The impact of competitive interactions on the growth and distribution of plant species in salt marshes

Interspecific competition between herbivores is widely recognized as an important determinant of community structure. Although researchers have identified a number of factors capable of altering competitive interactions, few studies have addressed the influence of neighboring plant species. If adaptation to/ epigenetic effects of an herbivore’s natal host plant alter its performance on other host plants, then interspecific herbivore interactions may play out differently in heterogeneous and homogenous plant communities. We tested the impact of natal host plants on interactions between the Middle-east Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci by rearing the offspring of a cabbage-derived MEAM1 population and a poinsettia-derived MED population together on three different host plants: cotton, poinsettia, and cabbage. We found that MED excluded MEAM1 on poinsettia and that MEAM1 excluded MED on cabbage, results consistent with previous research. MED also excluded MEAM1 when reared together on cotton, however, a result at odds with multiple otherwise-similar studies that reared both species on the same natal plant. Our work provides evidence that natal plants affect competitive interactions on another plant species, and highlights the potential importance of neighboring plant species on herbivore community composition.

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Natal host plants can alter herbivore competition

10.7287/peerj.preprints.723v1 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Huipeng Pan ◽

Evan Preisser ◽

Qi Su ◽

Xiaoguo Jiao ◽

Wen Xie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Host Plants ◽

Important Determinant ◽

Competitive Interactions ◽

Asia Minor ◽

Epigenetic Effects ◽

Number Of Factors ◽

Herbivore Interactions ◽

Herbivore Community ◽

The Impact

Interspecific competition between herbivores is widely recognized as an important determinant of community structure. Although researchers have identified a number of factors capable of altering competitive interactions, few studies have addressed the influence of neighboring plant species. If adaptation to/ epigenetic effects of an herbivore’s natal host plant alter its performance on other host plants, then interspecific herbivore interactions may play out differently in heterogeneous and homogenous plant communities. We tested the impact of natal host plants on interactions between the Middle-east Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci by rearing the offspring of a cabbage-derived MEAM1 population and a poinsettia-derived MED population together on three different host plants: cotton, poinsettia, and cabbage. We found that MED excluded MEAM1 on poinsettia and that MEAM1 excluded MED on cabbage, results consistent with previous research. MED also excluded MEAM1 when reared together on cotton, however, a result at odds with multiple otherwise-similar studies that reared both species on the same natal plant. Our work provides evidence that natal plants affect competitive interactions on another plant species, and highlights the potential importance of neighboring plant species on herbivore community composition.

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The impact of floral morphology on genetic differentiation in two closely related biennial plant species

AoB Plants ◽

10.1093/aobpla/ply051 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Arne Mertens ◽

Rein Brys ◽

Dorien Schouppe ◽

Hans Jacquemyn

Keyword(s):

Genetic Differentiation ◽

Plant Species ◽

Floral Morphology ◽

The Impact

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Ecological Impacts of Megaprojects: Species Succession and Functional Composition

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10112411 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 2411

Author(s):

Hamada E. Ali ◽

Solveig Franziska Bucher

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Large Scale ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Species Traits ◽

Natural Vegetation ◽

Ecological Impacts ◽

Imperata Cylindrica ◽

Dry Matter Content ◽

Large Scale Disturbance ◽

The Impact

Land-use changes have huge impacts on natural vegetation, especially megaprojects, as the vegetation layer is destroyed in the course of construction works affecting the plant community composition and functionality. This large-scale disturbance might be a gateway for the establishment of invasive plant species, which can outcompete the natural flora. In contrast, species occurring in the area before the construction are not able to re-establish. In this study, we analyzed the impact of a pipeline construction on a wetland nature reserve located in northern Egypt. Therefore, we analyzed the plant species occurrence and abundance and measured each plant species’ traits before the construction in 2017 as well as on multiple occasions up to 2 years after the construction had finished on altogether five sampling events. We found that the construction activity led to the establishment of an invasive species which previously did not occur in the area, namely, Imperata cylindrica, whereas five species (Ipomoea carnea, Pluchea dioscoridis, Polygonum equisetiforme, Tamarix nilotica, and Typha domingensis) could not re-establish after the disturbance. The functionality of ecosystems assessed via the analysis of plant functional traits (plant height, specific leaf area, and leaf dry matter content) changed within species over all sampling events and within the community showing a tendency to approximate pre-construction values. Functional dispersion and Rao’s quadratic diversity were higher after the megaproject than before. These findings are important to capture possible re-establishment and recovery of natural vegetation after construction and raise awareness to the impact of megaprojects, especially in areas which are high priority for conservation.

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The Use of Native Halophytes in Landscape Design in The Central Anatolia, Turkey

Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology ◽

10.24925/turjaf.v6i12.1718-1726.1954 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (12) ◽

pp. 1718

Author(s):

Coşkun Sağlam ◽

Serpil Önder

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Salt Marshes ◽

Global Climate ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Field Studies ◽

Research Area ◽

Landscape Design ◽

Central Anatolia ◽

Barren Land ◽

Halophytic Plant

In this study, the usability of some herbaceous halophytes grown naturally in salt marshes that dry most of the year in Central Anatolia Region were investigated in landscape design. Within the scope of the research, in the years of 2016 and 2017, seasonal field studies were carried out in saline habitats in the vicinity of Konya, Ankara, Aksaray and Nevşehir, and taken photographs and herbarium samples of halophytic plant species. The general botanical and ecological characteristics of the selected species are given and the values used in landscape design have been determined considering the aesthetic and functional properties. As a result of the field studies carried out during the vegetation periods, 59 halophytic plant species, belonging to 38 genera and 19 families that could be used in landscape design were identified. The most representative family was the Asteraceae with 11 species, followed by Plumbaginaceae (9 species) and Chenopodiaceae (8 species). The genus Limonium from Plumbaginaceae family is well represented with 8 species for landscape use. The endemism rate of halophytes used in landscape design is 42% (25 species) in the research area. The most common uses in landscape design are determined in roof gardens by 49 species, followed in ground conservation and erosion prevention by 31 species. Since these halophytic species, which are mostly succulent and endemic, are well adapted into both wet and dry areas. Their use in landscape design is of great importance for restoration of arid and barren land, which may increase as a result of global climate change, conservation of biodiversity as well as sustainable agricultural practices.

