Flowering phenology and flower predation of Cullenia exarillata (Bombacaceae) by arboreal vertebrates in Western Ghats, India

ABSTRACTThe flowering phenology and flower predation of Cullenia exarillata, a canopy tree at Kakachi in the southern Western Ghats, India, was studied from 1991 to 1993 in relation to general phenological patterns at the community level. Flowering was monitored from 30 marked trees and flower predation estimated from fallen flowers in 40, 1 m2 nets placed under the trees. Flowering occurs in the dry season and coincides with the period of fruit scarcity in the forest. Flowering is synchronous in the population and each tree produces a mean of c. 8730 flowers per tree over a period of c. 47 d. Flowers produced little nectar but the edible fleshy sepals compensated for this. Six species of arboreal mammals and seven species of birds ate the flowers. These consumed 57% of the flower crop of which 37% were completely destroyed. Flower predators could be important in flower fertilization. The overabundance of the flower crop and the timing of flowering, may have evolved as a strategy to satiate predators and enable the flowers to be pollinated during the annual period of fruit scarcity in the forest. This in turn makes Cullenia exarillata a possible keystone species in this forest.

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Temporal variation of pollination classes in a tropical Venezuelan plain: the importance of habitats and life forms

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b06-015 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 84 (3) ◽

pp. 443-452 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Nelson Ramírez

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Rainy Season ◽

Life Form ◽

Transition Period ◽

Flowering Phenology ◽

Life Forms ◽

Dry Season ◽

Community Level ◽

Disturbed Areas ◽

Trees And Shrubs

Pollination of a total of 155 plant species was evaluated monthly in relation to flowering phenology, habitats, and life forms in the Venezuelan Central Plain. The relationships between flowering phenology and pollinating agent classes and their abundance were evaluated. The total number of pollinating agent classes was significantly correlated with the number of plant species for habitats and life forms, and at the community level. The number of pollinating agent classes did not change statistically with respect to flowering phenology for life form, habitats, and overall community, but the number of pollinting agent classes increased from the dry season to the rainy season for overall community and habitats, except for forest. The abundance of pollinating agents was significantly affected by flowering time. A cluster analysis revealed that the abundance of pollinating agent classes differed throughout the year, separating the dry and rainy seasons. Two trends were found in the temporal pattern of the nine pollinating agents: (1) nonseasonal, in which flowering of bat- and bird-pollinated species did not change drastically throughout the year; and (2) seasonal, in which the number of bee-, butterfly-, fly-, wasp-, moth-, beetle-, and wind-pollinated species changed throughout the year, increasing from the dry to the rainy season at the community level. The number of pollinating bees, butterflies, flies, and wasps peaked during the dry season for trees and shrubs, and therefore for forest. The number of moth-pollinated species increased from the mid-dry season to the rainy season, with a peak during the dry–rainy transition period. Beetle- and wind-pollinated species are phenologically concentrated in the rainy season: beetle-pollinated species were mainly in the forest and forest–savanna transition, and wind-pollinated species were associated with herbaceous species in savanna and disturbed areas. The distribution of pollinating agents was affected by seasonality in habitats and life forms. Therefore, life form may be considered a proximate element, reducing interference in the pollination process at the community level.

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Current distribution of Nilgiri grass yellow Eurema nilgiriensis Yata (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), with an updated taxonomic key to Eurema of Western Ghats, India

ENTOMON ◽

10.33307/entomon.v44i1.423 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 23-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

P. C. Sujitha ◽

G. Prasad ◽

R. Nitin ◽

Dipendra Nath Basu ◽

Krushnamegh Kunte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Current Distribution ◽

Western Ghats ◽

Original Description ◽

High Elevation ◽

Type Locality ◽

Ecological Data ◽

Field Identification ◽

Wing Patterns ◽

Southern Western Ghats ◽

The Nilgiris

Eurema nilgiriensis Yata, 1990, the Nilgiri grass yellow, was described from Nilgiris in southern India. There are not many published records of this species since its original description, and it was presumed to be a high-elevation endemic species restricted to its type locality. Based on the external morphology (wing patterns) as well as the male genitalia, the first confirmed records of the species from Agasthyamalais and Kodagu in the southern Western Ghats, is provided here. This report is a significant range extension for the species outside the Nilgiris, its type locality. Ecological data pertaining to this species as well as the field identification key to all known Eurema of Western Ghats are also presented.

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A Checklist of the Genus Pogostemon Desf. in Southern Western Ghats

South Indian Journal of Biological Sciences ◽

10.22205/sijbs/2016/v2/i1/100343 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 46 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kalathummarath Shinoj ◽

Kollancheri Puthanveetil Vimal ◽

Purayidathkandy Sunojkumar

Keyword(s):

Western Ghats ◽

Southern Western Ghats

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Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Properties of Streptomyces Sp. (ERINLG-51) Isolated from Southern Western Ghats

South Indian Journal of Biological Sciences ◽

10.22205/sijbs/2015/v1/i1/100436 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Chandransekar Balachandran ◽

Veeramuthu Duraipandiyan ◽

Nobuhiko Emi ◽

Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu

Keyword(s):

Western Ghats ◽

Southern Western Ghats

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New locality records and call description of the Resplendent Shrub Frog Raorchestes resplendens (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from the Western Ghats, India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.5994.12.11.16502-16509 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 16502-16509

Author(s):

Sandeep Das ◽

K.P. Rajkumar ◽

K.A. Sreejith ◽

M. Royaltata ◽

P.S. Easa

Keyword(s):

Endangered Species ◽

Western Ghats ◽

Small Area ◽

Grassland Ecosystem ◽

Critically Endangered Species ◽

Controlled Burning ◽

New Locations ◽

Southern Western Ghats ◽

First Time ◽

The Western Ghats

Abstract: The Resplendent Shrub Frog, Raorchestes resplendens Biju, Shouche, Dubois, Dutta, & Bossuyt, 2010 is a Critically Endangered species endemic to the Western Ghats and was considered to be restricted to a three-square kilometer patch atop Anamudi summit. In this study, we report 36 new locations of the species from the Anamalai massif of the southern Western Ghats. Niche-based prediction modelling suggests that the species is restricted to Anamalai massif. The call description of this frog is also provided for the first time. The preferred microhabitat of the frog is Chrysopogon grass clumps in the marshy/swampy montane grassland ecosystem. Restricted to a small area with controlled burning management practiced in its habitat, R. resplendens needs immediate attention.

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