scholarly journals Unclusterable, underdispersed arrangement of insect-pollinated plants in pollinator niche space

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos M. Herrera
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Niche Space ◽  
Random Arrangement ◽  
Species Cluster ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Pollinator Composition ◽  
Plant Pollinator

AbstractPollinators can mediate facilitative or competitive relationships between plant species, but the comparative importance of these two conflicting phenomena in shaping community-wide pollinator resource use remains unexplored. This paper examines the idea that the arrangement in pollinator niche space of plant species samples comprising complete or nearly complete regional or local plant communities can help to evaluate the relative importance of facilitation and competition as drivers of community-wide pollinator resource use. Pollinator composition data for insect-pollinated plants from the Sierra de Cazorla mountains (southeastern Spain), comprising 85% of families and ~95% of widely distributed insect-pollinated species, were used to address the following questions at regional (45 sites, 221 plant species) and local (one site, 73 plant species) spatial scales: (1) Do objectively identifiable plant species clusters occur in pollinator niche space ? Four different pollinator niche spaces were considered whose axes were defined by insect orders, families, genera and species; and (2) If all plant species form a single, indivisible cluster in pollinator niche space, Are they overdispersed or underdispersed relative to a random arrangement ? “Clusterability” tests failed to reject the null hypothesis that there was only one pollinator-defined plant species cluster in pollinator niche space, irrespective of spatial scale, pollinator niche space or pollinator importance measurement (proportions of pollinator individuals or flowers visited by each pollinator type). Observed means of pairwise interspecific dissimilarity in pollinator composition were smaller than randomly simulated values in the order-, family- and genus-defined pollinator niche spaces at both spatial scales, thus revealing significantly non-random, underdispersed arrangement of plant species within the single cluster existing in each of these pollinator niche spaces. In the undisturbed montane habitats studied, arrangement of insect-pollinated plant species in pollinator niche space did not support a major role for interspecific competition as a force shaping community-wide pollinator resource use by plants, but rather suggested a situation closer to the facilitation-dominated extreme in a hypothetical competition-facilitation gradient. Results also highlight the importance of investigations on complete or nearly complete insect-pollinated plant communities for addressing novel hypotheses on the ecology and evolution of plant-pollinator systems.

scholarly journals The Contribution of the Spatial Hydrological Niche to Species Diversity in Rare Plant Communities of English Floodplain Meadows

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo García-Baquero Moneo ◽  
David Gowing ◽  
Hilary Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
The Individual

Abstract The hydrological niche is one of the few below ground spatial environmental niches, which has been shown to structure English floodplain meadows and other European and African herbaceous ecosystems. However, both the relative contribution of hydrological heterogeneity to the structure of English floodplain meadows across spatial scales and the forms of the individual species’ responses to hydrological heterogeneity remain largely unknown. Here we use a survey database of 2440 evaluation units sampled in fifteen English floodplain meadows to dissect the spatial architecture of this metacommunity and describe the relationship between the abundance of individual species and hydrological heterogeneity. Of the tested species 65% responded to spatial hydrological heterogeneity, with both monotonic and hump-shaped responses. We found that between-site beta-diversity is much stronger than within-site beta-diversity, with between-site scale hydrological variation explaining twice as much variation in community structure as within-site scale. This leads to the conclusion that a conservation strategy of rare plant communities should include not only the preservation of the diversity of local hydrological regimes, but, specially, the inclusion in the conservation system of as many and environmentally varied local plant communities as possible.

scholarly journals Family graveyards form underappreciated local plant diversity hotspots in China's agricultural landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Gong ◽  
Liangtao Li ◽  
Jan C. Axmarcher ◽  
Zhenrong Yu ◽  
Yunhui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Habitat Islands ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Ecological Functioning