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The impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on plant species richness in the freshwater lakes of Algonquin Provincial Park

SURG Journal ◽

10.21083/surg.v9i1.3151 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 5-13

Author(s):

Adrian Helmers ◽

Alexis Platek ◽

Melissa Ponte ◽

Natalie Secen ◽

Karl Cottenie

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Plant Species ◽

Human Activity ◽

Anthropogenic Disturbance ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Access Point ◽

Plant Species Richness ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact ◽

Provincial Park

This study quantified the impact of human activity on aquatic and shoreline plant species richness. We hypothesized that human activity at the shoreline would negatively impact plant species richness and that the extent of the impact would depend on the intensity of human activity. To test this, we sampled 11 lakes in Algonquin Provincial Park, of which five permitted motorboat access, and five permitted canoe access and prohibited motorboat access. The remaining lake, which had no designated access point for boats and was only accessible to researchers, acted as a control. To assess the impact of anthropogenic disturbance at each lake, we measured plant species richness in three 10 m by 2 m plots: a first plot at the access point, assumed to be the site of highest disturbance; a second at the site of intermediate disturbance, 30 m down shore from the access point; and a third at the site of lowest disturbance, 60 m down shore from the access point. We found a significant negative relationship between the level of disturbance and plant species richness, both in the motorboat-accessible and canoe access-only lakes. The control lake exhibited no correlation between disturbance level and plant species richness. However, there was no significant difference between motorboat-accessible and canoe access-only lakes in the relationship between disturbance level and plant species richness. Overall, this study highlights the consequences of anthropogenic disturbance on freshwater aquatic and shoreline plant communities, and provides a framework for future management and rehabilitation strategies.

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Microbial dark carbon fixation fueled by nitrate enrichment

10.1101/2021.08.24.457596 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Joseph H. Vineis ◽

Ashley N. Bulseco ◽

Jennifer L. Bowen

Keyword(s):

Microbial Communities ◽

Marine Sediments ◽

Salt Marshes ◽

Carbon Fixation ◽

Niche Partitioning ◽

Coastal Marine Sediments ◽

Functional Relationships ◽

Coastal Marine ◽

Dark Carbon Fixation ◽

The Impact

Anthropogenic nitrate amendment to coastal marine sediments can increase rates of heterotrophic mineralization and autotrophic dark carbon fixation (DCF). DCF may be favored in sediments where organic matter is biologically unavailable, leading to a microbial community supported by chemoautotrophy. Niche partitioning among DCF communities and adaptations for nitrate metabolism in coastal marine sediments remain poorly characterized, especially within salt marshes. We used genome-resolved metagenomics, phylogenetics, and comparative genomics to characterize the potential niche space, phylogenetic relationships, and adaptations important to microbial communities within nitrate enriched sediment. We found that nitrate enrichment of sediment from discrete depths between 0-25 cm supported both heterotrophs and chemoautotrophs that use sulfur oxidizing denitrification to drive the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) or reductive TCA (rTCA) DCF pathways. Phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that the nitrate enriched community represented a small fraction of the phylogenetic diversity contained in coastal marine environmental genomes, while pangenomics revealed close evolutionary and functional relationships with DCF microbes in other oligotrophic environments. These results indicate that DCF can support coastal marine microbial communities and should be carefully considered when estimating the impact of nitrate on carbon cycling in these critical habitats.

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Phenology of Petersianthus Macrocarpus from 2017 to 2020 and Risk of Pollinosis in Dictrict of Abidjan

Advance in Environmental Waste Management & Recycling ◽

10.33140/aewmr.03.02.10 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Wind Speed ◽

Plant Species ◽

Cote D'ivoire ◽

Côte D’Ivoire ◽

Pollen Calendar ◽

Floral Phenology ◽

Flowering Periods ◽

The Impact ◽

Number Of Individuals

Petersianthus macrocarpus is a plant species whose pollens are potentially allergenic. This plant is present from the coast to the centre of the country. The objective of this study is to prevent populations from being exposed to the pollens of Petersianthus macrocarpus. Specifically, it was a question of defining the flowering of Petersianthus macrocarpus, evaluating the impact of the climate on this flowering and listing the populations most exposed to P. macrocarpus pollens. The study took place in Abidjan, in the commune of Yopougon, specifically in South Niangon, from September 2017 to June 2020. Sampling by quadrat allowed to determine the number of individuals, the cover, the density and the frequency of the vegetation. Floral phenology was carried out by weekly observations using binoculars. The coverage in each quadrat was 1 and the frequency 100%. Individuals less than 6 m high did not bear any flowers. Two flowering periods were observed in the years 2017 to 2019. The first was from April to June, the second from November to January. However, there was no flowering from April to June in 2020. The evolution of rainfall in 2020 was not identical to that of the three previous years. The phenology of Petersianthus macrocarpus presents periods of high risk of pollinosis and is influenced by rainfall. Increasing wind speed exposes new populations to pollen. The installation of pollen collectors is certainly necessary to establish the pollen calendar of Petersianthus macrocarpus in Côte d’Ivoire.

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