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Zhao W, Soininen J, Hu A, Liu J, Li M, Wang J. The structure of bacteria-fungi bipartite networks along elevational gradients in contrasting climates. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17442. [PMID: 38953280 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17442] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is altering species distribution and modifying interactions in microbial communities. Understanding microbial community structure and their interactions is crucial to interpreting ecosystem responses to climate change. Here, we examined the assemblages of stream bacteria and fungi, and the associations between the two groups along elevational gradients in two regions with contrasting precipitation and temperature, that is the Galong and Qilian mountains of the Tibetan Plateau. In the wetter and warmer region, the species richness significantly increased and decreased with elevation for bacteria and fungi, respectively, while were nonsignificant in the drier and colder region. Their bipartite network structure was also different by showing significant increases in connectance and nestedness towards higher elevations only in the wetter and warmer region. In addition, these correlation network structure generally exhibited similar positive association with species richness in the wetter and warmer region and the drier and colder region. In the wetter and warmer region, climatic change along elevation was more important in determining connectance and nestedness, whereas microbial species richness exerted a stronger influence on network structure and robustness in the drier and colder region. These findings indicate substantial forthcoming changes in microbial diversity and network structure in warming climates, especially in wetter and warmer regions on Earth, advancing the understanding of microbial bipartite interactions' response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Janne Soininen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ang Hu
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinfu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Mingjia Li
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianjun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
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2
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Wang X, Fu X, Shi M, Xue C, Yang J, Zhao Z, Li S, Tu T. Multiple interaction networks reveal that Lepidoptera larvae and adults prefer various host plants for diet and pollination. Integr Zool 2024; 19:763-776. [PMID: 37427545 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12745] [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] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Plant-Lepidoptera interactions are often studied using the pollination or herbivore networks only. Lepidoptera species are involved in two types of plant-insect interactions because they are herbivores as larvae and pollinators as adults. The study of entangled networks is critical, since the interaction of different networks can affect the overall network and community stability. Here, we studied the interaction of plants and Lepidoptera on the Yongxing Island, South China Sea. A plant-lepidopteran pollination network and a plant-lepidopteran herbivore network were built by using data from flower-pollinator and leaf-herbivore interactions. We then combined the two networks into a single network. We measured plant composition similarity within each sub-network and across sub-networks for Lepidoptera species. Our findings indicate that the plant-Lepidoptera pollination network and the herbivory network share significant proportions of Lepidoptera but small proportions of plant assemblages. The pollination network had higher nestedness and connectance than the herbivore network. Agrius convolvuli was the most specialized species, while Zizina otis had the highest species strength in the pollination network. Most Lepidoptera species were highly specialized in the herbivore network and their importance positively correlated across the two networks. Furthermore, there was no dietary composition similarity between the two networks for most Lepidoptera species. Our findings highlight the visible structural difference between the pollination and the herbivore networks. Adult Lepidoptera selects different plants for oviposition and feeding, a strategy that may benefit their reproduction and survival by sustaining adequate resources for their two life stages and the diversity of both plants and insects in oceanic island communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao Fu
- Ningxia Yunwu Mountain National Natural Reserve, Guyuan, China
| | - Miaomiao Shi
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunquan Xue
- Guangdong Forestry Survey and Planning Institute, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiazhi Yang
- Guangdong Forestry Survey and Planning Institute, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongtao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shijin Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tieyao Tu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
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3
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Skoracki M, Unsoeld M, Kosicki JZ, Melzer RR, Friedrich S, Sikora B. Enigmatic host-mite relationships: Unraveling the distribution of quill mites on Birds-of-Paradise. Int J Parasitol 2024; 54:415-427. [PMID: 38575051 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) are permanent and obligatory parasites of birds. This study presents an analysis of mite material collected from 22 avian species belonging to the family Paradisaeidae (Passeriformes), revealing the presence of four mite species belonging to four genera: Syringophiloidus attenboroughi n. sp., Peristerophila regiusi n. comb., Picobia frankei, and Gunabopicobia garylarsoni. In the present work, the genus Neoperisterophila is synonymized with the genus Peristerophila. While the genera Syringophiloidus and Picobia were expectedly found on paradisaeid birds, given their prevalence in passerines, the presence of Peristerophila and Gunabopicobia was intriguing, suggesting potential host-switching events. The specificity of these mites varies, with some showing occurrence on hosts of closely related genera and others infesting phylogenetically distant hosts. Notably, the distribution of specific mite species on the Birds-of-Paradise appears to be influenced by both long coevolutionary histories and incidental contacts between often unrelated or intergeneric hybrid species of paradisaeid birds. Furthermore, our research of 104 specimens from 22 Birds-of-Paradise species shows generally low infestation rates across the studied species, suggesting a nuanced interaction between these mites and their avian hosts. Additionally, our network analysis provides a deeper understanding of these host-parasite interactions, revealing a high level of specialization and complexity in these ecological relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Skoracki
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Markus Unsoeld
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Sektion Ornithology, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 Munich, Germany
| | - Jakub Z Kosicki
- Department of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Roland R Melzer
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Sektion Arthropoda Varia, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Faculty of Biology, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Friedrich
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Sektion Arthropoda Varia, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Faculty of Biology, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Bozena Sikora
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
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Arnillas CA, Carscadden K. When indices disagree: facing conceptual and practical challenges. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:634-643. [PMID: 38508921 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Hypothesis testing requires meaningful ways to quantify biological phenomena and account for alternative mechanisms that could explain the same pattern. Researchers combine experiments, statistics, and indices to account for these confounding mechanisms. Key concepts in ecology and evolution, such as niche breadth (NB) or fitness, can be represented by several indices, which often provide uncorrelated estimates. Is this because the indices use different types of noisy data or because the targeted phenomenon is complex and multidimensional? We discuss implications of these scenarios and propose five steps to aid researchers in identifying and combining indices, experiments, and statistics. Building on prior efforts to construct databases of hypotheses and indices and document assumptions, these steps help provide a formal strategy to reduce self-confirmatory bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alberto Arnillas
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto - Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada.
| | - Kelly Carscadden
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, 1900 Pleasant Street, Box 334, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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Abrham M, Norén K, Bartolomé Filella J, Angerbjörn A, Lecomte N, Pečnerová P, Freire S, Dalerum F. Properties of vertebrate predator-prey networks in the high Arctic. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11470. [PMID: 38826159 PMCID: PMC11137350 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11470] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Predation is an important ecological process that can significantly impact the maintenance of ecosystem services. In arctic environments, the relative ecological importance of predation is thought to be increasing due to climate change, partly because of increased productivity with rising temperatures. Therefore, understanding predator-prey interactions in arctic ecosystems is vital for the sustainable management of these northern regions. Network theory provides a framework for quantifying the structures of ecological interactions. In this study, we use dietary observations on mammalian and avian predators in a high arctic region, including isolated peninsulas on Ellesmere Island and north Greenland, to construct bipartite trophic networks. We quantify the complexity, specialization, and nested as well as modular structures of these networks and also determine if these properties varied among the peninsulas. Mammal prey remains were the dominant diet item for all predators, but there was spatial variation in diet composition among peninsulas. The predator-prey networks were less complex, had more specialized interactions, and were more nested and more modular than random expectations. However, the networks displayed only moderate levels of modularity. Predator species had less specialized interactions with prey than prey had with predators. All network properties differed among the peninsulas, which highlights that ecosystems often show complex responses to environmental characteristics. We suggest that gaining knowledge about spatial variation in the characteristics of predator-prey interactions can enhance our ability to manage ecosystems exposed to environmental perturbations, particularly in high arctic environments subject to rapid environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muzit Abrham
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Karin Norén
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | | | | | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Department of BiologyUniversity of MonctonMonctonNew BrunswickCanada
| | | | - Susana Freire
- Biodiversity Research InstituteCSIC‐Univ. Oviedo‐PrincMieresSpain
- Biodiversity Research InstituteMieresSpain
| | - Fredrik Dalerum
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Biodiversity Research InstituteCSIC‐Univ. Oviedo‐PrincMieresSpain
- Biodiversity Research InstituteMieresSpain
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
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6
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Glenny WR, Runyon JB, Burkle LA. Bumble bee diet breadth increases with local abundance and phenophase duration, not intraspecific variation in body size. Oecologia 2024; 205:149-162. [PMID: 38796612 PMCID: PMC11144151 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05560-9] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Patterns of abundance across space and time, and intraspecific variation in body size, are two species attributes known to influence diet breadth and the structure of interaction networks. Yet, the relative influence of these attributes on diet breadth is often assumed to be equal among taxonomic groups, and the relationship between intraspecific variation in body size on interaction patterns is frequently neglected. We observed bee-flower interactions in multiple locations across Montana, USA, for two growing seasons and measured spatial and temporal patterns of abundance, along with interspecific and intraspecific variation in body size for prevalent species. We predicted that the association between spatial and temporal patterns of abundance and intraspecific variation in body size, and diet breadth, would be stronger for bumble bee compared to non-bumble bee species, because species with flexible diets and long activity periods can interact with more food items. Bumble bees had higher local abundance, occurred in many local communities, more intraspecific variation in body size, and longer phenophases compared to non-bumble bee species, but only local abundance and phenophase duration had a stronger positive association with the diet breadth of bumble bee compared to non-bumble bee species. Communities with a higher proportion of bumble bees also had higher intraspecific variation in body size at the network-level, and network-level intraspecific variation in body size was positively correlated with diet generalization. Our findings highlight that the association between species attributes and diet breadth changes depending on the taxonomic group, with implications for the structure of interaction networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will R Glenny
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
| | - Justin B Runyon
- US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Laura A Burkle
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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7
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Wang YL, Ikuma K, Brooks SC, Varonka MS, Deonarine A. Non-mercury methylating microbial taxa are integral to understanding links between mercury methylation and elemental cycles in marine and freshwater sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 346:123573. [PMID: 38365074 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to explore the role of non-mercury (Hg) methylating taxa in mercury methylation and to identify potential links between elemental cycles and Hg methylation. Statistical approaches were utilized to investigate the microbial community and biochemical functions in relation to methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in marine and freshwater sediments. Sediments were collected from the methylation zone (top 15 cm) in four Hg-contaminated sites. Both abiotic (e.g., sulfate, sulfide, iron, salinity, total organic matter, etc.) and biotic factors (e.g., hgcA, abundances of methylating and non-methylating taxa) were quantified. Random forest and stepwise regression were performed to assess whether non-methylating taxa were significantly associated with MeHg concentration. Co-occurrence and functional network analyses were constructed to explore associations between taxa by examining microbial community structure, composition, and biochemical functions across sites. Regression analysis showed that approximately 80% of the variability in sediment MeHg concentration was predicted by total mercury concentration, the abundances of Hg methylating taxa, and the abundances of the non-Hg methylating taxa. The co-occurrence networks identified Paludibacteraceae and Syntrophorhabdaceae as keystone non Hg methylating taxa in multiple sites, indicating the potential for syntrophic interactions with Hg methylators. Strong associations were also observed between methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria, which were likely symbiotic associations. The functional network results suggested that non-Hg methylating taxa play important roles in sulfur respiration, nitrogen respiration, and the carbon metabolism-related functions methylotrophy, methanotrophy, and chemoheterotrophy. Interestingly, keystone functions varied by site and did not involve carbon- and sulfur-related functions only. Our findings highlight associations between methylating and non-methylating taxa and sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen cycles in sediment methylation zones, with implications for predicting and understanding the impact of climate and land/sea use changes on Hg methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Li Wang
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Construction Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Kaoru Ikuma
- Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Scott C Brooks
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Environmental Science Division, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Matthew S Varonka
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Reston, VA, United States
| | - Amrika Deonarine
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Construction Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States.
