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Amarillo-Suárez AR, Camacho-Erazo M, Herrera HW. Land use is a stronger determinant of ecological network complexity than the number of trophic levels. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0295377. [PMID: 38335167 PMCID: PMC10857743 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Land modification causes biodiversity loss and ecosystem modification. Despite many studies on the impacts of this factor, there is little empirical evidence on how it affects the interaction networks of plants, herbivores and their natural enemies; likewise, there is little evidence on how those networks change due to differences in the complexity of the communities they comprise. We analyzed the effects of land use and number of trophic levels on the interaction networks of exotic legume species and their associated arthropods. We collected seedpods from five exotic legume species (one of them invasive) in four land use types (urbanization, roadside, L. leucocephala plantation, wooded pasture) on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos, and obtained all arthropods that emerged from the seeds. Then, we built and analyzed the interaction networks for each land use at two community scales, each with different numbers of trophic levels: (1) three levels: plant-seed beetle-parasitoid (PSP), and (2) more than three levels: plant-seed beetle-parasitoid-predator and other trophic guilds (PSPP). Land use was more relevant than number of trophic levels in the configuration of species interactions. The number of species and interactions was highest on roadsides at PSPP and lowest in plantations at PSP. We found a significant effect of land use on connectance and interaction evenness (IE), and no significant effect of number of trophic levels on connectance, diversity or IE. The simultaneous analysis of land use and number of trophic levels enabled the identification of more complex patterns of community structure. Comparison of the patterns we found among islands and between exotic and native legumes is recommended. Understanding the structure of the communities analyzed here, as well as the relative contribution of their determinants of change, would allow us to develop conservation plans according to the dynamics of these neo-ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R. Amarillo-Suárez
- Departamento de Ecología y Territorio, Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - Mariana Camacho-Erazo
- Escuela de Ingeniería en Recursos Renovables, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo, Ecuador
| | - Henri W. Herrera
- Escuela de Ingeniería en Recursos Renovables, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo, Ecuador
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2
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Ospina-Calderón NH, Tremblay RL, Torres AM, Flanagan NS. The effect of habitat transformation on a twig epiphytic orchid: Evidence from population dynamics. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1135316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The tropical Andean landscape has been dramatically transformed over the last century with remaining native forest limited to small fragments within a heterogeneous matrix of crops, cattle pastures, and urban environments. We aimed to explore the impact of habitat transformation on the population dynamics in an endemic twig epiphytic orchid located within the undisturbed forest and within modified matrix habitat in two regions with contrasting landscape structures: with a dominant shade coffee matrix and a dominant grassland matrix. Over 2 years, we surveyed 4,650 individuals of the Colombian endemic orchid, Rodriguezia granadensis. We undertook four post-breeding censuses in three sites in each region in both native forest and pasture sub-sites (12 sub-sites; 48 censuses in total), and constructed demographic transition matrices (n = 36). The transition probabilities were calculated using a Bayesian approach and population grow rates were evaluated using asymptotic models and elasticities using transient dynamics. Between regions, higher population growth rate and inertia (defined as the largest or smallest long-term population density with the same initial density distribution) was seen in the shade coffee-dominated landscape. Additionally, population growth rate and damping ratio was higher in forest compared with pasture, with lower convergence time for the forest subsites. These demographic patterns reveal the contrasting levels of population resilience of this orchid in different landscape structures with the more connected shade-coffee dominated landscape permitting some healthier populations with greater population growth and survival in forest than pasture. This study highlights that twig epiphyte colonization of isolated phorophytes in pastures should not be interpreted as a sign of a healthy population but as a temporal transitory period.