AbstractIn the intensively farmed, homogenous agricultural landscape of the North China Plain, family graveyards form distinct cultural landscape features. In addition to their cultural value, these graveyards represent semi-natural habitat islands whose potential roles in biodiversity conservation and ecological functioning has remained poorly understood. In this study, we investigated plant species richness on 199 family graveyards of different ages and sizes. In accordance with biogeography theory, both overall and insect-pollinated plant species richness increased with area and age of graveyards. Even small graveyards show a strong potential for conserving local plant richness, and a mosaic of both large and small family graveyards could play an important role in the conservation of farmland biodiversity and related ecosystem functions. The launch of agri-environmental measures that conserve and create semi-natural habitats, in turn benefitting agricultural biodiversity and ecological functioning, has proven difficult in China due to the shortage of dispensable arable land. Given the great value of family graveyards as semi-natural habitats reflected in our study, we propose to focus preliminary efforts on conserving these landscape features as existing, widespread and culturally important semi-natural habitat islands. This would represent an effective, complementary policy to a subsequent re-establishment of other semi-natural habitats for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological functioning in agricultural landscapes.

scholarly journals Photosynthetic parameters of a sedge-grass marsh as a big-leaf: effect of plant species composition

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Markéta Mejdová ◽  
Jiří Dušek ◽  
Lenka Foltýnová ◽  
Lenka Macálková ◽  
Hana Čížková
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Photosynthetic Parameters ◽  
Acorus Calamus ◽  
Dominant Plant Species ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Rate Of Photosynthesis ◽  
Carex Acuta ◽  
Leaf P

AbstractThe study estimates the parameters of the photosynthesis–irradiance relationship (PN/I) of a sedge-grass marsh (Czech Republic, Europe), represented as an active “green” surface—a hypothetical “big-leaf”. Photosynthetic parameters of the “big-leaf” are based on in situ measurements of the leaf PN/I curves of the dominant plant species. The non-rectangular hyperbola was selected as the best model for fitting the PN/I relationships. The plant species had different parameters of this relationship. The highest light-saturated rate of photosynthesis (Asat) was recorded for Glyceria maxima and Acorus calamus followed by Carex acuta and Phalaris arundinacea. The lowest Asat was recorded for Calamagrostis canescens. The parameters of the PN/I relationship were calculated also for different growth periods. The highest Asat was calculated for the spring period followed by the summer and autumn periods. The effect of the species composition of the local plant community on the photosynthetic parameters of the “big-leaf” was addressed by introducing both real (recorded) and hypothetical species compositions corresponding to “wet” and “dry” hydrological conditions. We can conclude that the species composition (or diversity) is essential for reaching a high Asat of the “big-leaf ”representing the sedge-grass marsh in different growth periods.

scholarly journals Insect Visitation to Wildflowers in the Endangered Garry Oak, Quercus garryana, Ecosystem of British Columbia

2005 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 245 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Parachnowitsch ◽  
E. Elle
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Quercus Garryana ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Introduced Honeybee ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Basic Biology ◽  
Oak Ecosystem ◽  
Plant Pollinator

The Garry Oak Ecosystem (GOE) is a fragmented and endangered ecosystem in Canada, and is currently the focus of conservation and restoration efforts in British Columbia. However, little is known about the basic biology of GOE forbs, or their relationships with pollinating insects. We monitored wildflowers and their insect visitors in 25 quadrats within a 25 × 25 metre plot, located in a fragment of the GOE near Duncan, British Columbia, for six weeks (the majority of the flowering period). Overall, 21 native and non-native forb species flowered in our quadrats during the survey, and we observed an additional six forb species flowering outside of our quadrats. Eight forbs were visited within quadrats by a total of 13 insect taxa, identified to morphospecies. Visits by eight additional morphospecies were observed outside of the quadrats. In general, visitation was low; however, most insect morphospecies were observed visiting more than one plant species, and most plant species were visited by more than one insect morphospecies, suggesting that pollination may be generalised in this community. A Chi-squared analysis indicated that insect visitation was not proportional to the relative abundance of forbs, with higher than expected visitation to Common camas (Camassia quamash), and no observed visits to 11 species, most with very small (putatively unattractive) flowers. The most frequent insect visitor was the introduced Honeybee, Apis mellifera, followed by native mason bees (Osmia spp.) and mining bees (Andrena spp.). Our observations provide baseline data for future, detailed studies that should investigate the importance of plant-pollinator mutualisms for sustainability of populations and communities in this rare ecosystem.