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8
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Avilés JM. The evolutionary ecology of bird-ant interactions: a pervasive but under-studied connection. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232023. [PMID: 38166423 PMCID: PMC10762437 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2023] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Birds and ants are among the most ubiquitous taxa co-occurring in terrestrial ecosystems, but how they mutually interact is almost unknown. Here, the main features of this neglected interaction are synthetized in a systematic literature review. Interaction with ants has been recorded in 1122 bird species (11.2% of extant species) belonging to 131 families widely distributed across the globe and the avian phylogeny. On the other hand, 47 genus of ants (14.4% of extant genus) belonging to eight subfamilies interact with birds. Interactions include competition, antagonism (either ant-bird mutual predation or parasitism) and living together commensally or mutualistically. Competition (48.9%) and antagonism (36.1%) were the most common reported interactions. The potential for engaging in commensalism and competition with ants has a phylogenetic structure in birds and was present in the birds' ancestor. Interaction is better studied in the tropics, in where the network is less dense and more nested than in temperate or arid biomes. This review demonstrates that ant-bird interactions are a pervasive phenomenon across ecological domains, playing a key role in ecosystem function. Future studies need to combine sensible experimentation within anthropogenic disturbance gradients in order to achieve a better understanding of this interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús M. Avilés
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, EEZA-CSIC, Almería E-04120, Spain
- Unidad Asociada (CSIC-UNEX): Ecología en el Antropoceno, Badajoz E-06006, Spain
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Bellekom B, Lewis OT, Hackett TD. Latitudinal and anthropogenic effects on the structuring of networks linking blood-feeding flies and their vertebrate hosts. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:675-682. [PMID: 37261902 PMCID: PMC10946476 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Biting flies (Diptera) transmit pathogens that cause many important diseases in humans as well as domestic and wild animals. The networks of feeding interactions linking these insects to their hosts, and how they vary geographically and in response to human land-use, are currently poorly documented but are relevant to understanding cross-species disease transmission. We compiled a database of biting Diptera-host interactions from the literature to investigate how key interaction network metrics vary latitudinally and with human land-use. Interaction evenness and H2' (a measure of the degree of network specificity) did not vary significantly with latitude. Compared to near-natural habitats, interaction evenness was significantly lower in agricultural habitats, where networks were dominated by relatively few species pairs, but there was no evidence that the presence of humans and their domesticated animals within networks led to systematic shifts in network structure. We discuss the epidemiological relevance of these results and the implications for predicting and mitigating future spill-over events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Bellekom
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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10
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Russo L, Stout JC. Manipulating network connectance by altering plant attractiveness. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16319. [PMID: 38025756 PMCID: PMC10640842 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mutualistic interactions between plants and their pollinating insects are critical to the maintenance of biodiversity. However, we have yet to demonstrate that we are able to manage the structural properties of these networks for the purposes of pollinator conservation and preserving functional outcomes, such as pollination services. Our objective was to explore the extent of our ability to experimentally increase, decrease, and maintain connectance, a structural attribute that reflects patterns of insect visitation and foraging preferences. Patterns of connectance relate to the stability and function of ecological networks. Methods We implemented a 2-year field experiment across eight sites in urban Dublin, Ireland, applying four agrochemical treatments to fixed communities of seven flowering plant species in a randomized block design. We spent ~117 h collecting 1,908 flower-visiting insects of 92 species or morphospecies with standardized sampling methods across the 2 years. We hypothesized that the fertilizer treatment would increase, herbicide decrease, and a combination of both maintain the connectance of the network, relative to a control treatment of just water. Results Our results showed that we were able to successfully increase network connectance with a fertilizer treatment, and maintain network connectance with a combination of fertilizer and herbicide. However, we were not successful in decreasing network connectance with the herbicide treatment. The increase in connectance in the fertilized treatment was due to an increased species richness of visiting insects, rather than changes to their abundance. We also demonstrated that this change was due to an increase in the realized proportion of insect visitor species rather than increased visitation by common, generalist species of floral visitors. Overall, this work suggests that connectance is an attribute of network structure that can be manipulated, with implications for management goals or conservation efforts in these mutualistic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Russo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Jane C. Stout
- Department of Botany, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
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11
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Becoche-Mosquera JM, Gomez-Bernal LG, Zambrano-Gonzalez G, Angulo-Ortiz D. Unraveling plant-pollinator interactions from a south-west Andean forest in Colombia. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16133. [PMID: 38025706 PMCID: PMC10640843 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Loss of biological connectivity increases the vulnerability of ecological dynamics, thereby affecting processes such as pollination. Therefore, it is important to understand the roles of the actors that participate in these interaction networks. Nonetheless, there is a significant oversight regarding the main actors in the pollination networks within the highly biodiverse forests of Colombia. Hence, the present study aims to evaluate the interaction patterns of a network of potential pollinators that inhabit an Andean Forest in Totoró, Cauca, Colombia. Methods The interactions between plants and potential pollinators were recorded through direct observation in 10 transects during six field trips conducted over the course of one year. Subsequently, an interaction matrix was developed, and network metrics such as connectance, specialization, nestedness, and asymmetry of interaction strength were evaluated by applying null models. An interpolation/extrapolation curve was calculated in order to assess the representativeness of the sample. Finally, the key species of the network were identified by considering degree (k), centrality, and betweenness centrality. Results A total of 53 plant species and 52 potential pollinator species (including insects and birds) were recorded, with a sample coverage of 88.5%. Connectance (C = 0.19) and specialization (H2' = 0.19) were low, indicating a generalist network. Freziera canescens, Gaiadendron punctatum, Persea mutisii, Bombus rubicundus, Heliangelus exortis, Chironomus sp., and Metallura tyrianthina were identified as the key species that contribute to a more cohesive network structure. Discussion The present study characterized the structure of the plant-pollinator network in a highly diverse Andean forest in Colombia. It is evident that insects are the largest group of pollinators; however, it is interesting to note that birds form a different module that specializes in pollinating a specific group of plants. On the other hand, the diversity and generality of the species found suggest that the network may be robust against chains of extinction. Nevertheless, the presence of certain introduced species, such as Apis mellifera, and the rapid changes in vegetation cover may affect the dynamics of this mutualistic network. So, it is imperative to apply restoration and conservation strategies to these ecosystems in order to enhance plant-animal interactions and prevent the loss of taxonomical and functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Mario Becoche-Mosquera
- Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
- Ecology and Conservation - GECO, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
- Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
| | - Luis German Gomez-Bernal
- Ecology and Conservation - GECO, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
- Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
| | - Giselle Zambrano-Gonzalez
- Ecology and Conservation - GECO, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
- Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
| | - David Angulo-Ortiz
- Corporación Autónoma Regional del Valle del Cauca, Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
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12
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Gómez JM, González-Megías A, Armas C, Narbona E, Navarro L, Perfectti F. The role of phenotypic plasticity in shaping ecological networks. Ecol Lett 2023; 26 Suppl 1:S47-S61. [PMID: 37840020 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity-mediated changes in interaction dynamics and structure may scale up and affect the ecological network in which the plastic species are embedded. Despite their potential relevance for understanding the effects of plasticity on ecological communities, these effects have seldom been analysed. We argue here that, by boosting the magnitude of intra-individual phenotypic variation, plasticity may have three possible direct effects on the interactions that the plastic species maintains with other species in the community: may expand the interaction niche, may cause a shift from one interaction niche to another or may even cause the colonization of a new niche. The combined action of these three factors can scale to the community level and eventually expresses itself as a modification in the topology and functionality of the entire ecological network. We propose that this causal pathway can be more widespread than previously thought and may explain how interaction niches evolve quickly in response to rapid changes in environmental conditions. The implication of this idea is not solely eco-evolutionary but may also help to understand how ecological interactions rewire and evolve in response to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Gómez
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Adela González-Megías
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Cristina Armas
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | - Eduardo Narbona
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Luis Navarro
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ciencias del Suelo, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Francisco Perfectti
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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13
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Ealy N, Pawelek J, Hazlehurst J. Effects of forest management on native bee biodiversity under the tallest trees in the world. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10286. [PMID: 37435025 PMCID: PMC10329937 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10286] [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: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
