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Pontarp M, Runemark A, Friberg M, Opedal ØH, Persson AS, Wang L, Smith HG. Evolutionary plant-pollinator responses to anthropogenic land-use change: impacts on ecosystem services. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:372-389. [PMID: 37866400 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural intensification at field and landscape scales, including increased use of agrochemicals and loss of semi-natural habitats, is a major driver of insect declines and other community changes. Efforts to understand and mitigate these effects have traditionally focused on ecological responses. At the same time, adaptations to pesticide use and habitat fragmentation in both insects and flowering plants show the potential for rapid evolution. Yet we lack an understanding of how such evolutionary responses may propagate within and between trophic levels with ensuing consequences for conservation of species and ecological functions in agroecosystems. Here, we review the literature on the consequences of agricultural intensification on plant and animal evolutionary responses and interactions. We present a novel conceptualization of evolutionary change induced by agricultural intensification at field and landscape scales and emphasize direct and indirect effects of rapid evolution on ecosystem services. We exemplify by focusing on economically and ecologically important interactions between plants and pollinators. We showcase available eco-evolutionary theory and plant-pollinator modelling that can improve predictions of how agricultural intensification affects interaction networks, and highlight available genetic and trait-focused methodological approaches. Specifically, we focus on how spatial genetic structure affects the probability of propagated responses, and how the structure of interaction networks modulates effects of evolutionary change in individual species. Thereby, we highlight how combined trait-based eco-evolutionary modelling, functionally explicit quantitative genetics, and genomic analyses may shed light on conditions where evolutionary responses impact important ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Pontarp
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 22362, Sweden
| | - Anna Runemark
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 22362, Sweden
| | - Magne Friberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 22362, Sweden
| | - Øystein H Opedal
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 22362, Sweden
| | - Anna S Persson
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 22362, Sweden
| | - Lingzi Wang
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 22362, Sweden
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, 58 Salisbury Rd, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Henrik G Smith
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 22362, Sweden
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 22362, Sweden
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2
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Opedal ØH. A functional view of flower-pollinator trait matching. A commentary on 'Mismatching explained: constricted corolla tubes in Roscoea elevate the nectar'. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:v-vii. [PMID: 37897400 PMCID: PMC10809045 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
This article comments on:
Bo Wang, Ze-Yu Tong, Ying-Ze Xiong, Xiao-Fan Wang, W. Scott Armbruster and Shuang-Quan Huang. The evolution of flower–pollinator trait matching, and why do some alpine gingers appear to be mismatched?, Annals of Botany, Volume 132, Issue 6, 3 November 2023, Pages 1073–1087, https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcad141
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Affiliation(s)
- Øystein H Opedal
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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3
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Hao K, Liu T, Hembry DH, Luo S. Trait matching in a multi-species geographic mosaic of leafflower plants, brood pollinators, and cheaters. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10228. [PMID: 37408629 PMCID: PMC10318581 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Trait matching between mutualistic species is usually expected to maintain mutualism, but empirical studies of trait complementarity and coadaptation in multi-species assemblages-which represent the reality of most interactions in nature-are few. Here, we studied trait matching between the leafflower shrub Kirganelia microcarpa and three associated seed-predatory leafflower moths (Epicephala spp.) across 16 populations. Behavioral and morphological observations suggested that two moths (E. microcarpa and E. tertiaria) acted as pollinators while a third (E. laeviclada) acted as a cheater. These species differed in ovipositor morphology but showed trait complementarity between ovipositor length and floral traits at both species level and population level, presumably as adaptations to divergent oviposition behaviors. However, this trait matching varied among populations. Comparisons of ovipositor length and floral traits among populations with different moth assemblages suggested an increase of ovary wall thickness where the locular-ovipositing pollinator E. microcarpa and cheater E. laeviclada were present, while stylar pit depth was less in populations with the stylar pit-ovipositing pollinator E. tertiaria. Our study indicates that trait matching between interacting partners occurs even in extremely specialized multi-species mutualisms, and that although these responses vary, sometimes non-intuitively, in response to different partner species. It seems that the moths can track changes in host plant tissue depth for oviposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hao
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical GardenChinese Academy of ScienceGuangzhouChina
- South China National Botanical GardenGuangzhouChina
| | - Ting‐Ting Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical GardenChinese Academy of ScienceGuangzhouChina
- South China National Botanical GardenGuangzhouChina
| | - David H. Hembry
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Texas Permian BasinOdessaTexasUSA
| | - Shi‐Xiao Luo
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical GardenChinese Academy of ScienceGuangzhouChina
- South China National Botanical GardenGuangzhouChina
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4
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Hollens-Kuhr H, van der Niet T, Cozien R, Kuhlmann M. Pollinator Community Predicts Trait Matching between Oil-Producing Flowers and a Guild of Oil-Collecting Bees. Am Nat 2021; 198:750-758. [PMID: 34762568 DOI: 10.1086/717050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe impact of pollinator community diversity on trait matching in plant-pollinator interactions is poorly studied, even though many mutualisms involve multiple interaction partners. We studied 10 communities in which one to three species of oil-collecting Rediviva bees pollinate the long-spurred, oil-producing flowers of Diascia "floribunda" to examine how pollinator diversity affects covariation of functional traits across sites and trait matching within sites. Floral spur length was significantly correlated with weighted grand mean foreleg length of the local bee community but not with foreleg length of individual bee species. The closeness of trait matching varied among populations and was inversely related to pollinator community diversity. For all bee species, trait matching was closest at sites characterized by exclusive pairwise interactions. Reduced trait matching associated with increased community diversity for individual pollinator species but close matching at the community level supports the importance of community context for shaping interacting traits of flowers and pollinators.