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Stein F, Wagner S, Bräsicke N, Gailing O, Moura CCM, Götz M. A Non-Destructive High-Speed Procedure to Obtain DNA Barcodes from Soft-Bodied Insect Samples with a Focus on the Dipteran Section of Schizophora. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13080679. [PMID: 36005305 PMCID: PMC9409269 DOI: 10.3390/insects13080679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
While the need for biodiversity research is growing, paradoxically, global taxonomical expertise is decreasing as a result of the neglected funding for young academics in taxonomy. Non-destructive approaches for DNA barcoding are necessary for a more efficient use of this dwindling expertise to fill gaps, and identify incorrect entries in sequence databases like BOLD or GenBank. They are efficient because morphological re-examination of species vouchers is still possible post-DNA barcoding. Non-destructive approaches for Diptera with a comprehensive species representation or the consideration of diagnostic fragile morphological characters are missing. Additionally, most non-destructive approaches combine a time intensive and non-destructive digestion step with common DNA extraction methods, such as commercial kits or CTAB DNA isolation. We circumvented those approaches and combined a modified non-destructive TE buffer high-speed DNA extraction, with a PCR inhibitor-resistant PCR reaction system, to a non-destructive DNA barcoding procedure for fresh and frozen samples of the Schizophora (Diptera). This method avoids morphological impairment and the application of harmful chemicals, is cost and time effective, restricts the need for laboratory equipment to a minimum, and prevents cross-contamination risk during DNA isolation. Moreover, the study indicates that the presented non-destructive DNA barcoding procedure is transferable to other soft-bodied insects. We suggest that PCR inhibitor-resistant master mixes enable the development of new—and the modification of existing—non-destructive approaches with the avoidance of further DNA template cleaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Stein
- Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Julius Kühn Institute, 38014 Braunschweig, Germany; (S.W.); (N.B.); (M.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)-3946-47-4010
| | - Stefan Wagner
- Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Julius Kühn Institute, 38014 Braunschweig, Germany; (S.W.); (N.B.); (M.G.)
| | - Nadine Bräsicke
- Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Julius Kühn Institute, 38014 Braunschweig, Germany; (S.W.); (N.B.); (M.G.)
| | - Oliver Gailing
- Büsgen Institute, Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; (O.G.); (C.C.M.M.)
| | - Carina C. M. Moura
- Büsgen Institute, Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; (O.G.); (C.C.M.M.)
| | - Monika Götz
- Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Julius Kühn Institute, 38014 Braunschweig, Germany; (S.W.); (N.B.); (M.G.)
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Quinto J, Díaz-Castelazo C, Rico-Gray V, Martínez-Falcón AP, Abdala-Roberts L, Parra-Tabla V. Short-Term Temporal Patterns in Herbivore Beetle Assemblages in Polyculture Neotropical Forest Plantations. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 51:199-211. [PMID: 34988944 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-021-00933-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Although insect herbivorous communities in tropical forests are known to exhibit strong seasonality, few studies have systematically assessed temporal patterns of variation in community structure and plant-herbivore interactions in early successional arboreal communities. We assessed seasonal and interannual variation of the diversity and composition of herbivorous beetles and the tree-herbivore network in a recently established polyculture forest plantation, during the dry and the rainy seasons of 2012 and of 2013. Species richness was similar between years, while the ecological diversity was higher in 2012. Comparing seasons, no differences were found in 2012, whereas in 2013, the species richness and ecological diversity were higher during the dry season. The species composition differed radically across years and seasons. Moreover, a quantitative nested pattern was consistently found across both temporal scales, more influenced by species densities. We found temporal changes in the species strength, whereas connectance and interaction evenness remained stable. Rapid temporal changes in the structural complexity of recently established polyculture plantations and the availability and quality of the trophic resources they offer may act as drivers of beetle diversity patterns, promoting rapid variation in herbivore composition and some interacting attributes. Nonetheless, network structure, connectance, and interaction evenness remained similar, suggesting that reorganizations in the distribution of species may determine the maintenance of the patterns of interaction. Further work assessing long-term temporal dynamics of herbivore beetle assemblages are needed to more robustly relate diversity and interaction patterns to biotic and abiotic factors and their implications in management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Quinto
- Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY), Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico.
- Instituto de Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera de Andalucía (IFAPA), Centro de Málaga (Churriana), Málaga, Spain.