It is not clear if mature secondary growth coniferous forests can support similar pollinator communities as old growth coniferous forests, or how active management (e.g., retention forestry) in mature secondary growth forests may affect pollinator communities. We compare the native bee community and plant-bee interaction networks of old growth, naturally regenerating and actively managed (retention forestry) mature secondary growth forests of similar stand age. Old growth forests had a higher bee species richness and Shannon's diversity index, but not Simpson's diversity index, than both actively managed and naturally regenerating mature secondary forests. Forest type (old-growth, naturally regenerating mature secondary growth, and actively managed mature secondary growth) had a significant effect on bee community composition. Redwood forest bee-plant interaction networks were small in size and had lower complexity than expected and few connector species. While studies suggest that small-scale timber harvest may increase bee biodiversity in the short-term in other coniferous forest habitats, our study suggests that there may be long-term negative effects of clear-cutting that lower bee biodiversity in mature secondary growth forests as compared to mature old-growth forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nya Ealy
- California State University East BayHaywardCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jaime Pawelek
- Essig Museum of Entomology, Valley Life SciencesBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
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14
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Ojija F, Adam LS, Nicholaus R, Mwakalapa EB. Insect-pollinators and their interactions with plants differ in disturbed and semi-natural areas: Tanzania's Southern Highlands case study. Sci Prog 2023; 106:368504231184035. [PMID: 37358485 PMCID: PMC10358636 DOI: 10.1177/00368504231184035] [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] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Due to inadequate insect-pollinator data, particularly in sub-Saharan African countries like Tanzania, it is difficult to manage and protect these species in disturbed and semi-natural areas. Field surveys were conducted to assess insect-pollinator abundance and diversity and their interactions with plants in disturbed and semi-natural areas in Tanzania's Southern Highlands using pan traps, sweep netting, transect counts, and timed observations techniques. We found that species diversity and richness of insect-pollinators were high in semi-natural areas, and there was 14.29% more abundance than in disturbed areas. The highest plant-pollinator interactions were recorded in semi-natural areas. In these areas, the total number of visits by Hymenoptera was more than three times that of Coleoptera, while that of Lepidoptera and Diptera was more than 237 and 12 times, respectively. Hymenoptera pollinators had twice the total number of visits of Lepidoptera, and threefold of Coleoptera, and five times more visits than Diptera in disturbed habitats. Although disturbed areas had fewer insect-pollinators and fewer plant-insect-pollinator interactions, our findings indicate that both disturbed and semi-natural areas are potential habitats for insect-pollinators. The study revealed that the over-dominant species Apis mellifera could influence diversity indices and network-level metrics in the study areas. When A. mellifera was excluded from the analysis, the number of interactions differed significantly between insect orders in the study areas. Also, Diptera pollinators interacted with the most flowering plants in both study areas compared to Hymenopterans. Though A. mellifera was excluded in the analysis, we found a high number of species in semi-natural areas compared to disturbed areas. Conclusively, we recommend that more studies be conducted in these areas across sub-Saharan Africa to unveil their potential for protecting insect-pollinators and how ongoing anthropogenic changes threaten them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrick Ojija
- Department of Earth Sciences, College of Science and Technical Education, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Lusekelo S Adam
- Department of Natural Resources Conservation, Social Health and Environment Management Organization, Mbamba Bay, Nyasa, Ruvuma
| | - Regan Nicholaus
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Science and Technical Education, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Eliezer B Mwakalapa
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Science and Technical Education, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Mbeya, Tanzania
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15
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Swain A, Azevedo-Schmidt LE, Maccracken SA, Currano ED, Dunne JA, Labandeira CC, Fagan WF. Sampling bias and the robustness of ecological metrics for plant-damage-type association networks. Ecology 2023; 104:e3922. [PMID: 36415050 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Plants and their insect herbivores have been a dominant component of the terrestrial ecological landscape for the past 410 million years and feature intricate evolutionary patterns and co-dependencies. A complex systems perspective allows for both detailed resolution of these evolutionary relationships as well as comparison and synthesis across systems. Using proxy data of insect herbivore damage (denoted by the damage type or DT) preserved on fossil leaves, functional bipartite network representations provide insights into how plant-insect associations depend on geological time, paleogeographical space, and environmental variables such as temperature and precipitation. However, the metrics measured from such networks are prone to sampling bias. Such sensitivity is of special concern for plant-DT association networks in paleontological settings where sampling effort is often severely limited. Here, we explore the sensitivity of functional bipartite network metrics to sampling intensity and identify sampling thresholds above which metrics appear robust to sampling effort. Across a broad range of sampling efforts, we find network metrics to be less affected by sampling bias and/or sample size than richness metrics, which are routinely used in studies of fossil plant-DT interactions. These results provide reassurance that cross-comparisons of plant-DT networks offer insights into network structure and function and support their widespread use in paleoecology. Moreover, these findings suggest novel opportunities for using plant-DT networks in neontological terrestrial ecology to understand functional aspects of insect herbivory across geological time, environmental perturbations, and geographic space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshuman Swain
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lauren E Azevedo-Schmidt
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.,Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - S Augusta Maccracken
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Earth Sciences, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Ellen D Currano
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.,Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | | | - Conrad C Labandeira
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - William F Fagan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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16
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Rodríguez‐Hernández K, Álvarez‐Mendizábal P, Chapa‐Vargas L, Escobar F, Dáttilo W, Santiago‐Alarcon D. Infection intensity shapes specialization and beta diversity of haemosporidian–bird networks across elevations. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
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17
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Wang G, Huang Y, Yao W, Huang Q, Huang Y, Wei L, Zhou Q. Structure and characteristics of the plant-frugivore bird network from the Guilin Botanical Garden. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15028. [PMID: 36945357 PMCID: PMC10024898 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction between plants and frugivores is crucial to ecosystem function and community diversity. However, little is known about the interaction between plants and frugivorous bird species in urban green spaces. We observed interactions between plants and frugivorous birds in the Guilin Botanical Garden for one year and determined the structure and characteristics of the interaction network. We also analyzed the impact of species traits on their network roles. Interactions between 14 frugivorous birds and 13 fruit plant species were recorded in the study area. Autumn interactions comprised 38.79% of the overall network, and winter interactions comprised 33.15%. The modularity (Q, z-score) of the network was higher in autumn; the weighted nestedness (wNODF, z-score) and interaction evenness (E2 , z-score) of the network were higher in winter; the connectance (C, z-score) and interaction diversity (z-score) of the network were higher in spring; and the specialization (H2', z-score) of the network was higher in summer. The observed network showed lower C, lower interaction H2 , lower E2 , lower wNODF, higher H2' and higher Q when compared to the random networks. The bird species most important to network stability were Hemixos castanonotus, Parus venustulus, and Pycnonotus sinensis. The most important plant species were Alocasia macrorrhiza, Cinnamomum camphora, and Machilus nanmu. Of all the bird and plant traits included in this study, only plant color had a significant impact on species strength, with black fruit having a higher species strength. Our results suggest that interaction networks in urban green spaces can be temporally complex and variable and that a network approach can be an important monitoring tool for detecting the status of crucial ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohai Wang
- College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, Chongzuo, Guangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Yang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Wei Yao
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Qiuchan Huang
- College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, Chongzuo, Guangxi, China
| | - Yongping Huang
- College of Mathematics, Physics and Electronic Information Engineering, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, Chongzuo, Guangxi, China
| | - Lijuan Wei
- College of Mathematics, Physics and Electronic Information Engineering, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, Chongzuo, Guangxi, China
| | - Qihai Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
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18
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Host-Parasite Relationships of Quill Mites (Syringophilidae) and Parrots (Psittaciformes). DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d15010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The family Syringophilidae (Acari: Prostigmata) includes obligatory ectoparasites, which occupy feather quills from various parts of avian plumage, where they feed and reproduce. Our study was concerned with the global fauna of syringophilid mites associated with Psittaciformes, as well as host-parasite specificity and evolution. We assumed that the system composed of quill mites and parrots represents a model group that can be used in a broader study of the relationships between parasites and hosts. In total, we examined 1524 host individuals of parrots belonging to 195 species, 73 genera, and 4 families (which constitute ca. 50% of global parrot fauna) from all zoogeographical regions where Psittaciformes occur. Among them, 89 individuals representing 81 species have been infested by quill mites belonging to 45 species and 8 genera. The prevalence of host infestations by syringophilid mites varied from 2.8% to 100% (95% confidence interval (CI Sterne method) = 0.1–100). We applied a bipartite analysis to determine the parasite-host interaction, network indices, and host specificity at the species and whole network levels. The Syringophilidae-Psittaciformes network was composed of 24 mite species and 47 host species. The bipartite network was characterized by a high network level specialization H2′ = 0.98, connectance C = 0.89, and high modularity Q = 0.90, with 23 modules, but low nestedness N = 0.0333. Moreover, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the quill mites on the generic level, and this analysis shows two distinct clades: Psittaciphilus (Peristerophila + Terratosyringophilus) (among Syringophilinae subfamily) and Lawrencipicobia (Pipicobia + Rafapicobia) (among Picobiinae). Finally, the distributions and host-parasite relationships in the system composed of syringophilid mites and parrots are discussed.