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5
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Week B, Nuismer SL. Coevolutionary Arms Races and the Conditions for the Maintenance of Mutualism. Am Nat 2021; 198:195-205. [PMID: 34260869 DOI: 10.1086/714274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEmpirical evidence suggests that coevolutionary arms races between flowering plants and their pollinators can occur in wild populations. In extreme cases, trait escalation may result in evolutionary switching from mutualism to parasitism. However, theoretical approaches to studying coevolution typically assume fixed types of ecological interactions and ignore the evolution of absolute fitness. Here, we introduce a novel approach to track the evolution of absolute fitness as a framework to determine when escalatory coevolution results in a switch from mutualism to parasitism. We apply our approach to two previously studied mechanisms mediating selection as a function of phenotype. Our results demonstrate that interactions mediated by a "bigger-is-better" mechanism evolve toward parasitism. In contrast, generalizing the classical trait-matching mechanism so that the fitness of each species is optimized when trait values mismatch by a particular amount, we find theoretical support for indefinite trait exaggeration that preserves mutualistic interactions. Building on our results, we discuss the consequences of coevolutionary arms races for the maintenance of cheating. Moving beyond pairwise interactions, we consider the ramifications of coevolution in a South African pollination network for the evolution of parasitism. Future work extending our approach beyond pairwise interactions can lead to a framework for understanding the evolution of parasitism in mutualistic networks and further insights into the structure and dynamic nature of ecological communities in general.
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6
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Masiulionis VE, Pagnocca FC. In vitro study of volatile organic compounds produced by the mutualistic fungus of leaf-cutter ants and the antagonist Escovopsis. FUNGAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2020.100986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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7
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Theron GL, Grenier F, Anderson BC, Ellis AG, Johnson SD, Midgley JM, van der Niet T. Key long-proboscid fly pollinator overlooked: morphological and molecular analyses reveal a new Prosoeca (Nemestrinidae) species. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Long-proboscid nemestrinid flies are keystone pollinators of dozens of Southern African plants and, consequently, their taxonomic status might have important consequences for insect and plant conservation. We focus on Prosoeca peringueyi, considered to be a single, morphologically variable species, upon which a guild of ~28 plants in the winter rainfall region depends for pollination. We quantified morphological variation and established whether it was associated with genetic variation within and among sites. Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial COI gene revealed two well-supported clades. One clade contains long-proboscid individuals that conform morphologically to the holotype of P. peringueyi. The sister clade contains individuals that frequently occur sympatrically with P. peringueyi and have shorter proboscides, with additional diagnostic characters that set it apart from P. peringueyi. A haplotype analysis based on nuclear ribosomal 28S DNA sequences of a subset of individuals corroborated these results. Based on our results, we propose the recognition of two species: P. peringueyi and Prosoeca torquata sp. nov., which is described here. Future research is required to quantify the interaction networks of these two fly species and the plant guilds with which they interact, to facilitate conservation in the global biodiversity hotspot where they occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve L Theron
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Florent Grenier
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Bruce C Anderson
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Allan G Ellis
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Steven D Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - John M Midgley
- Department of Natural Sciences, KwaZulu-Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Timotheüs van der Niet
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
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8
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Jezek M. Butterfly-plant interaction - A dicey ménage à trois? PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2020; 43:1811-1814. [PMID: 32572988 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Jezek
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Bower Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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9
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Peralta G, Vázquez DP, Chacoff NP, Lomáscolo SB, Perry GLW, Tylianakis JM. Trait matching and phenological overlap increase the spatio-temporal stability and functionality of plant-pollinator interactions. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1107-1116. [PMID: 32418369 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Morphology and phenology influence plant-pollinator network structure, but whether they generate more stable pairwise interactions with higher pollination success remains unknown. Here we evaluate the importance of morphological trait matching, phenological overlap and specialisation for the spatio-temporal stability (measured as variability) of plant-pollinator interactions and for pollination success, while controlling for species' abundance. To this end, we combined a 6-year plant-pollinator interaction dataset, with information on species traits, phenologies, specialisation, abundance and pollination success, into structural equation models. Interactions among abundant plants and pollinators with well-matched traits and phenologies formed the stable and functional backbone of the pollination network, whereas poorly matched interactions were variable in time and had lower pollination success. We conclude that phenological overlap could be more useful for predicting changes in species interactions than species abundances, and that non-random extinction of species with well-matched traits could decrease the stability of interactions within communities and reduce their functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Peralta
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Diego P Vázquez
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Natacha P Chacoff
- Instituto de Ecología Regional, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Silvia B Lomáscolo
- Instituto de Ecología Regional, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - George L W Perry
- School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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10
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Humphreys RK, Ruxton GD. The dicey dinner dilemma: Asymmetry in predator-prey risk-taking, a broadly applicable alternative to the life-dinner principle. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:377-383. [PMID: 31919916 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Forty years ago, the 'life-dinner principle' was proposed as an example of an asymmetry that may lead prey species to experience stronger selection than their predators, thus accounting for the high frequency with which prey escape alive from interaction with a predator. This principle remains an influential concept in the scientific literature, despite several works suggesting that the concept relies on many under-appreciated assumptions and does not apply as generally as was initially proposed. Here, we present a novel model describing a very different asymmetry to that proposed in the life-dinner principle, but one that could apply broadly. We argue that asymmetries between the relative costs and benefits to predators and prey of selecting a risky behaviour during an extended predator-prey encounter could lead to an enhanced likelihood of escape for the prey. Any resulting advantage to prey depends upon there being a behaviour or choice that introduces some inherent danger to both predator and prey if they adopt it, but which if the prey adopts the predator must match in order to have a chance of successful predation. We suggest that the circumstances indicated by our model could apply broadly across diverse taxa, including both risky spatial or behavioural choices.