| | | | - Víctor Rico-Gray
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Ana Paola Martínez-Falcón
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Comunidades, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Mineral de La Reforma, Hidalgo, Mexico
| | - Luis Abdala-Roberts
- Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY), Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico
| | - Víctor Parra-Tabla
- Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY), Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico
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Kulikowski AJ, Zahawi RA, Holl KD. Effects of insect herbivory on seedling mortality in restored and remnant tropical forest. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andy J. Kulikowski
- Department of Environmental Studies University of California Santa Cruz 1156 High Street Santa Cruz CA 95064 U.S.A
| | - Rakan A. Zahawi
- Department of Environmental Studies University of California Santa Cruz 1156 High Street Santa Cruz CA 95064 U.S.A
- Lyon Arboretum University of Hawai'i at Mānoa 3860 Mānoa Road Honolulu Hawaii 96822 U.S.A
| | - Karen D. Holl
- Department of Environmental Studies University of California Santa Cruz 1156 High Street Santa Cruz CA 95064 U.S.A
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Carvalho RL, Anjos DV, Fagundes R, Luna P, Ribeiro SP. Similar topologies of individual‐based plant‐herbivorous networks in forest interior and anthropogenic edges. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel L Carvalho
- Departamento de Biodiversidade Evolução e Meio Ambiente Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto Ouro Preto Minas GeraisC.P. 35400‐000Brazil
- Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Minas GeraisC.P. 38400‐902Brazil
| | - Diego V Anjos
- Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Minas GeraisC.P. 38400‐902Brazil
| | - Roberth Fagundes
- Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro‐Brasileira Redenção CearáC.P. 62790‐000Brazil
| | - Pedro Luna
- Red de Ecoetología Instituto de Ecología AC Xalapa VeracruzC.P. 91070Mexico
| | - Sérvio Pontes Ribeiro
- Departamento de Biodiversidade Evolução e Meio Ambiente Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto Ouro Preto Minas GeraisC.P. 35400‐000Brazil
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Missagia CCC, Alves MAS. Florivory by the occupants of phytotelmata in flower parts can decrease host plant fecundity. Curr Zool 2021; 68:69-79. [PMID: 35169630 PMCID: PMC8836343 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Some types of plant accumulate liquid in their inflorescences creating phytotelmata. These environments protect the flowers against florivory, although they may be colonized by aquatic or semi-aquatic florivorous insect larvae, whose effects on the fitness of the plants remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis of floral antagonism by the occupants of phytotelmata, which predicts that florivory by the occupants of the phytotelmata represents a cost to the female fitness of the plant, reducing its fecundity. We manipulated experimentally the infestation by 3 florivores larvae species occupants of phytotelmata in inflorescences of Heliconia spathocircinata (Heliconiaceae) to test for negative direct trophic effects on the fecundity of the flowering and fruiting bracts. We found that the foraging of the hoverfly (Syrphidae) and moth (Lepidoptera) larvae in the inflorescences contributed to a decline in the fecundity of the plant. While the lepidopteran impacted fecundity when foraging in both flowering and fruiting bracts, the syrphid only affected the fruiting bracts, which indicates that the nectar and floral tissue are the principal resource exploited by the hoverfly. By contrast, soldier fly (Stratiomyidae) had a neutral effect on fecundity, while foraging in flowering or fruiting bracts. These findings corroborate our hypothesis, that herbivory by the larval occupants represents cost to the host plant having phytotelmata. The negative influence of this foraging on plant fecundity will nevertheless depend on the consequences of the exploitation of resources, which vary considerably in ephemeral habitats such as the phytotalmanta of flower parts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio C C Missagia
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Pavilhão Haroldo Lisboa da Cunha, Sala 224, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Maria Alice S Alves
- Department of Ecology, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Pavilhão Haroldo Lisboa da Cunha, Sala 220, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro 20550-013, Brazil
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8
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Ecosystem decay exacerbates biodiversity loss with habitat loss. Nature 2020; 584:238-243. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2531-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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9
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Forti LR, Pontes MR, Alcantara EP, Morais DH, Silva RJ, Dodonov P, Toledo LF. Torrent frogs have fewer macroparasites but higher rates of chytrid infection in landscapes with smaller forest cover. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Rodriguez Forti
- Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal da Bahia Campus de Ondina Salvador Bahia40170‐115Brazil
| | - Mariana Retuci Pontes
- Laboratório Multiusuário de Bioacústica (LMBio) e Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB) Departamento de Biologia Animal Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Sao Paulo13083‐970Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Sao Paulo13083‐970Brazil
| | - Edna Paulino Alcantara
- Setor de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de São Paulo/UNESP Rua Professor Doutor Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin, s/n Botucatu Sao Paulo18618‐689Brazil
| | - Drausio Honorio Morais
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias UFU – Universidade Federal de Uberlândia LMG‐746, Km 1 Monte Carmelo Minas Gerais38500‐000Brazil
| | - Reinaldo José Silva
- Setor de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de São Paulo/UNESP Rua Professor Doutor Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin, s/n Botucatu Sao Paulo18618‐689Brazil
| | - Pavel Dodonov
- Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal da Bahia Campus de Ondina Salvador Bahia40170‐115Brazil
| | - Luís Felipe Toledo
- Laboratório Multiusuário de Bioacústica (LMBio) e Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB) Departamento de Biologia Animal Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Sao Paulo13083‐970Brazil
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Diversity metrics of spider communities associated with an understorey plant in tropical rain forest fragments. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s026646741900035x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractHuman activities change the biodiversity of ecological communities in at least three dimensions: ecologically, taxonomically and functionally. Gathering information on these three dimensions allows the improvement of biodiversity assessments and the increased understanding of anthropogenic impact on natural communities. In this study, we analysed the spider community associated with the tropical plant Heliconia aurantiaca in two contrasting habitat types: continuous forest and forest fragments in south-eastern Mexico. We examined the foliage, stems and bracts of H. aurantiaca individuals in both habitats. We categorized each spider species according to its behavioural and functional traits. We analysed ecological diversity using Hill numbers, taxonomic distinctness and functional diversity using the FRic index. Overall, we collected a total of 110 spiders, of which 44 individuals from 29 species were found in continuous forests, with 66 individuals from 36 species in forest fragments. We found greater ecological diversity in continuous forest than in fragments. In contrast, we found lower functional diversity in continuous forest than in fragments. Taxonomic diversity showed no significant difference between habitats. Forest fragmentation affected the biodiversity of spiders by disrupting species composition and function, which may lead to other ecological changes such as predator–prey interactions and other aspects of ecosystem functioning.