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19
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Schachat SR. Examining paleobotanical databases: Revisiting trends in angiosperm folivory and unlocking the paleoecological promise of propensity score matching and specification curve analysis. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.951547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Paleobotany is at a crossroads. Long-term trends in the fossil record of plants, encompassing their interactions with herbivores and with the environment, are of the utmost relevance for predicting global change as pCO2 continues to rise. Large data compilations with the potential to elucidate those trends are increasingly easy to assemble and access. However, in contrast to modern ecology and unlike various other paleontological disciplines, paleobotany has a limited history of “big data” meta-analyses. Debates about how much data are needed to address particular questions, and about how to control for potential confounding variables, have not examined paleobotanical data. Here I demonstrate the importance of analytical best practices by applying them to a recent meta-analysis of fossil angiosperms. Two notable analytical methods discussed here are propensity score matching and specification curve analysis. The former has been used in the biomedical and behavioral sciences for decades; the latter is a more recent method of examining relationships between, and inherent biases among, models. Propensity score matching allows one to account for potential confounding variables in observational studies, and more fundamentally, provides a way to quantify whether it is possible to account for them. Specification curve analysis provides the opportunity to examine patterns across a variety of schemes for partitioning data—for example, whether fossil assemblages are binned temporally by stage, epoch, or period. To my knowledge, neither of these methods has been used previously in paleontology, however, their use permits more robust analysis of paleoecological datasets. In the example provided here, propensity score matching is used to separate latitudinal trends from differences in age, climate, and plant community composition. Specification curve analysis is used to examine the robustness of apparent latitudinal trends to the schema used for assigning fossil assemblages to latitudinal bins. These analytical methods have the potential to further unlock the promise of the plant fossil record for elucidating long-term ecological and evolutionary change.
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20
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Martins LP, Stouffer DB, Blendinger PG, Böhning-Gaese K, Buitrón-Jurado G, Correia M, Costa JM, Dehling DM, Donatti CI, Emer C, Galetti M, Heleno R, Jordano P, Menezes Í, Morante-Filho JC, Muñoz MC, Neuschulz EL, Pizo MA, Quitián M, Ruggera RA, Saavedra F, Santillán V, Sanz D'Angelo V, Schleuning M, da Silva LP, Ribeiro da Silva F, Timóteo S, Traveset A, Vollstädt MGR, Tylianakis JM. Global and regional ecological boundaries explain abrupt spatial discontinuities in avian frugivory interactions. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6943. [PMID: 36376314 PMCID: PMC9663448 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34355-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Species interactions can propagate disturbances across space via direct and indirect effects, potentially connecting species at a global scale. However, ecological and biogeographic boundaries may mitigate this spread by demarcating the limits of ecological networks. We tested whether large-scale ecological boundaries (ecoregions and biomes) and human disturbance gradients increase dissimilarity among plant-frugivore networks, while accounting for background spatial and elevational gradients and differences in network sampling. We assessed network dissimilarity patterns over a broad spatial scale, using 196 quantitative avian frugivory networks (encompassing 1496 plant and 1004 bird species) distributed across 67 ecoregions, 11 biomes, and 6 continents. We show that dissimilarities in species and interaction composition, but not network structure, are greater across ecoregion and biome boundaries and along different levels of human disturbance. Our findings indicate that biogeographic boundaries delineate the world's biodiversity of interactions and likely contribute to mitigating the propagation of disturbances at large spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas P Martins
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand.
| | - Daniel B Stouffer
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Pedro G Blendinger
- Instituto de Ecología Regional, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán and CONICET; CC 34, 4107, Tucumán, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 2005, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Katrin Böhning-Gaese
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, Frankfurt am Main, 60439, Germany
| | - Galo Buitrón-Jurado
- Laboratorio de Biología de Organismos, Centro de Ecología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Carretera Panamericana, km 11, Altos de Pipe, Edo, Miranda, Venezuela
- Universidad Estatal Amazónica-Sede Zamora Chinchipe; Calle Luis Imaicela entre Azuay y Rene Ulloa, El Pangui, Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador
| | - Marta Correia
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José Miguel Costa
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - D Matthias Dehling
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Camila I Donatti
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Dr. Suite 600, Arlington, VA, 22202, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617S. Beaver St., Flagstaff, AZ, 86011-5640, USA
| | - Carine Emer
- Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute, Rua Pacheco Leão 915, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 22460-030, Brazil
- Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Ruben Heleno
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, av. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ícaro Menezes
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Santa Cruz State University, Rodovia Ilhéus- Itabuna, km 16, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-000, Brazil
| | - José Carlos Morante-Filho
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Santa Cruz State University, Rodovia Ilhéus- Itabuna, km 16, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-000, Brazil
| | - Marcia C Muñoz
- Programa de Biología, Universidad de La Salle, Carrera 2 # 10-70, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Eike Lena Neuschulz
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marco Aurélio Pizo
- Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Marta Quitián
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, 07190, Esporles, Spain
| | - Roman A Ruggera
- Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Jujuy), Canónigo Gorriti 237, Y4600 San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Francisco Saavedra
- Instituto de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Vinicio Santillán
- Centro de Investigación, Innovación y Transferencia de Tecnología (CIITT), Unidad Académica de Posgrado, Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Av. de las Américas, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Virginia Sanz D'Angelo
- Laboratorio de Biología de Organismos, Centro de Ecología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Carretera Panamericana, km 11, Altos de Pipe, Edo, Miranda, Venezuela
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Luís Pascoal da Silva
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Ribeiro da Silva
- Laboratory of Human Ecology and Ethnobotany, Department of Ecology and Zoology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, UFSC, Campus Trindade, s/n, Florianópolis, SC, 88010-970, Brazil
| | - Sérgio Timóteo
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Anna Traveset
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, 07190, Esporles, Spain
| | - Maximilian G R Vollstädt
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 5-7, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand.