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11
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Newman E, Anderson B. Character displacement drives floral variation in Pelargonium (Geraniaceae) communities. Evolution 2020; 74:283-296. [PMID: 31883274 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between plant community members are an underexplored driver of angiosperm floral variation. We investigate character displacement as a potential contributor to floral variation in Pelargonium communities. Pelargoniums all place pollen on the ventral sides of their pollinators, potentially leading to interspecific pollen transfer (IPT) in sympatry. We show that the positions of pollen placement and receipt are determined by anther and style exsertion lengths. Using field experiments, we demonstrate that heterospecific species experience higher IPT if they have similar style lengths than when they have greater style length differences. Using crosses, we show that IPT has negative consequences on seed set. In combination, these results suggest that character displacement in style length is likely to reduce IPT and increase female fitness in sympatry. Patterns of style length variation across 29 different Pelargonium communities suggest that character displacement has occurred in multiple communities. Furthermore, analyses using a wide-ranging species pair show that style lengths are more different between sympatric populations than they are between allopatric populations. In addition to pollinators as agents of floral divergence, this study suggests that variation in Pelargonium community structure has driven style length variation through character displacement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Newman
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
| | - Bruce Anderson
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
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12
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Luz FA, Goetz APM, Mendonça Jr. MDS. Phenotypic matching in ovipositor size in the parasitoid Galeopsomyia sp. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) attacking different gall inducers. IHERINGIA. SERIE ZOOLOGIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4766e2020008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Parasitoid ovipositor size importantly affects host choice; those attacking exposed hosts usually have shorter ovipositors compared to those needing drilling deeper through substrates such as plant tissue and gall tissue. Most studies treat this theme at the interspecific level, and the aim of this work was to test for intraspecific variation and phenotypic matching in ovipositor size for Galeopsomyia sp. attacking galls. Galls were sampled from Guapira opposita(Nyctaginaceae), a host plant to five species of Bruggmannia gallers (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) in southern Brazil: Bruggmannia elongata, B. robusta, B. acaudata, and two undescribed species of Bruggmannia (sp. 1 and sp. 2). On forest transects, all galls from the 30 first galled plants found were sampled and kept in sealed plastic bags until parasitoid emergence. A total of 15 samples were done along two years. We measured galler last instar larvae length and gall thickness for each galling species, and ovipositor length for all Galeopsomyia sp. individuals emerging from the galls. There were no differences in larval length among galler species. However, Bruggmannia sp. 1 and sp. 2 galls were significantly thicker than those of B. acaudata, and the latter thicker than both B. elongata and B. robusta galls. Wasp ovipositor size differed significantly between those coming from Bruggmannia sp. 1 and sp. 2 galls relative to all others. Host extended phenotype size is thus fundamental to determine parasitoid size, but in this case host (larval) size does not change among species, although gall thickness was different. Thicker galls were attacked by larger parasitoids with longer ovipositors, denoting phenotypic matching. Thicker galls appear to be selecting larger parasitoid individuals, which in the long run can lead to important evolutionary change as well.
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13
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Paudel BR, Kessler A, Shrestha M, Zhao JL, Li Q. Geographic isolation, pollination syndromes, and pollinator generalization in Himalayan
Roscoea
spp. (Zingiberaceae). Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Babu Ram Paudel
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaption and Evolutionary Ecology Yunnan University Kunming Yunnan 650091 China
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio‐Resources in Yunnan Yunnan University Kunming Yunnan China
- Department of Botany Prithvi Narayan Campus Tribhuvan University Pokhara Nepal
| | - André Kessler
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853 USA
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communications RMIT University Melbourne Victoria 3001 Australia
- Faculty of Information Technology Monash University Clayton Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Jian Li Zhao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaption and Evolutionary Ecology Yunnan University Kunming Yunnan 650091 China
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio‐Resources in Yunnan Yunnan University Kunming Yunnan China
| | - Qing‐Jun Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaption and Evolutionary Ecology Yunnan University Kunming Yunnan 650091 China
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio‐Resources in Yunnan Yunnan University Kunming Yunnan China
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14
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Minnaar C, de Jager ML, Anderson B. Intraspecific divergence in floral-tube length promotes asymmetric pollen movement and reproductive isolation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 224:1160-1170. [PMID: 31148172 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The causative link between phenotypic divergence and reproductive isolation is an important but poorly understood part of ecological speciation. We studied the effects of floral-tube length variation on pollen placement/receipt positions and reproductive isolation. In a population of Lapeirousia anceps (Iridaceae) with bimodal floral-tube lengths, we labelled pollen of short- and long-tubed flowers with different colour fluorescent nanoparticles (quantum dots). This enabled us to map pollen placement by long- and short-tubed flowers on the only floral visitor, a long-proboscid fly. Furthermore, it allowed us to quantify pollen movement within and between short- and long-tubed flowers. Short- and long-tubed flowers placed pollen on different parts of the pollinator, and long-tubed flowers placed more pollen per visit than short-tubed flowers. This resulted in assortative pollen receipt (most pollen received comes from the same phenotype) and strong but asymmetric reproductive isolation, where short-tubed plants are more reproductively isolated than long-tubed plants. These results suggest that floral-tube length divergence can promote mechanical isolation in plants through divergence in pollen placement sites on pollinators. Consequently, in concert with other reproductive isolation mechanisms, selection for differences in floral-tube length can play an important role in ecological speciation of plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corneile Minnaar
- Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Marinus L de Jager
- Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Bruce Anderson
- Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
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15