scholarly journals A matter of time: Recovery of plant species diversity in wild plant communities at declining nitrogen deposition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Berendse ◽  
Rob H. E. M. Geerts ◽  
Wim Th. Elberse ◽  
Thiemo Martijn Bezemer ◽  
Paul W. Goedhart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Plant Species Diversity ◽  
Wild Plant

INFLUENCE OF HERACLEUM SOSNOWSKYI MANDEN. ON BIODIVERSITY OF VASCULAR PLANTS OF THE PROTECTED AREA «LIPOVAYA GORA» (PERM)

2020 ◽  
pp. 272-279
Author(s):  
D. N. Tiunov ◽  
◽  
E. G. Efimik ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Projective Cover ◽  
Seed Productivity ◽  
Heracleum Sosnowskyi ◽  
Rapid Spread

The problem of invasion of Sosnowsky hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi Manden.) In the Lipovaya Gora SPNA in Perm is considered. A map of distribution of hogweed cenopopulations in the protected area is presented. The results of the influence of the invasion of Sosnovsky hogweed on the biodiversity of vascu-lar plants of some plant communities are presented. It was revealed that the invasion of hogweed into phytocenoses of the Lipovaya Gora protected area leads to a decrease in the biodiversity of vascular plants by about 26.4% (up to 12 plant species). The ways of introduction of cow parsnip into the communities of the protected area are considered. High seed productivity, high projective cover, reaching in some cases 100%, high phytomass, the presence of dormant seeds, rapid development in spring, and high anthropo-genic load on the territory determine the rapid spread of H. sosnowskyi.

scholarly journals Phytosociological surveys: tools for weed science?

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 469-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Concenço ◽  
M. Tomazi ◽  
I.V.T. Correia ◽  
S.A. Santos ◽  
L. Galon
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Distinct Group ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Ecological Evaluation ◽  
Natural Plant ◽  
Ecological Basis

In simple terms, a phytosociological survey is a group of ecological evaluation methods whose aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of both the composition and distribution of plant species in a given plant community. To understand the applicability of phytosociological surveys for weed science, as well as their validity, their ecological basis should be understood and the most suitable ones need to be chosen, because cultivated fields present a relatively distinct group of selecting factors when compared to natural plant communities. For weed science, the following sequence of steps is proposed as the most suitable: (1) overall infestation; (2) phytosociological tables/graphs; (3) intra-characterization by diversity; (4) inter-characterization and grouping by cluster analysis. A summary of methods is established in order to assist Weed Science researchers through their steps into the realm of phytosociology.

scholarly journals Long-legged bees make adaptive leaps: linking adaptation to coevolution in a plant–pollinator network

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1862) ◽  
pp. 20171707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Pauw ◽  
Belinda Kahnt ◽  
Michael Kuhlmann ◽  
Denis Michez ◽  
Graham A. Montgomery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Evolutionary Divergence ◽  
Large Network ◽  
Independent Contrasts ◽  
Leg Length ◽  
Phylogenetically Independent Contrasts ◽  
Explained Variance ◽  
Spur Length ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Selective Environment

Adaptation is evolution in response to natural selection. Hence, an adaptation is expected to originate simultaneously with the acquisition of a particular selective environment. Here we test whether long legs evolve in oil-collecting Rediviva bees when they come under selection by long-spurred, oil-secreting flowers. To quantify the selective environment, we drew a large network of the interactions between Rediviva species and oil-secreting plant species. The selective environment of each bee species was summarized as the average spur length of the interacting plant species weighted by interaction frequency. Using phylogenetically independent contrasts, we calculated divergence in selective environment and evolutionary divergence in leg length between sister species (and sister clades) of Rediviva . We found that change in the selective environment explained 80% of evolutionary change in leg length, with change in body size contributing an additional 6% of uniquely explained variance. The result is one of four proposed steps in testing for plant–pollinator coevolution.

scholarly journals Functional Diversity of Plant–Pollinator Interaction Webs Enhances the Persistence of Plant Communities

PLoS Biology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Fontaine ◽  
Isabelle Dajoz ◽  
Jacques Meriguet ◽  
Michel Loreau
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Interaction Webs
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