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21
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Vollstädt MGR, Galetti M, Kaiser‐Bunbury CN, Simmons BI, Gonçalves F, Morales‐Pérez AL, Navarro L, Tarazona‐Tubens FL, Schubert S, Carlo T, Salazar J, Faife‐Cabrera M, Strong A, Madden H, Mitchell A, Dalsgaard B. Plant–frugivore interactions across the Caribbean islands: Modularity, invader complexes and the importance of generalist species. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian G. R. Vollstädt
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, GLOBE Institute University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Department of Biology University of Miami Coral Gables Florida USA
- Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Rio Claro Brazil
| | - Christopher N. Kaiser‐Bunbury
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, Penryn Campus University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Benno I. Simmons
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, Penryn Campus University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Fernando Gonçalves
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, GLOBE Institute University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | | | - Luis Navarro
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ciencias del Suelo Universidad de Vigo Vigo Spain
| | | | - Spencer Schubert
- Department of Biological Sciences Old Dominion University Norfolk Virginia USA
| | - Tomas Carlo
- Biology Department & Ecology Program The Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
| | - Jackeline Salazar
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
- Grupo Jaragua Inc. Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
| | - Michel Faife‐Cabrera
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Centro de Estudios Jardín Botánico Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas Santa Clara Cuba
| | - Allan Strong
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont, Aiken Center Burlington Vermont USA
| | - Hannah Madden
- Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute (CNSI) Oranjestad The Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University Den Burg The Netherlands
| | - Adam Mitchell
- Sint Eustatius National Parks Oranjestad Netherlands
| | - Bo Dalsgaard
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, GLOBE Institute University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
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22
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McLeish MJ, Zamfir AD, Babalola BM, Peláez A, Fraile A, García-Arenal F. Metagenomics show high spatiotemporal virus diversity and ecological compartmentalisation: Virus infections of melon, Cucumis melo, crops, and adjacent wild communities. Virus Evol 2022; 8:veac095. [PMID: 36405340 PMCID: PMC9667876 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of viral diseases results from novel transmission dynamics between wild and crop plant communities. The bias of studies towards pathogenic viruses of crops has distracted from knowledge of non-antagonistic symbioses in wild plants. Here, we implemented a high-throughput approach to compare the viromes of melon (Cucumis melo) and wild plants of crop (Crop) and adjacent boundaries (Edge). Each of the 41-plant species examined was infected by at least one virus. The interactions of 104 virus operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with these hosts occurred largely within ecological compartments of either Crop or Edge, with Edge having traits of a reservoir community. Local scale patterns of infection were characterised by the positive correlation between plant and virus richness at each site, the tendency for increased specialist host use through seasons, and specialist host use by OTUs observed only in Crop, characterised local-scale patterns of infection. In this study of systematically sampled viromes of a crop and adjacent wild communities, most hosts showed no disease symptoms, suggesting non-antagonistic symbioses are common. The coexistence of viruses within species-rich ecological compartments of agro-systems might promote the evolution of a diversity of virus strategies for survival and transmission. These communities, including those suspected as reservoirs, are subject to sporadic changes in assemblages, and so too are the conditions that favour the emergence of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J McLeish
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, and E.T.S.I. Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Campus de Montegancedo, UPM, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián D Zamfir
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, and E.T.S.I. Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Campus de Montegancedo, UPM, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bisola M Babalola
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, and E.T.S.I. Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Campus de Montegancedo, UPM, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Peláez
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, and E.T.S.I. Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Campus de Montegancedo, UPM, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Aurora Fraile
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, and E.T.S.I. Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Campus de Montegancedo, UPM, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando García-Arenal
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, and E.T.S.I. Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Campus de Montegancedo, UPM, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
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Morozumi C, Loy X, Reynolds V, Schiffer A, Morrison B, Savage J, Brosi B. Simultaneous niche expansion and contraction in plant–pollinator networks under drought. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09265] [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)
- Connor Morozumi
- Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory Univ. Atlanta GA USA
| | - Xingwen Loy
- Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory Univ. Atlanta GA USA
- Southeastern Center for Conservation, Atlanta Botanical Garden Atlanta GA USA
| | - Victoria Reynolds
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
| | - Annie Schiffer
- Dept of Environmental Sciences, Emory Univ. Atlanta GA USA
- Dept of Biology, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Beth Morrison
- Dept of Environmental Sciences, Emory Univ. Atlanta GA USA
| | - Jade Savage
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Bishop's Univ. Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Berry Brosi
- Dept of Environmental Sciences, Emory Univ. Atlanta GA USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Crested Butte CO USA
- Dept of Biology, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
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24
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Cortés‐Fernández I, Cerrato MD, Ribas‐Serra A, Ferrà X, Gil‐Vives L. The role of E. maritimum (L.) in the dune pollination network of the Balearic Islands. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9164. [PMID: 35949534 PMCID: PMC9353020 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Eryngium maritimum L. (Apiaceae) is a geophyte that inhabits in the dunes of the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Although it is a highly entomophilous species, there is little literature on its pollinator assemblage. The aim of this study is to analyze the role played by E. maritimum in the dune pollination network of the Balearic Islands, where there is an intense anthropogenic impact in its habitat. For this purpose, two populations located in the North and South of Mallorca were chosen, in which diurnal transects were carried out to observe and capture pollinators on 15 plant species during the anthesis period of E. maritimum. The flowering period of 10 plant species flowering at the same period than E. maritimum was analyzed to identify periods of competition. A total of 71 pollinator species were found, belonging to 30 different families. Eryngium maritimum is a strongly generalist species, with a total of 45 pollinator species. Two new species, Odice blandula and Leucospis gigas, were found for the first time in Mallorca. In terms of pollinators, Teucrium dunense and Helichrysum stoechas are the most similar species to E. maritimum. However, analysis of phenology suggests that these three species have been able to decouple their blooms to avoid competition. The present study shows that E. maritimum plays an important role in the dune pollination network, being its anthesis located at the end of the dune flowering season, when there are no functionally similar species in flower.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Cortés‐Fernández
- Interdisciplinary Ecology GroupUniversitat de les Illes Baleares, Carretera de ValldemossaPalma de MallorcaSpain
| | - Marcello Dante Cerrato
- Interdisciplinary Ecology GroupUniversitat de les Illes Baleares, Carretera de ValldemossaPalma de MallorcaSpain
| | - Arnau Ribas‐Serra
- Interdisciplinary Ecology GroupUniversitat de les Illes Baleares, Carretera de ValldemossaPalma de MallorcaSpain
| | - Xavier Canyelles Ferrà
- Interdisciplinary Ecology GroupUniversitat de les Illes Baleares, Carretera de ValldemossaPalma de MallorcaSpain
| | - Lorenzo Gil‐Vives
- Interdisciplinary Ecology GroupUniversitat de les Illes Baleares, Carretera de ValldemossaPalma de MallorcaSpain
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25
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Prescott RD, Zamkovaya T, Donachie SP, Northup DE, Medley JJ, Monsalve N, Saw JH, Decho AW, Chain PSG, Boston PJ. Islands Within Islands: Bacterial Phylogenetic Structure and Consortia in Hawaiian Lava Caves and Fumaroles. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:934708. [PMID: 35935195 PMCID: PMC9349362 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.934708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lava caves, tubes, and fumaroles in Hawai‘i present a range of volcanic, oligotrophic environments from different lava flows and host unexpectedly high levels of bacterial diversity. These features provide an opportunity to study the ecological drivers that structure bacterial community diversity and assemblies in volcanic ecosystems and compare the older, more stable environments of lava tubes, to the more variable and extreme conditions of younger, geothermally active caves and fumaroles. Using 16S rRNA amplicon-based sequencing methods, we investigated the phylogenetic distinctness and diversity and identified microbial interactions and consortia through co-occurrence networks in 70 samples from lava tubes, geothermal lava caves, and fumaroles on the island of Hawai‘i. Our data illustrate that lava caves and geothermal sites harbor unique microbial communities, with very little overlap between caves or sites. We also found that older lava tubes (500–800 yrs old) hosted greater phylogenetic diversity (Faith's PD) than sites that were either geothermally active or younger (<400 yrs old). Geothermally active sites had a greater number of interactions and complexity than lava tubes. Average phylogenetic distinctness, a measure of the phylogenetic relatedness of a community, was higher than would be expected if communities were structured at random. This suggests that bacterial communities of Hawaiian volcanic environments are phylogenetically over-dispersed and that competitive exclusion is the main driver in structuring these communities. This was supported by network analyses that found that taxa (Class level) co-occurred with more distantly related organisms than close relatives, particularly in geothermal sites. Network “hubs” (taxa of potentially higher ecological importance) were not the most abundant taxa in either geothermal sites or lava tubes and were identified as unknown families or genera of the phyla, Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria. These results highlight the need for further study on the ecological role of microbes in caves through targeted culturing methods, metagenomics, and long-read sequence technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca D. Prescott
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
- *Correspondence: Rebecca D. Prescott
| | - Tatyana Zamkovaya
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Stuart P. Donachie
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Diana E. Northup
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Joseph J. Medley
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Natalia Monsalve
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Jimmy H. Saw
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Alan W. Decho
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Patrick S. G. Chain
- Biosciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| | - Penelope J. Boston
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, United States
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Mubamba S, Nduna N, Siachoono S, Chibesa M, Phiri D, Chama L. Plant-frugivore networks are robust to species loss even in highly built-up urban ecosystems. Oecologia 2022; 199:637-648. [PMID: 35781743 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05213-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Animal seed dispersal processes are an important aspect of ecosystem services, as they shape the survival of seed dispersers and the balanced distribution of propagules for many plant communities. Several studies within tropical wild ecosystems have generally shown that seed dispersal processes are highly generalised and robust to extinction. Studies examining seed dispersal networks in highly built-up urban ecosystems and their robustness to species loss or extinction are rare. We examined avian seed dispersal networks across an urban ecosystem characterised by a high human settlement and infrastructure of the built environment in Zambia to determine their network specialisation, interaction evenness and interaction diversity, as these three parameters are critical in driving the resilience of these mutualisms' interactions against extinction. A total of 405 individuals representing 11 species of birds were observed and recorded feeding on a total of 11 focal fleshy-fruiting plant species. Network specialisation was generally low and remained similar across study areas. Interaction evenness and interaction diversity were not only high but also remained similar across study areas. Low specialisation and high interaction evenness and diversity show that mutualistic interactions in these networks are equally highly generalised, suggesting a stable and robust coexistence of species in plant-frugivore communities within urban ecosystems. Generally, our results seem to broadly suggest that opportunities for conservation still exist in these ecosystems provided urbanisation is accompanied by promoting either the management of remnant fruiting plants or the cultivation of new ones to support the avian communities existing in these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saidy Mubamba
- Department of Zoology, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Norman Nduna
- Department of Zoology, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Stanford Siachoono
- Department of Zoology, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Moses Chibesa
- Department of Zoology, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Darius Phiri
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Lackson Chama
- Department of Zoology, Copperbelt University, Jambo Drive, Riverside, P.O. Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia.