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Anderson B, de Jager ML. Natural selection in mimicry. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 95:291-304. [PMID: 31663254 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Biological mimicry has served as a salient example of natural selection for over a century, providing us with a dazzling array of very different examples across many unrelated taxa. We provide a conceptual framework that brings together apparently disparate examples of mimicry in a single model for the purpose of comparing how natural selection affects models, mimics and signal receivers across different interactions. We first analyse how model-mimic resemblance likely affects the fitness of models, mimics and receivers across diverse examples. These include classic Batesian and Müllerian butterfly systems, nectarless orchids that mimic Hymenoptera or nectar-producing plants, caterpillars that mimic inert objects unlikely to be perceived as food, plants that mimic abiotic objects like carrion or dung and aggressive mimicry where predators mimic food items of their own prey. From this, we construct a conceptual framework of the selective forces that form the basis of all mimetic interactions. These interactions between models, mimics and receivers may follow four possible evolutionary pathways in terms of the direction of selection resulting from model-mimic resemblance. Two of these pathways correspond to the selective pressures associated with what is widely regarded as Batesian and Müllerian mimicry. The other two pathways suggest mimetic interactions underpinned by distinct selective pressures that have largely remained unrecognized. Each pathway is characterized by theoretical differences in how model-mimic resemblance influences the direction of selection acting on mimics, models and signal receivers, and the potential for consequent (co)evolutionary relationships between these three protagonists. The final part of this review describes how selective forces generated through model-mimic resemblance can be opposed by the basic ecology of interacting organisms and how those forces may affect the symmetry, strength and likelihood of (co)evolution between the three protagonists within the confines of the four broad evolutionary possibilities. We provide a clear and pragmatic visualization of selection pressures that portrays how different mimicry types may evolve. This conceptual framework provides clarity on how different selective forces acting on mimics, models and receivers are likely to interact and ultimately shape the evolutionary pathways taken by mimetic interactions, as well as the constraints inherent within these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Anderson
- Botany and Zoology Department, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Marinus L de Jager
- Botany and Zoology Department, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
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16
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Approximate Bayesian estimation of coevolutionary arms races. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006988. [PMID: 30986245 PMCID: PMC6483265 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Exaggerated traits involved in species interactions have long captivated the imagination of evolutionary biologists and inspired the durable metaphor of the coevolutionary arms race. Despite decades of research, however, we have only a handful of examples where reciprocal coevolutionary change has been rigorously established as the cause of trait exaggeration. Support for a coevolutionary mechanism remains elusive because we lack generally applicable tools for quantifying the intensity of coevolutionary selection. Here we develop an approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) approach for estimating the intensity of coevolutionary selection using population mean phenotypes of traits mediating interspecific interactions. Our approach relaxes important assumptions of a previous maximum likelihood approach by allowing gene flow among populations, variable abiotic environments, and strong coevolutionary selection. Using simulated data, we show that our ABC method accurately infers the strength of coevolutionary selection if reliable estimates are available for key background parameters and ten or more populations are sampled. Applying our approach to the putative arms race between the plant Camellia japonica and its seed predatory weevil, Curculio camelliae, provides support for a coevolutionary hypothesis but fails to preclude the possibility of unilateral evolution. Comparing independently estimated selection gradients acting on Camellia pericarp thickness with values simulated by our model reveals a correlation between predicted and observed selection gradients of 0.941. The strong agreement between predicted and observed selection gradients validates our method.
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De Luca PA, Buchmann S, Galen C, Mason AC, Vallejo‐Marín M. Does body size predict the buzz-pollination frequencies used by bees? Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4875-4887. [PMID: 31031950 PMCID: PMC6476788 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Body size is an important trait linking pollinators and plants. Morphological matching between pollinators and plants is thought to reinforce pollinator fidelity, as the correct fit ensures that both parties benefit from the interaction. We investigated the influence of body size in a specialized pollination system (buzz-pollination) where bees vibrate flowers to release pollen concealed within poricidal stamens. Specifically, we explored how body size influences the frequency of buzz-pollination vibrations. Body size is expected to affect frequency as a result of the physical constraints it places on the indirect flight muscles that control the production of floral vibrations. Larger insects beat their wings less rapidly than smaller-bodied insects when flying, but whether similar scaling relationships exist with floral vibrations has not been widely explored. This is important because the amount of pollen ejected is determined by the frequency of the vibration and the displacement of a bee's thorax. We conducted a field study in three ecogeographic regions (alpine, desert, grassland) and recorded flight and floral vibrations from freely foraging bees from 27 species across four families. We found that floral vibration frequencies were significantly higher than flight frequencies, but never exceeded 400 Hz. Also, only flight frequencies were negatively correlated with body size. As a bee's size increased, its buzz ratio (floral frequency/flight frequency) increased such that only the largest bees were capable of generating floral vibration frequencies that exceeded double that of their flight vibrations. These results indicate size affects the capacity of bees to raise floral vibration frequencies substantially above flight frequencies. This may put smaller bees at a competitive disadvantage because even at the maximum floral vibration frequency of 400 Hz, their inability to achieve comparable thoracic displacements as larger bees would result in generating vibrations with lower amplitudes, and thus less total pollen ejected for the same foraging effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. De Luca
- School of Chemistry, Environmental & Life SciencesUniversity of the BahamasNassauBahamas
| | - Stephen Buchmann
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizona
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizona
| | - Candace Galen
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMissouri
| | - Andrew C. Mason
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
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18
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Klumpers SGT, Stang M, Klinkhamer PGL. Foraging efficiency and size matching in a plant-pollinator community: the importance of sugar content and tongue length. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:469-479. [PMID: 30609161 PMCID: PMC6850310 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
A long-standing question in ecology is how species interactions are structured within communities. Although evolutionary theory predicts close size matching between floral nectar tube depth and pollinator proboscis length of interacting species, such size matching has seldom been shown and explained in multispecies assemblages. Here, we investigated the degree of size matching among Asteraceae and their pollinators and its relationship with foraging efficiency. The majority of pollinators, especially Hymenoptera, choose plant species on which they had high foraging efficiencies. When proboscides were shorter than nectar tubes, foraging efficiency rapidly decreased because of increased handling time. When proboscides were longer than nectar tubes, a decreased nectar reward rather than an increased handling time made shallow flowers more inefficient to visit. Altogether, this led to close size matching. Overall, our results show the importance of nectar reward and handling time as drivers of plant-pollinator network structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia G T Klumpers
- Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, 81224, USA.,School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa
| | - Martina Stang
- Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, 81224, USA
| | - Peter G L Klinkhamer
- Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, The Netherlands
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19
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Soteras F, Moré M, Ibañez AC, Iglesias MDR, Cocucci AA. Range overlap between the sword-billed hummingbird and its guild of long-flowered species: An approach to the study of a coevolutionary mosaic. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209742. [PMID: 30586466 PMCID: PMC6306261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The coevolutionary process among free-living mutualists with extremely long matching traits may favor the formation of mutualistic interaction networks through coevolutionary escalation, complementarity and convergence. These networks may be geographically structured; the links among the species of a local network are shaped by the biotic composition of the community, thus creating selection mosaics at broader geographical scales. Therefore, to fully understand a coevolutionary process, it is crucial to visualize the geographical structure of the interaction network across the landscape. In this study we focused on the poorly known interaction system between Ensifera ensifera and its guild of long-flowered plant species. We combined occurrence data and environmental variables to predict E. ensifera distribution, in addition to range polygons available for plant species in order to evaluate the geographical variation in bill length and plant species richness. A positive relationship between bill length and plant species richness within the E. ensifera range suggests a geographical structuring of the interaction networks. At mid-latitude locations of E. ensifera range, where hummingbirds attained the longest bills, richness of long-flowered plant species was higher than at low latitude locations. These locations likely represent coevolutionary vortices where long-lasting reciprocal selection probably drove the evolution of long traits, consequently drawing new plant species into the coevolutionary network. Conversely, areas where the sword-billed hummingbird was absent or had shorter bills probably represent coevolutionary coldspots. Our results provide a first insight into this phenotypically specialized plant-pollinator network across the landscape and show candidate areas to test the predictions of the coevolutionary hypothesis, such as reciprocal selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Soteras
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, IMBIV, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Marcela Moré
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, IMBIV, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ana C. Ibañez
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, IMBIV, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María del Rosario Iglesias
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, IMBIV, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andrea A. Cocucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, IMBIV, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo, Córdoba, Argentina
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20
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Jordano P. Natural history matters: how biological constraints shape diversified interactions in pollination networks. J Anim Ecol 2017; 85:1423-1426. [PMID: 27778383 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Species-specific traits constrain the ways organisms interact in nature. Some pairwise interactions among coexisting species simply do not occur; they are impossible to observe despite the fact that partners coexist in the same place. The author discusses these 'forbidden links' of species interaction networks. Photo: a sphingid moth, Manduca sexta visiting a flower of Tocoyena formosa (Rubiaceae) in the Brazilian Cerrado; tongue and corolla tube lengths approximately 100 mm. Courtesy of Felipe Amorim. Sazatornil, F.D., Moré, M., Benitez-Vieyra, S., Cocucci, A.A., Kitching, I.J., Schlumpberger, B.O., Oliveira, P.E., Sazima, M. & Amorim, F.W. (2016) Beyond neutral and forbidden links: morphological matches and the assembly of mutualistic hawkmoth-plant networks. Journal of Animal Ecology, 85, 1586-1594. Species-specific traits and life-history characteristics constrain the ways organisms interact in nature. For example, gape-limited predators are constrained in the sizes of prey they can handle and efficiently consume. When we consider the ubiquity of such constrains, it is evident how hard it can be to be a generalist partner in ecological interactions: a free-living animal or plant cannot simply interact with every available partner it encounters. Some pairwise interactions among coexisting species simply do not occur; they are impossible to observe despite the fact that partners coexist in the same place. Sazatornil et al. () explore the nature of such constraints in the mutualisms among hawkmoths and the plants they pollinate. In this iconic interaction, used by Darwin and Wallace to vividly illustrate the power of natural selection in shaping evolutionary change, both pollinators and plants are sharply constrained in their interaction modes and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC), Avenida Americo Vespucio s/n, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain.
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21
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Lemos-Costa P, Martins AB, Thompson JN, de Aguiar MAM. Gene flow and metacommunity arrangement affects coevolutionary dynamics at the mutualism-antagonism interface. J R Soc Interface 2017; 14:rsif.2016.0989. [PMID: 28566509 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2016.0989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecific interactions are affected by community context and, as a consequence, show spatial variation in magnitude and sign. The selective forces imposed by interactions at the mutualism-antagonism interface are a consequence of the traits involved and their matching between species. If mutualistic and antagonistic communities are linked by gene flow, coevolution between a pair of interacting species is influenced by how selection varies in space. Here we investigate the effects of metacommunity arrangement, i.e. patterns of connection between communities and the number of communities, on the coevolutionary dynamics between two species for which the sign and magnitude of the interaction varies across the landscape. We quantify coevolutionary outcome as an index that can be decomposed into the contribution of intraspecific genetic diversity and interspecific interaction. We show that polymorphisms and mismatches are an expected outcome, which is influenced by spatial structure, interaction strength and the degree of gene flow. The index describes how variation is distributed within and between species, and provides information on the directionality of the mismatches and polymorphisms. Finally, we argue that depending on metacommunity arrangement, some communities have disproportionate roles in maintaining genetic diversity, with implications for the coevolution of interacting species in a fragmented landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Lemos-Costa
- Programa de pós-graduação em Ecologia-Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Unicamp, 13083-865, Campinas/SP, Brazil
| | - Ayana B Martins
- Instituto de Física 'Gleb Wataghin', Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Unicamp, 13083-859, Campinas/SP, Brazil.,Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Center of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, EAWAG Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - John N Thompson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Marcus A M de Aguiar
- Instituto de Física 'Gleb Wataghin', Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Unicamp, 13083-859, Campinas/SP, Brazil
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22