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Núñez SF, López-Baucells A, Rocha R, Farneda FZ, Bobrowiec PED, Palmeirim JM, Meyer CFJ. Echolocation and Stratum Preference: Key Trait Correlates of Vulnerability of Insectivorous Bats to Tropical Forest Fragmentation. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Márquez J, Asiain J, Martínez-Falcón AP, Escoto-Moreno JA. Coleoptera in the Canopy of the Cloud Forest From Tlanchinol in the State of Hidalgo, Mexico. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 48:1012-1023. [PMID: 31114874 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvz059] [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: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We describe the biodiversity, seasonal variation, and the possible edge effect of Coleoptera found in the canopy of the cloud forest in Tlanchinol in the state of Hidalgo. The coleopterans were collected by means of three fogging events during the dry season and another three during the rainy season in three sites of the forest: the edge, an intermediate, and an internal site. In total, 3,487 coleopterans were collected, belonging to 325 morphospecies from 52 families. The family with the largest number of morphospecies and abundance was Staphylinidae, followed by Curculionidae and Chrysomelidae. Species richness and abundance were higher in the dry season than in the rainy season. The biodiversity analyses, however, suggest that the rainy season showed the highest biodiversity levels, mainly because of the pronounced dominance of some species in the dry season. Species composition was different between the dry and rainy seasons. The internal site showed the lowest biodiversity compared with the intermediate and edge sites. The main edge effect detected was that species composition in the edge site differed from the intermediate and internal sites. Species composition did not differ significantly between the two latter sites. These results suggest that the study zone had a considerable level of biodiversity of Coleoptera and that it was very likely in a well-preserved condition, which supports the findings of another study previously performed in the same site using flight intercept traps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Márquez
- Laboratorio de Sistemática Animal, Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo, México
| | - Julieta Asiain
- Laboratorio de Sistemática Animal, Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo, México
| | - Ana P Martínez-Falcón
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Comunidades, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo s/n, Ciudad del Conocimiento, Col. Carboneras, CP, Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo, México
| | - Jaime A Escoto-Moreno
- Colección Zoológica, Departamento de Biología, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes. Ciudad Universitaria, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México
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Yekwayo I, Mwabvu T. Diversity and composition of flightless arthropods on rock outcrops and adjacent vegetation in the savannah, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Afr J Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Inam Yekwayo
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences University of Mpumalanga Mbombela South Africa
| | - Tarombera Mwabvu
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences University of Mpumalanga Mbombela South Africa
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14
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Rosano-Hinojosa AM, Martínez-Falcón AP, Martínez-Hernández S, Ramírez-Hernández A. Temporal Shifts and Cactus-Beetle Networks in an Intertropical Semiarid Zone in Mexico. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 48:88-96. [PMID: 30590465 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvy175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Cactus-dominated semiarid scrubland covers 40% of Mexican territory. This ecosystem is highly dynamic and undergoes drastic changes caused by seasonality. These temporal changes influence saprophagous insect communities associated with Cactaceae species. In this study, we analyzed the beetle community associated with decayed cactus species at the Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve in central Mexico. We compared the diversity and composition of beetle communities in rainy and dry seasons; moreover, the network architecture of cactus-beetle interactions was examined. High dominance and abundance were detected in rainy assemblages, whereas the dry season had less abundance but more ecological diversity. A nested structure was found between individual cactus species and beetle species, as well as in an intrapopulation network between fragments of the columnar cacti Isolatocereus dumortieri (Scheidw.) Backeb. (Cactaceae), and beetle species for both seasons (rainy and dry). This finding shows more generalist than specialist beetle species inhabiting cactus species. Further research is still needed to understand whether the presence of these beetle species is determined by microhabitat conditions or the abundance of prey associated with decayed cacti. This is the first step in untangling the complex interactions among cactus-beetle species involved in the decomposition process of cacti in semiarid environments. This study provides evidence of temporal shifts in abundance and diversity patterns of these beetles associated with decayed cacti; furthermore, we did not detect an influence of seasonality on the structure of cactus-beetle interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Monserrat Rosano-Hinojosa
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingenierías, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Hidalgo, México