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27
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Memtsas G, Lazarina M, Sgardelis S, Petanidou T, Kallimanis A. What plant–pollinator network structure tells us about the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional biodiversity productivity relationship? Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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28
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Gilpin AM, O'Brien C, Kobel C, Brettell LE, Cook JM, Power SA. Co-flowering plants support diverse pollinator populations and facilitate pollinator visitation to sweet cherry crops. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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29
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Becker L, Blüthgen N, Drossel B. Stochasticity Leads to Coexistence of Generalists and Specialists in Assembling Mutualistic Communities. Am Nat 2022; 200:303-315. [DOI: 10.1086/720421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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30
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Response of avian and mammal seed dispersal networks to human-induced forest edges in a sub-humid tropical forest. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467422000062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Species-rich ecosystems as tropical forests are extremely vulnerable to anthropogenic destruction. Most tropical plant species rely on animals to disperse their seeds. However, patterns of mutualistic interactions have rarely been explored, and seed dispersal networks are still poorly studied in Africa. Here, we examine how forest edges’ (FE) seed dispersal networks differ from the mature forest (MF) at a West African sub-humid tropical forest within the National Park of Cantanhez (Guinea-Bissau). Additionally, we explore species’ roles within the network. MF had higher fruit availability, more frugivore visitors, and plant–frugivore interactions. Network structure was quite similar between habitats, showing signs of redundancy, and some robustness to species’ extinction. FE was more nested, modular, and specialized, whereas MF had higher connectance, interaction evenness, and robustness to extinction. Most species were generalists, but large-bodied frugivores prevailed at MF. FE showed a higher vulnerability, mostly to the loss of trees. Trees are key, keeping the structure of both networks. Large-bodied frugivores and fruiting-tree species that work as network connectors should thus be the focus of active conservation management in these forests. Only viable populations of these species will ensure a good performance of the seed dispersal network, promoting the natural regeneration of the ecosystem.
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31
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Pardo‐De la Hoz CJ, Medeiros ID, Gibert JP, Chagnon P, Magain N, Miadlikowska J, Lutzoni F. Phylogenetic structure of specialization: A new approach that integrates partner availability and phylogenetic diversity to quantify biotic specialization in ecological networks. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8649. [PMID: 35261742 PMCID: PMC8888259 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Biotic specialization holds information about the assembly, evolution, and stability of biological communities. Partner availabilities can play an important role in enabling species interactions, where uneven partner availabilities can bias estimates of biotic specialization when using phylogenetic diversity indices. It is therefore important to account for partner availability when characterizing biotic specialization using phylogenies. We developed an index, phylogenetic structure of specialization (PSS), that avoids bias from uneven partner availabilities by uncoupling the null models for interaction frequency and phylogenetic distance. We incorporate the deviation between observed and random interaction frequencies as weights into the calculation of partner phylogenetic α‐diversity. To calculate the PSS index, we then compare observed partner phylogenetic α‐diversity to a null distribution generated by randomizing phylogenetic distances among the same number of partners. PSS quantifies the phylogenetic structure (i.e., clustered, overdispersed, or random) of the partners of a focal species. We show with simulations that the PSS index is not correlated with network properties, which allows comparisons across multiple systems. We also implemented PSS on empirical networks of host–parasite, avian seed‐dispersal, lichenized fungi–cyanobacteria, and hummingbird pollination interactions. Across these systems, a large proportion of taxa interact with phylogenetically random partners according to PSS, sometimes to a larger extent than detected with an existing method that does not account for partner availability. We also found that many taxa interact with phylogenetically clustered partners, while taxa with overdispersed partners were rare. We argue that species with phylogenetically overdispersed partners have often been misinterpreted as generalists when they should be considered specialists. Our results highlight the important role of randomness in shaping interaction networks, even in highly intimate symbioses, and provide a much‐needed quantitative framework to assess the role that evolutionary history and symbiotic specialization play in shaping patterns of biodiversity. PSS is available as an R package at https://github.com/cjpardodelahoz/pss.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jean P. Gibert
- Department of BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Pierre‐Luc Chagnon
- Département des Sciences BiologiquesUniversité de MontréalMontréalQuébecCanada
| | - Nicolas Magain
- Biologie de l’évolution et de la ConservationUniversité de LiègeLiègeBelgium
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32
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Valadão-Mendes LB, Rocha I, Meireles DAL, Leite FB, Sazima M, Maruyama PK, Brito VLG. Flower morphology and plant-bee pollinator interactions are related to stamen dimorphism in Melastomataceae. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2022; 24:240-248. [PMID: 34741381 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13359] [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: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 20,000 species of flowering plant offer mainly pollen to their pollinators, generally bees. Stamen dimorphism, a floral trait commonly present in some pollen flowers, is thought to be associated with exclusive pollen provision for highly effective bee pollinators. Notwithstanding, little is known about how stamen dimorphism is related to other floral morphological traits and, consequently, plant-pollinator interactions at the community scale. Here we investigated the relationship between stamen dimorphism and other floral morphological traits, as well as the interactions with pollinators in plants of Melastomataceae. We characterized each plant species as stamen dimorphic or stamen isomorphic according to differences in size and shape between stamen sets. Data on interactions between the plants and their bee pollinators were analysed as quantitative bipartite networks. We found that petal and style size and shape were correlated to stamen dimorphism. Stamen dimorphic species present larger flowers and less variable style shapes than stamen isomorphic species. Furthermore, stamen dimorphism is associated with higher richness of visiting bees, i.e. higher ecological generalization. During the evolutionary history of Melastomataceae, the dependence on pollinators for fruit set has possibly favoured the evolution of larger flowers with dimorphic stamens, which in turn are able to make use of a larger spectrum of pollen-collecting bees, leading to ecological generalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- L B Valadão-Mendes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
- Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
| | - I Rocha
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brasil
| | - D A L Meireles
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação dos Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brasil
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brasil
| | - F B Leite
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brasil
| | - M Sazima
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brasil
| | - P K Maruyama
- Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
| | - V L G Brito
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brasil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brasil
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33
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Nandy G, Barman H, Pramanik S, Banerjee S, Aditya G. Land snail assemblages and microhabitat preferences in the urban areas of Kolkata, India. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juac004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Due to the minimal dispersal capabilities and dependency on particular microhabitat, the land snails are susceptible to anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Considering the increasing anthropogenic threats, especially in urban areas, information on species’ requirements for particular habitat is very essential for land snail conservation and sustenance. In the present commentary, diversity and distribution of small-sized land snails in relation to their microhabitat preference in urban habitats of Kolkata, West Bengal, had been carried out through the quadrat method. The information on the richness and abundance of snails and their habitat places in Kolkata, India, was used to construct a bipartite network. A total of 13 land snail species were linked with 16 microhabitats. The network indices were used to justify the specialist or generalist nature of the snail species in the context of microhabitat preference. The snail species Succinea daucina and Allopeas gracile were observed to be associated with the maximum number of habitats while species strength was highest for S. daucina. The low value of connectance (0.288, <0.5) and niche overlap (0.34), the high value of specialization index H2′ (0.58) and d′ (0.44) indicate that the snail–microhabitat interactions were highly specialized. The network ecology of snail–microhabitats illustrated in the present instance will enable the identification of preferred microhabitats, which are required for the enhancement of the population of land snails in urban areas like Kolkata, India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gargi Nandy
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Himangshu Barman
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
- Department of Zoology, Ramnagar College, Depal, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal 721453, India
| | - Soujita Pramanik
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Sampa Banerjee
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Gautam Aditya
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
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34
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Majewski M, Dylewski Ł, Grabowski S, Racewicz P, Tryjanowski P. Applying Bipartite Network Analysis and Ordination Technique to Evaluate Long-Term Data from Veterinary–Sanitary Examination of Slaughtered Pigs. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12040472. [PMID: 35203180 PMCID: PMC8868450 DOI: 10.3390/ani12040472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Veterinary inspections in abattoirs are important in the surveillance of zoonotic diseases. This study is based on veterinary inspection reports providing data about the diseases and welfare issues of 231 million pigs slaughtered in 16 regions of Poland between 2009 and 2019. Over 80 million slaughtered pigs were found with pathological changes that could pose a risk to human health. The most frequently observed changes were abscesses, soiling, faecal or other contaminations, and congestions, together accounting for 77.6% of the total infections. Statistical approaches conducted with the use of long-term data can help identify the most problematic health and welfare issues in slaughterhouses. The results of this study showed that changes related to poor animal welfare (purulent foci, contamination, congestion) and parasitic diseases accounted for the majority of the identified cases of condemnation. Abstract Animal and meat inspections in abattoirs are important in the surveillance of zoonotic diseases. Veterinary inspections in abattoirs can provide useful data for the management of health and welfare issues of humans and animals. Using the network analysis and ordination technique, in this study, we analyzed the data from 11 years of veterinary inspections in pig slaughterhouses from 16 regions in Poland. Based on the huge data set of 80,187,639 cases of diseases and welfare issues of pigs, the most frequent livestock diseases were identified to be abscesses, soiling, faecal or other contaminations, and congestions, which together accounted for 77.6% of the total condemnations. Spatial and temporal differences in swine diseases between the Polish regions were recognized using the above-mentioned statistical approaches. Moreover, with the use of a quite novel method, not used yet in preventive veterinary medicine, called a heatmap, the most problematic disease and welfare issues in each region in Poland were identified. The use of statistical approaches such as network analysis and ordination technique allow for identification of the health and welfare issues in slaughterhouses when dealing with long-term inspection data based on a very large number of cases, and then have to be adopted in current veterinary medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Majewski
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Protection, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Słoneczna 1, 62-002 Poznan, Poland;
- Correspondence:
| | - Łukasz Dylewski
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznan, Poland; (Ł.D.); (P.T.)
| | - Sebastian Grabowski
- Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-400 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Przemysław Racewicz
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Protection, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Słoneczna 1, 62-002 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Piotr Tryjanowski
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznan, Poland; (Ł.D.); (P.T.)