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Paudel BR, Shrestha M, Burd M, Adhikari S, Sun YS, Li QJ. Coevolutionary elaboration of pollination-related traits in an alpine ginger (Roscoea purpurea) and a tabanid fly in the Nepalese Himalayas. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 211:1402-11. [PMID: 27112321 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Geographical variation in the interacting traits of plant-pollinator mutualism can lead to local adaptive differentiation. We tested Darwin's hypothesis of reciprocal selection as a key driving force for the evolution of floral traits of an alpine ginger (Roscoea purpurea) and proboscis length of a tabanid fly (Philoliche longirostris). We documented the pattern of trait variation in R. purpurea and P. longirostris across five populations. At each site, we quantified pollinator-mediated selection on floral display area, inflorescence height and corolla length of R. purpurea by comparing selection gradients for flowers exposed to natural pollination and to supplemental hand pollination. Reciprocal selection between plant and fly was examined at two sites via the relationship between proboscis length and nectar consumption (fly benefit) and corolla length and pollen deposition (plant benefit). Local corolla tube length was correlated with local fly proboscis length among the five sites. We found strong linear selection imposed by pollinators on corolla tube length at all sites, but there was no consistent relationship of fitness to inflorescence height or floral display area. Selection between corolla length and proboscis length was reciprocal at the two experimental sites examined. The geographical pattern of trait variation and the evidence of selection is consistent with a mosaic of local, species-specific reciprocal selection acting as the major driving force for the evolution of corolla length of R. purpurea and proboscis length of P. longirostris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babu Ram Paudel
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun Town, Mengla County, Yunnan, 666303, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
- Tribhuvan University, Department of Botany, Prithvi Narayan Campus, Pokhara, Nepal
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Martin Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Subodh Adhikari
- Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
| | - Yong-Shuai Sun
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun Town, Mengla County, Yunnan, 666303, China
| | - Qing-Jun Li
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, China
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23
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24
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Newman E, Manning J, Anderson B. Local adaptation: Mechanical fit between floral ecotypes of Nerine humilis (Amaryllidaceae) and pollinator communities. Evolution 2015; 69:2262-75. [PMID: 26194119 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2014] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Geographic variation in floral morphology is often assumed to reflect geographic variation in pollinator communities and associated divergence in selective pressures. We studied populations of Nerine humilis (Amaryllidaceae) to assess whether geographic variation in floral form is the result of local adaptation to different pollinator communities. We first tested for associations between floral traits and visitor communities, and found that populations with similar floral morphologies were visited by similar insect communities. Mean style length in each population was also closely associated with the mean body length of the local visitor community. A reciprocal translocation experiment demonstrated that native phenotypes set more seed than translocated phenotypes. Single visitation experiments showed that native flowers received more pollen, and set more seed per visit, than introduced phenotypes in both populations. This suggests that the effectiveness of pollinator visits is determined by the degree of mechanical fit between flowers and visitors. We provide strong evidence that the observed among-population variation in floral traits is an adaptive response to geographic variation in the pollinator community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Newman
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - John Manning
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont, Cape Town, 7735, South Africa.,Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Bruce Anderson
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa.
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25
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26
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Anderson B, Ros P, Wiese TJ, Ellis AG. Intraspecific divergence and convergence of floral tube length in specialized pollination interactions. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20141420. [PMID: 25274360 PMCID: PMC4213615 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Floral tubes are often thought to be a consequence of adaptive specialization towards pollinator morphology. We explore floral tube length evolution within Tritoniopsis revoluta (Iridaceae), a species with considerable geographical tube length variation. We ask whether tube lengths of T. revoluta populations are associated with pollinator proboscis lengths, whether floral divergence occurs in the presence of different pollinators and whether floral convergence occurs between distantly related populations pollinated by the same pollinator. Finally, we ask whether tube length evolution is directional. Shifts between morphologically different pollinators were always associated with shifts in floral morphology, even when populations were very closely related. Distantly related populations had similar tube lengths when they were pollinated by the same pollinator. Shifts in tube length tended to be from short to long, although reversals were not infrequent. After correcting for the population-level phylogeny, there was a strong positive, linear relationship between floral tube length and pollinator proboscis length, suggesting that plants are functionally specialized on different pollinators at different sites. However, because tube length evolution in this system can be a bidirectional process, specialization to the local pollinator fauna is unlikely to result in evolutionary or ecological dead-ends such as canalization or range limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Anderson
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - P Ros
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - T J Wiese
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - A G Ellis
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
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27
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Gibert JP, Brassil CE. Individual phenotypic variation reduces interaction strengths in a consumer-resource system. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:3703-13. [PMID: 25478159 PMCID: PMC4224542 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural populations often show variation in traits that can affect the strength of interspecific interactions. Interaction strengths in turn influence the fate of pairwise interacting populations and the stability of food webs. Understanding the mechanisms relating individual phenotypic variation to interaction strengths is thus central to assess how trait variation affects population and community dynamics. We incorporated nonheritable variation in attack rates and handling times into a classical consumer–resource model to investigate how variation may alter interaction strengths, population dynamics, species persistence, and invasiveness. We found that individual variation influences species persistence through its effect on interaction strengths. In many scenarios, interaction strengths decrease with variation, which in turn affects species coexistence and stability. Because environmental change alters the direction and strength of selection acting upon phenotypic traits, our results have implications for species coexistence in a context of habitat fragmentation, climate change, and the arrival of exotic species to native ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean P Gibert
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska - Lincoln Manter Hall, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0118
| | - Chad E Brassil