| | - Ana Paola Martínez-Falcón
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingenierías, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Hidalgo, México
| | - Sylvia Martínez-Hernández
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingenierías, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Hidalgo, México
| | - Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández
- CONACYT-IPICYT/Consorcio de Investigación, Innovación y Desarrollo para las Zonas Áridas. San Luis Potosí, México
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Crestani A, Mello M, Cazetta E. Interindividual variations in plant and fruit traits affect the structure of a plant-frugivore network. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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16
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Berriozabal-Islas C, Ramírez-Bautista A, Cruz-Elizalde R, Hernández-Salinas U. Modification of landscape as promoter of change in structure and taxonomic diversity of reptile´s communities: an example in tropical landscape in the central region of Mexico. NATURE CONSERVATION 2018. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.28.26186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The degree of species loss was assessed by comparing the structure of communities and species diversity of reptiles from three different environments, one natural (tropical evergreen forest [TEF]) and two modified (shaded coffee plantation [SCP] and grazing area [GA]) from the mid portion of the Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico. The results showed 29 species, 18 in TEF, 13 in SCP and 12 in GA. According to the abundance of each species, the reptile structure for TEF and SCP was similar and they both differed from GA, while the diversity (effective number of species) was the highest for TEF. The percentage of number of species from TEF accounted for 28% more species than SCP and GA, which indicated a species loss of about 70% in disturbed environments. The values of beta diversity were the highest between TEF and GA, followed by SCP and GA and to a lesser degree between TEF and SCP, which indicates that TEF showed a high number of exclusive species. Our results suggest that carrying out long-term studies that include richness and diversity in environments with different levels of disturbance, in addition to including characteristics of natural history, might enhance the development of more efficient conservation strategies for these species.
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Sánchez-Galván IR, Marcos-García MÁ, Galante E, Azeria ET, Micó E. Unraveling Saproxylic Insect Interactions in Tree Hollows from Iberian Mediterranean Forest. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:300-308. [PMID: 29506151 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvy008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Tree hollows are complex microhabitats in which a variety of abiotic and biotic factors shape the community assembly of saproxylic insects. Detecting non-random species co-occurrence patterns is a fundamental goal in ecology in order to understand the assembly mechanisms of communities. We study association patterns of species of Coleoptera and Diptera (Syrphidae), belonging to different trophic guilds, on 72 tree hollows at a local and regional scale in three protected areas in Mediterranean forests using a fixed-fixed null model. Our matrix-level analysis shows a tendency for segregation in species association (species exclusion) at the regional and site levels. However, the high complexity of tree-hollow habitats, offering different resources for a more or less specialized fauna, makes it difficult to prove competition interactions. Indeed, pairwise analysis shows a dominance of non-random aggregation patterns (species coexistence) at the local and regional levels. Both aggregation and segregation of non-random patterns were more common among species from different trophic guilds than within the same guilds, with predators being a common denominator for a high percentage of the inter-guild pairs. Our results suggest that predation and facilitation interactions, together with habitat segregation, are the main factors shaping tree-hollow assemblages, while competition seems to be less important. We conclude that species interactions take an important part of the process of assemblage structuration and special attention should be paid to 'ecosystem engineers' and threatened species in the conservation of tree hollow assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid R Sánchez-Galván
- Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad (CIBIO), Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | | | - Eduardo Galante
- Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad (CIBIO), Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Ermias T Azeria
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, Science Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
| | - Estefanía Micó
- Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad (CIBIO), Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
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Structural breakdown of specialized plant-herbivore interaction networks in tropical forest edges. Glob Ecol Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Phylogeographic structure of Canthon cyanellus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), a Neotropical dung beetle in the Mexican Transition Zone: Insights on its origin and the impacts of Pleistocene climatic fluctuations on population dynamics. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 109:180-190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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