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35
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Caron D, Maiorano L, Thuiller W, Pollock LJ. Addressing the Eltonian shortfall with trait-based interaction models. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:889-899. [PMID: 35032411 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We have very limited knowledge of how species interact in most communities and ecosystems despite trophic relationships being fundamental for linking biodiversity to ecosystem functioning. A promising approach to fill this gap is to predict interactions based on functional traits, but many questions remain about how well we can predict interactions for different taxa, ecosystems and amounts of input data. Here, we built a new traits-based model of trophic interactions for European vertebrates and found that even models calibrated with 0.1% of the interactions (100 out of 71 k) estimated the full European vertebrate food web reasonably well. However, predators were easier to predict than prey, especially for some clades (e.g. fowl and storks) and local food web connectance was consistently overestimated. Our results demonstrate the ability to rapidly generate food webs when empirical data are lacking-an important step towards a more complete and spatially explicit description of food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Caron
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Luigi Maiorano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Grenoble, France
| | - Laura J Pollock
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, Montreal, QC, Canada
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36
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Friedemann P, Côrtes MC, de Castro ER, Galetti M, Jordano P, Guimarães Jr PR. The individual‐based network structure of palm‐seed dispersers is explained by a rainforest gradient. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pâmela Friedemann
- Depto de Ecologia, Inst. de Biociências, Univ. de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Marina Corrêa Côrtes
- Depto de Biodiversidade, Inst. de Biociências, Univ. Estadual Paulista (UNESP) São Paulo Brazil
| | | | - Mauro Galetti
- Depto de Biodiversidade, Inst. de Biociências, Univ. Estadual Paulista (UNESP) São Paulo Brazil
- Dept of Biology, Univ. of Miami Coral Gables FL USA
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD‐CSIC) Seville Spain
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37
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Sponsler D, Kallnik K, Requier F, Classen A, Maihoff AF, Sieger J, Steffan‐Dewenter I. Floral preferences of mountain bumble bees are constrained by functional traits but flexible through elevation and season. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08902] [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)
- Douglas Sponsler
- Univ. of Würzburg, Dept of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology Würzburg Germany
| | - Katharina Kallnik
- Univ. of Würzburg, Dept of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology Würzburg Germany
| | - Fabrice Requier
- Univ. Paris‐Saclay, Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
| | - Alice Classen
- Univ. of Würzburg, Dept of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology Würzburg Germany
| | - A. Fabienne Maihoff
- Univ. of Würzburg, Dept of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology Würzburg Germany
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38
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Rigal S, Devictor V, Gaüzère P, Kéfi S, Forsman JT, Kajanus MH, Mönkkönen M, Dakos V. Biotic homogenisation in bird communities leads to large‐scale changes in species associations. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stanislas Rigal
- ISEM, Univ. de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE Montpellier France
| | | | - Pierre Gaüzère
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Univ. of Savoie Mont Blanc, LECA, Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine Grenoble France
| | - Sonia Kéfi
- ISEM, Univ. de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE Montpellier France
- Santa Fe Inst. Santa Fe NM USA
| | - Jukka T. Forsman
- Dept of Ecology and Genetics, Univ. of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Natural Resources Inst. Finland Oulu Finland
| | | | - Mikko Mönkkönen
- Dept of Biological and Environmental Science, Univ. of Jyvaskyla Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Vasilis Dakos
- ISEM, Univ. de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE Montpellier France
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39
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Global Studies of the Host-Parasite Relationships between Ectoparasitic Mites of the Family Syringophilidae and Birds of the Order Columbiformes. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11123392. [PMID: 34944169 PMCID: PMC8697884 DOI: 10.3390/ani11123392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The quill mites belonging to the family Syringophilidae (Acari: Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) are obligate ectoparasites of birds. They inhabit different types of the quills, where they spend their whole life cycle. In this paper, we conducted a global study of syringophilid mites associated with columbiform birds. We examined 772 pigeon and dove individuals belonging to 112 species (35% world fauna) from all zoogeographical regions (except Madagascan) where Columbiformes occur. We measured the prevalence (IP) and the confidence interval (CI) for all infested host species. IP ranges between 4.2 and 66.7 (CI 0.2-100). We applied a bipartite analysis to determine host-parasite interaction, network indices, and host specificity on species and whole network levels. The Syringophilidae-Columbiformes network was composed of 25 mite species and 65 host species. The bipartite network was characterized by a high network level specialization H2' = 0.93, high nestedness N = 0.908, connectance C = 0.90, and high modularity Q = 0.83, with 20 modules. Moreover, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the quill mites associated with columbiform birds on the generic level. Analysis shows two distinct clades: Meitingsunes + Psittaciphilus, and Peristerophila + Terratosyringophilus.
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40
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da Silva Goldas C, Podgaiski LR, Veronese Corrêa da Silva C, Abreu Ferreira PM, Vizentin-Bugoni J, de Souza Mendonça M. Structural resilience and high interaction dissimilarity of plant-pollinator interaction networks in fire-prone grasslands. Oecologia 2021; 198:179-192. [PMID: 34773161 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05071-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fire is a frequent disturbance in most grasslands around the world, being key for the structure and dynamics of the biodiversity in such ecosystems. While grassland species may be resilient, little is known on how plant-pollinator networks reassemble after fire. Here, we investigate the structure and dynamics of plant-pollinator networks and the variation in species roles over a 2-year post-fire chronosequence on grassland communities in Southern Brazil. We found that both network specialization and modularity were similar over the chronosequence of time-since-fire, but in freshly burnt areas, there were more species acting as network hubs. Species roles exhibited high variation, with plant and pollinator species shifting roles along the post-disturbance chronosequence. Interaction dissimilarity was remarkably high in networks irrespective of times-since-fire. Interaction dissimilarity was associated more with rewiring than with species turnover, indicating that grassland plant and pollinator species are highly capable of switching partners. Time-since-fire had little influence on network structure but influenced the identity and diversity of pollinators playing key roles in the networks. These findings suggest that pollination networks in naturally fire-prone ecosystems are highly dynamic and resilient to fire with both plants and pollinators being highly capable of adjusting their interactions and network structure after disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila da Silva Goldas
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil.
| | - Luciana Regina Podgaiski
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil
| | - Carolina Veronese Corrêa da Silva
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil
| | - Pedro Maria Abreu Ferreira
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Avenida Ipiranga 6681, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil
| | - Milton de Souza Mendonça
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil
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41
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Llaberia-Robledillo M, Balbuena JA, Sarabeev V, Llopis-Belenguer C. Changes in native and introduced host–parasite networks. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02657-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIntroduced species can alter the dynamics and structure of a native community. Network analysis provides a tool to study host–parasite interactions that can help to predict the possible impact of biological invasions or other disturbances. In this study, we used weighted bipartite networks to assess differences in the interaction patterns between hosts and helminth parasites of native (Sea of Japan) and invasive (Black Sea and Sea of Azov) populations of Planiliza haematocheilus (Teleostei: Mugilidae). We employed three quantitative network descriptors, connectance, weighted nestedness and modularity, to gain insight into the structure of the host–parasite networks in the native and invaded areas. The role of parasite species in the networks was assessed using the betweenness centrality index. We analyzed networks encompassing the whole helminth community and subsets of species classified by their transmission strategy. The analyses were downscaled to host individual-level to consider intraspecific variation in parasite communities. We found significant differences between networks in the native and invaded areas. The latter presented a higher value of nestedness, which may indicate a co-occurrence between parasite species with many connections in the network and species with fewer interactions within the same individual-host. In addition, modularity was higher in the native area’s networks than those of the invaded area, with subgroups of host individuals that interact more frequently with certain parasite species than with others. Only the networks composed of actively transmitted parasites and ectoparasites did not show significant differences in modularity between the Sea of Azov and the Sea of Japan, which could be due to the introduction of a part of the native community into the invaded environment, with a lower diversity and abundance of species. We show that network analysis provides a valuable tool to illuminate the changes that occur in host–parasite interactions when an invasive species and its parasite community are introduced into a new area.
