scholarly journals Increased Arctic climate extremes constrain expected higher plant reproductive success in a warmer climate

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe A Panchen ◽  
Esther R. Frei ◽  
Greg H.R. Henry

The low reproductive success of Arctic plants is predicted to increase as the climate warms. However, climate extremes add complexity to these predictions. In the extremely cold year of 2018, multiple Arctic trophic levels experienced reproductive failure. We analysed a unique long-term record of seed viability from experimentally warmed and ambient plots at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island which has been running since 1992 and included 2018 and the extremely warm year of 2019. Positive and negative July temperature anomalies and summer temperatures have increased significantly by 0.5, -0.3 and 0.4°C/decade since 1977, resulting in greater extremes and increased inter-annual variation. Seed viability of some species has increased with climate warming. Across years, seed viability of woody species was consistently higher in warmed than ambient plots while the opposite was true for forbs. In 2018, seed viability of woody species in ambient plots was significantly lower than normal but comparable with past years for forb species. Not all species returned to normal seed viability levels in 2019. Our study highlights the potential for greater sexual reproductive failure in tundra plants with increasing climate extremes. We suggest that poor seed viability of woody species in cold years could constrain shrub recruitment and may aid forb species establishment on bare tundra.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (20) ◽  
pp. 11607-11621
Author(s):  
Vincent Zaninotto ◽  
Xavier Raynaud ◽  
Emmanuel Gendreau ◽  
Yvan Kraepiel ◽  
Eric Motard ◽  
...  

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
SHALINI PANDIT ◽  
B. C. CHOUDHURY

Pollinator visitation to, and the reproductive success of, Sonneratia caseolaris (Sonneratiaceae) and Aegiceras corniculatum (Myrsinaceae) was investigated in a mangrove forest in India. S. caseolaris was shown to be primarily outcrossed and A. corniculatum was shown to be a selfing species. The flowers of both plant species attracted several diurnal and nocturnal visitors. Earlier reports had indicated that S. caseolaris flowered for one night and was exclusively night-pollinated. But flowers of this species were found to be in bloom both at night and during the day, and diurnal visitors to the flowers were more diverse and frequent than nocturnal ones. This was related to the higher volume and energy value of nectar in the morning. The effects of time of day and temperature on visitation rates were quantified. The importance of visitors to plant reproductive success was investigated via controlled visitor-exclusion experiments. Pollinators were expected to be more important for the outcrossing species than for the selfing species, and this was confirmed by the results of the exclusion experiments. In S. caseolaris reproductive success was determined both by pollinator availability and the intensity of flower and fruit predation, while in A. corniculatum it is likely to be resource limited.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 1030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew H. Lybbert ◽  
Justin Taylor ◽  
Alysa DeFranco ◽  
Samuel B. St Clair

Wildfire can drastically affect plant sexual reproductive success in plant–pollinator systems. We assessed plant reproductive success of wind, generalist and specialist pollinated plant species along paired unburned, burned-edge and burned-interior locations of large wildfires in the Mojave Desert. Flower production of wind and generalist pollinated plants was greater in burned landscapes than adjacent unburned areas, whereas specialist species responses were more neutral. Fruit production of generalist species was greater in burned landscapes than in unburned areas, whereas fruit production of wind- and specialist-pollinated species showed no difference in burned and unburned landscapes. Plants surviving in wildfire-disturbed landscapes did not show evidence of pollination failure, as measured by fruit set and seed:ovule ratios. Generalist- and specialist-plant species established in the interior of burned landscapes showed no difference in fruit production than plants established on burned edges suggesting that pollination services are conserved with increasing distance from fire boundaries in burned desert landscapes. Stimulation of plant reproduction in burned environments due to competition release may contribute to the maintenance of pollinator services and re-establishment of the native plant community in post-fire desert environments.


2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-72
Author(s):  
Giriraj Panwar ◽  
Kumar Ambrish ◽  
S. Srivastava

Indopiptadenia oudhensis (Brandis) Brenan is an endangered tree species of family Mimosaceae. Species is mainly distributed at Indo-Nepal border and facing threats such as anthropogenic pressure, habitat destruction, over exploitation, low seed viability and poor seed germination.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Steel ◽  
Rebecca Athorn ◽  
Christopher Grupen

Poor sow retention due to reproductive failure is a common reproductive inefficiency amongst piggeries. This shows that traditional methods of gilt selection are inadequate and a marker of reproductive success is needed. The aim of this study was to determine whether circulating levels of AMH and E2 at D80 and D160 are associated with uterine and ovarian traits at D160. Uterine weight, horn length and horn diameter were measured, and ovarian follicle counts were determined histologically. There was a negative relationship between both D80 and D160 AMH levels and D160 ovarian follicle populations. There was also a positive relationship between D80 E2 levels and uterine capacity in gilts that were pubertal at D160. The findings indicate that D80 and D160 AMH could be used to predict ovarian reserve and that D80 E2 levels may be indicative of uterine capacity in precocial gilts.


Oecologia ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 164 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D. Higginson ◽  
Graeme D. Ruxton ◽  
John Skelhorn

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 994-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay E Clark ◽  
Eric C Hellgren ◽  
Eric E Jorgensen ◽  
Susan J Tunnell ◽  
David M Engle ◽  
...  

We conducted a mark–recapture experiment to examine the population dynamics of hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) in response to low-level nitrogen amendments (16.4 kg nitrogen/ha per year) and exclosure fencing in an old-field grassland. The experimental design consisted of sixteen 0.16-ha plots with 4 replicates of each treatment combination. We predicted that densities, reproductive success, movement probabilities, and survival rates of cotton rats would be greater on nitrogen-amended plots because of greater aboveground biomass and canopy cover. Population densities of cotton rats tended to be highest on fenced nitrogen plots, but densities on unfenced nitrogen plots were similar to those on control and fenced plots. We observed no distinct patterns in survival rates, reproductive success, or movement probabilities with regard to nitrogen treatments. However, survival rates and reproductive success tended to be higher for cotton rats on fenced plots than for those on unfenced plots and this was likely attributable to decreased predation on fenced plots. As low-level nitrogen amendments continue to be applied, we predict that survival, reproduction, and population-growth rates of cotton rats on control plots, especially fenced plots with no nitrogen amendment, will eventually exceed those on nitrogen-amended plots as a result of higher plant-species diversity, greater food availability, and better quality cover.


2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 985-995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kariane Rodrigues Sousa ◽  
Victor Paulo Mesquita Aragão ◽  
Ricardo Souza Reis ◽  
Amanda Ferreira Macedo ◽  
Henrique Duarte Vieira ◽  
...  

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