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska - Lincoln Manter Hall, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0118
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28
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Magalhaes IS, Bernasconi G. Phenotypic divergence and inter-specific trait correlation in a plant-pollinator/seed predator mutualism. Evol Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-014-9713-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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29
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Minoarivelo HO, Hui C, Terblanche JS, Pond SLK, Scheffler K. Detecting phylogenetic signal in mutualistic interaction networks using a Markov process model. OIKOS 2014; 123:1250-1260. [PMID: 25294947 DOI: 10.1111/oik.00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ecological interaction networks, such as those describing the mutualistic interactions between plants and their pollinators or between plants and their frugivores, exhibit non-random structural properties that cannot be explained by simple models of network formation. One factor affecting the formation and eventual structure of such a network is its evolutionary history. We argue that this, in many cases, is closely linked to the evolutionary histories of the species involved in the interactions. Indeed, empirical studies of interaction networks along with the phylogenies of the interacting species have demonstrated significant associations between phylogeny and network structure. To date, however, no generative model explaining the way in which the evolution of individual species affects the evolution of interaction networks has been proposed. We present a model describing the evolution of pairwise interactions as a branching Markov process, drawing on phylogenetic models of molecular evolution. Using knowledge of the phylogenies of the interacting species, our model yielded a significantly better fit to 21% of a set of plant - pollinator and plant - frugivore mutualistic networks. This highlights the importance, in a substantial minority of cases, of inheritance of interaction patterns without excluding the potential role of ecological novelties in forming the current network architecture. We suggest that our model can be used as a null model for controlling evolutionary signals when evaluating the role of other factors in shaping the emergence of ecological networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- H O Minoarivelo
- H. O. Minoarivelo and K. Scheffler ( ), Computer Science Division, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - HOM and C. Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - KS and S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, Dept of Medicine, Univ. of California, San Diego, USA. - J. S. Terblanche, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - C Hui
- H. O. Minoarivelo and K. Scheffler ( ), Computer Science Division, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - HOM and C. Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - KS and S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, Dept of Medicine, Univ. of California, San Diego, USA. - J. S. Terblanche, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - J S Terblanche
- H. O. Minoarivelo and K. Scheffler ( ), Computer Science Division, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - HOM and C. Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - KS and S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, Dept of Medicine, Univ. of California, San Diego, USA. - J. S. Terblanche, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - S L Kosakovsky Pond
- H. O. Minoarivelo and K. Scheffler ( ), Computer Science Division, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - HOM and C. Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - KS and S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, Dept of Medicine, Univ. of California, San Diego, USA. - J. S. Terblanche, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - K Scheffler
- H. O. Minoarivelo and K. Scheffler ( ), Computer Science Division, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - HOM and C. Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - KS and S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, Dept of Medicine, Univ. of California, San Diego, USA. - J. S. Terblanche, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa
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30
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Raimundo RLG, Gibert JP, Hembry DH, Guimarães PR. Conflicting selection in the course of adaptive diversification: the interplay between mutualism and intraspecific competition. Am Nat 2014; 183:363-75. [PMID: 24561599 DOI: 10.1086/674965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive speciation can occur when a population undergoes assortative mating and disruptive selection caused by frequency-dependent intraspecific competition. However, other interactions, such as mutualisms based on trait matching, may generate conflicting selective pressures that constrain species diversification. We used individual-based simulations to explore how different types of mutualism affect adaptive diversification. A magic trait was assumed to simultaneously mediate mate choice, intraspecific competition, and mutualisms. In scenarios of intimate, specialized mutualisms, individuals interact with one or few individual mutualistic partners, and diversification is constrained only if the mutualism is obligate. In other scenarios, increasing numbers of different partners per individual limit diversification by generating stabilizing selection. Stabilizing selection emerges from the greater likelihood of trait mismatches for rare, extreme phenotypes than for common intermediate phenotypes. Constraints on diversification imposed by increased numbers of partners decrease if the trait matching degree has smaller positive effects on fitness. These results hold after the relaxation of various assumptions. When trait matching matters, mutualism-generated stabilizing selection would thus often constrain diversification in obligate mutualisms, such as ant-myrmecophyte associations, and in low-intimacy mutualisms, including plant-seed disperser systems. Hence, different processes, such as trait convergence favoring the incorporation of nonrelated species, are needed to explain the higher richness of low-intimacy assemblages--shown here to be up to 1 order of magnitude richer than high-intimacy systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael L G Raimundo
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Travessa 14, no. 321, 05508-900 Sao Paulo SP, Brazil
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31
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Boberg E, Alexandersson R, Jonsson M, Maad J, Ågren J, Nilsson LA. Pollinator shifts and the evolution of spur length in the moth-pollinated orchid Platanthera bifolia. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2014; 113:267-75. [PMID: 24169591 PMCID: PMC3890388 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mct217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plant-pollinator interactions are thought to have shaped much of floral evolution. Yet the relative importance of pollinator shifts and coevolutionary interactions for among-population variation in floral traits in animal-pollinated species is poorly known. This study examined the adaptive significance of spur length in the moth-pollinated orchid Platanthera bifolia. METHODS Geographical variation in the length of the floral spur of P. bifolia was documented in relation to variation in the pollinator fauna across Scandinavia, and a reciprocal translocation experiment was conducted in south-east Sweden between a long-spurred woodland population and a short-spurred grassland population. KEY RESULTS Spur length and pollinator fauna varied among regions and habitats, and spur length was positively correlated with the proboscis length of local pollinators. In the reciprocal translocation experiment, long-spurred woodland plants had higher pollination success than short-spurred grassland plants at the woodland site, while no significant difference was observed at the grassland site. CONCLUSIONS The results are consistent with the hypothesis that optimal floral phenotype varies with the morphology of the local pollinators, and that the evolution of spur length in P. bifolia has been largely driven by pollinator shifts.