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42
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Xing S, Fayle TM. The rise of ecological network meta-analyses: Problems and prospects. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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43
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Seasonal Dynamics and Diversity of Haemosporidians in a Natural Woodland Bird Community in Slovakia. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13090439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Despite the ubiquity of disease seasonality, mechanisms behind the fluctuations in seasonal diseases are still poorly understood. Avian hemosporidiosis is increasingly used as a model for ecological and evolutionary studies on disease dynamics, but the results are complex, depending on the focus (hosts, parasites, vectors) and scale (individuals, community, populations) of the study. Here, we examine the local diversity of haemosporidian parasites and the seasonal patterns of infections, parasite richness, and diversity in a natural woodland bird community in Slovakia. In 35 avian species, we detected 111, including 19 novel, haemosporidian cytochrome b lineages. The highest numbers of lineages were detected during spring and autumn, corresponding with higher avian species richness and infection prevalence in the avian community during these periods of time. Nevertheless, the haemosporidian community in the local breeders in summer was relatively stable, Haemoproteus lineages dominated in the local avian haemosporidian community, and only few parasite lineages were abundant within each genus. While prevailing Leucocytozoon infections in spring suggest that the majority of sampled birds wintered in the Mediterranean region, Plasmodium infections in spring can be due to relapses in reproductively active short-distance migrants. Multiple haemosporidian infections, both intra- and inter-generic ones, were common in the local avian community. Infection intensity peaked during summer and tended to be higher in older birds, pointing to the role of supressed immunity in reproductively active birds.
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44
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von Beeren C, Blüthgen N, Hoenle PO, Pohl S, Brückner A, Tishechkin AK, Maruyama M, Brown BV, Hash JM, Hall WE, Kronauer DJC. A remarkable legion of guests: Diversity and host specificity of army ant symbionts. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5229-5246. [PMID: 34406688 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Tropical rainforests are among the most diverse biomes on Earth. While species inventories are far from complete for any tropical rainforest, even less is known about the intricate species interactions that form the basis of these ecological communities. One fascinating but poorly studied example are the symbiotic associations between army ants and their rich assemblages of parasitic arthropod guests. Hundreds of these guests, or myrmecophiles, have been taxonomically described. However, because previous work has mainly been based on haphazard collections from disjunct populations, it remains challenging to define species boundaries. We therefore know little about the species richness, abundance and host specificity of most guests in any given population, which is crucial to understand co-evolutionary and ecological dynamics. Here, we report a quantitative community survey of myrmecophiles parasitizing the six sympatric Eciton army ant species in a Costa Rican rainforest. Combining DNA barcoding with morphological identification of over 2,000 specimens, we discovered 62 species, including 49 beetles, 11 flies, one millipede and one silverfish. At least 14 of these species were new to science. Ecological network analysis revealed a clear signal of host partitioning, and each Eciton species was host to both specialists and generalists. These varying degrees in host specificities translated into a moderate level of network specificity, highlighting the system's level of biotic pluralism in terms of biodiversity and interaction diversity. By providing vouchered DNA barcodes for army ant guest species, this study provides a baseline for future work on co-evolutionary and ecological dynamics in these species-rich host-symbiont networks across the Neotropical realm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph von Beeren
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.,Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Philipp O Hoenle
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Sebastian Pohl
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Adrian Brückner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Alexey K Tishechkin
- California Department of Food and Agriculture, Plant Pest Diagnostics Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | | | - Brian V Brown
- Entomology Section, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John M Hash
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - W E Hall
- University of Arizona Insect Collection, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, USA
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45
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Mertens D, Bouwmeester K, Poelman EH. Intraspecific variation in plant-associated herbivore communities is phylogenetically structured in Brassicaceae. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2314-2327. [PMID: 34331409 PMCID: PMC9291228 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
As a result of co‐evolution between plants and herbivores, related plants often interact with similar herbivore communities. Variation in plant–herbivore interactions is determined by variation in underlying functional traits and by ecological and stochastic processes. Hence, typically, only a subset of possible interactions is realised on individual plants. We show that insect herbivore communities assembling on individual plants are structured by plant phylogeny among 12 species in two phylogenetic lineages of Brassicaceae. This community sorting to plant phylogeny was retained when splitting the community according to herbivore feeding guilds. Relative abundance of herbivores as well as the size of the community structured community dissimilarity among plant species. Importantly, the amount of intraspecific variation in realised plant–herbivore interactions is also phylogenetically structured. We argue that variability in realised interactions that are not directly structured by plant traits is ecologically relevant and must be considered in the evolution of plant defences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan Mertens
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Klaas Bouwmeester
- Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Erik H Poelman
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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46
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Atencio NO, Vidal-Russell R, Chacoff N, Amico GC. Host range dynamics at different scales: host use by a hemiparasite across its geographic distribution. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2021; 23:612-620. [PMID: 33774885 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The complexity of natural communities is the result of interactions among species that coexist within them. Parasitic interactions are among the most common species interaction types, and analysis of parasite-host ranges can advance understanding of how host-parasite pairs structure community interactions across their geographic distributions. Using network analysis and host preference relative index, we analysed host use by the South American mistletoe, Tristerix corymbosus (Loranthaceae), in 22 localities among two biomes: Chilean matorral and temperate forest. The total number of host species recorded was 27, and 40% of these species were non-native. The non-native Populus sp. was shared between biomes. There was a positive relationship between host range and potential host species richness at the studied localities. On average, the mistletoe parasitized each host species relative to its abundance. However, some host species in some localities are more parasitized than expected. Network structure showed a differences in host use between the two biomes: Aristotelia chilensis was central in the temperate forest, with Populus sp. in the Chilean matorral. Host use intensity in the Chilean matorral was higher for non-native species. Tristerix corymbosus has a wide host range and could be considered a generalist parasite across its full geographic distribution, but at local scales, host preferences differed among localities and are related to host coverage. Alterations in community composition, due to natural events or human activities, can modify the availability of possible hosts. Hence, the mistletoe with the described characteristics may be able to change its infection preference while maintaining the interaction functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- N O Atencio
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - R Vidal-Russell
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - N Chacoff
- Instituto de Ecología Regional, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, CC 34 Yerba Buena, 4107, Tucumán, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 205, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - G C Amico
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
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47
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Young JG, Valdovinos FS, Newman MEJ. Reconstruction of plant-pollinator networks from observational data. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3911. [PMID: 34162855 PMCID: PMC8222257 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24149-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Empirical measurements of ecological networks such as food webs and mutualistic networks are often rich in structure but also noisy and error-prone, particularly for rare species for which observations are sparse. Focusing on the case of plant-pollinator networks, we here describe a Bayesian statistical technique that allows us to make accurate estimates of network structure and ecological metrics from such noisy observational data. Our method yields not only estimates of these quantities, but also estimates of their statistical errors, paving the way for principled statistical analyses of ecological variables and outcomes. We demonstrate the use of the method with an application to previously published data on plant-pollinator networks in the Seychelles archipelago and Kosciusko National Park, calculating estimates of network structure, network nestedness, and other characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Gabriel Young
- Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
- Vermont Complex Systems Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
- Center for the Study of Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Fernanda S Valdovinos
- Center for the Study of Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - M E J Newman
- Center for the Study of Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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48
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Young JG, Valdovinos FS, Newman MEJ. Reconstruction of plant–pollinator networks from observational data. Nat Commun 2021. [DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24149-x o] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractEmpirical measurements of ecological networks such as food webs and mutualistic networks are often rich in structure but also noisy and error-prone, particularly for rare species for which observations are sparse. Focusing on the case of plant–pollinator networks, we here describe a Bayesian statistical technique that allows us to make accurate estimates of network structure and ecological metrics from such noisy observational data. Our method yields not only estimates of these quantities, but also estimates of their statistical errors, paving the way for principled statistical analyses of ecological variables and outcomes. We demonstrate the use of the method with an application to previously published data on plant–pollinator networks in the Seychelles archipelago and Kosciusko National Park, calculating estimates of network structure, network nestedness, and other characteristics.
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49
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Schlautmann J, Rehling F, Albrecht J, Jaroszewicz B, Schabo DG, Farwig N. Observing frugivores or collecting scats: a method comparison to construct quantitative seed dispersal networks. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Schlautmann
- Conservation Ecology, Dept of Biology, Univ. of Marburg Germany
| | - Finn Rehling
- Conservation Ecology, Dept of Biology, Univ. of Marburg Germany
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Frankfurt/Main Germany
| | - Bogdan Jaroszewicz
- Białowieża Geobotanical Station, Faculty of Biology, Univ. of Warsaw Białowieża Poland
| | - Dana G. Schabo
- Conservation Ecology, Dept of Biology, Univ. of Marburg Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology, Dept of Biology, Univ. of Marburg Germany
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50
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de Paiva Farias R, da Costa LEN, Santiago ACP, dos Santos VM. The diversity of foliicolous lichens on ferns in two Brazilian tropical forests. Symbiosis 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-021-00775-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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