSTRAL ECOL 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2008.01884.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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