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Newman E, Manning J, Anderson B. Matching floral and pollinator traits through guild convergence and pollinator ecotype formation. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2014; 113:373-84. [PMID: 24052557 PMCID: PMC3890386 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mct203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Pollinator landscapes, as determined by pollinator morphology/behaviour, can vary inter- or intraspecifically, imposing divergent selective pressures and leading to geographically divergent floral ecotypes. Assemblages of plants pollinated by the same pollinator (pollinator guilds) should exhibit convergence of floral traits because they are exposed to similar selective pressures. Both convergence and the formation of pollination ecotypes should lead to matching of traits among plants and their pollinators. METHODS We examined 17 floral guild members pollinated in all or part of their range by Prosoeca longipennis, a long-proboscid fly with geographic variation in tongue length. Attractive floral traits such as colour, and nectar properties were recorded in populations across the range of each species. The length of floral reproductive parts, a mechanical fit trait, was recorded in each population to assess possible correlation with the mouthparts of the local pollinator. A multiple regression analysis was used to determine whether pollinators or abiotic factors provided the best explanation for variation in floral traits, and pollinator shifts were recorded in extralimital guild member populations. KEY RESULTS Nine of the 17 species were visited by alternative pollinator species in other parts of their ranges, and these displayed differences in mechanical fit and attractive traits, suggesting putative pollination ecotypes. Plants pollinated by P. longipennis were similar in colour throughout the pollinator range. Tube length of floral guild members co-varied with the proboscis length of P. longipennis. CONCLUSIONS Pollinator shifts have resulted in geographically divergent pollinator ecotypes across the ranges of several guild members. However, within sites, unrelated plants pollinated by P. longipennis are similar in the length of their floral parts, most probably as a result of convergent evolution in response to pollinator morphology. Both of these lines of evidence suggest that pollinators play an important role in selecting for certain floral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Newman
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - John Manning
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont, Cape Town 7735, South Africa
| | - Bruce Anderson
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
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Diversification through multitrait evolution in a coevolving interaction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:11487-92. [PMID: 23801764 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1307451110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualisms between species are interactions in which reciprocal exploitation results in outcomes that are mutually beneficial. This reciprocal exploitation is evident in the more than a thousand plant species that are pollinated exclusively by insects specialized to lay their eggs in the flowers they pollinate. By pollinating each flower in which she lays eggs, an insect guarantees that her larval offspring have developing seeds on which to feed, whereas the plant gains a specialized pollinator at the cost of some seeds. These mutualisms are often reciprocally obligate, potentially driving not only ongoing coadaptation but also diversification. The lack of known intermediate stages in most of these mutualisms, however, makes it difficult to understand whether these interactions could have begun to diversify even before they became reciprocally obligate. Experimental studies of the incompletely obligate interactions between woodland star (Lithophragma; Saxifragaceae) plants and their pollinating floral parasites in the moth genus Greya (Prodoxidae) show that, as these lineages have diversified, the moths and plants have evolved in ways that maintain effective oviposition and pollination. Experimental assessment of pollination in divergent species and quantitative evaluation of time-lapse photographic sequences of pollination viewed on surgically manipulated flowers show that various combinations of traits are possible for maintaining the mutualism. The results suggest that at least some forms of mutualism can persist and even diversify when the interaction is not reciprocally obligate.
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Nuismer SL, Jordano P, Bascompte J. COEVOLUTION AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF MUTUALISTIC NETWORKS. Evolution 2012; 67:338-54. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01801.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Moré M, Amorim FW, Benitez-Vieyra S, Medina AM, Sazima M, Cocucci AA. Armament imbalances: match and mismatch in plant-pollinator traits of highly specialized long-spurred orchids. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41878. [PMID: 22848645 PMCID: PMC3405039 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Some species of long-spurred orchids achieve pollination by a close association with long-tongued hawkmoths. Among them, several Habenaria species present specialized mechanisms, where pollination success depends on the attachment of pollinaria onto the heads of hawkmoths with very long proboscises. However, in the Neotropical region such moths are less abundant than their shorter-tongued relatives and are also prone to population fluctuations. Both factors may give rise to differences in pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits through time and space. Methodology/Principal Findings We characterized hawkmoth assemblages and estimated phenotypic selection gradients on orchid spur lengths in populations of three South American Habenaria species. We examined the match between hawkmoth proboscis and flower spur lengths to determine whether pollinators may act as selective agents on flower morphology. We found significant directional selection on spur length only in Habenaria gourlieana, where most pollinators had proboscises longer than the mean of orchid spur length. Conclusions/Significance Phenotypic selection is dependent on the mutual match between pollinator and flower morphologies. However, our findings indicate that pollinator-mediated selection may vary through time and space according to local variations in pollinator assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Moré
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Felipe W. Amorim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil
- * E-mail:
| | - Santiago Benitez-Vieyra
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - A. Martin Medina
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Marlies Sazima
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Andrea A. Cocucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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Avilés JM, Vikan JR, Fossøy F, Antonov A, Moksnes A, Røskaft E, Shykoff JA, Møller AP, Stokke BG. Egg phenotype matching by cuckoos in relation to discrimination by hosts and climatic conditions. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:1967-76. [PMID: 22237911 PMCID: PMC3311906 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.2498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2011] [Accepted: 12/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although parasites and their hosts often coexist in a set of environmentally differentiated populations connected by gene flow, few empirical studies have considered a role of environmental variation in shaping correlations between traits of hosts and parasites. Here, we studied for the first time the association between the frequency of adaptive parasitic common cuckoo Cuculus canorus phenotypes in terms of egg matching and level of defences exhibited by its reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus hosts across seven geographically distant populations in Europe. We also explored the influence of spring climatic conditions experienced by cuckoos and hosts on cuckoo-host egg matching. We found that between-population differences in host defences against cuckoos (i.e. rejection rate) covaried with between-population differences in degree of matching. Between-population differences in host egg phenotype were associated with between-population differences in parasitism rate and spring climatic conditions, but not with host level of defences. Between-population differences in cuckoo egg phenotype covaried with between-population differences in host defences and spring climatic conditions. However, differences in host defences still explained differences in mimicry once differences in climatic conditions were controlled, suggesting that selection exerted by host defences must be strong relative to selection imposed by climatic factors on egg phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús M Avilés
- Departamento de Ecología Morfológica y Funcional, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, C.S.I.C., Carretera de Sacramento s/n, Cañada de San Urbano, 04001 Almería, Spain.
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Zhang F, Hui C, Terblanche JS. An interaction switch predicts the nested architecture of mutualistic networks. Ecol Lett 2011; 14:797-803. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01647.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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