The Floral Microbiome: Plant, Pollinator, and Microbial Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 363-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Vannette

Flowers at times host abundant and specialized communities of bacteria and fungi that influence floral phenotypes and interactions with pollinators. Ecological processes drive variation in microbial abundance and composition at multiple scales, including among plant species, among flower tissues, and among flowers on the same plant. Variation in microbial effects on floral phenotype suggests that microbial metabolites could cue the presence or quality of rewards for pollinators, but most plants are unlikely to rely on microbes for pollinator attraction or reproduction. From a microbial perspective, flowers offer opportunities to disperse between habitats, but microbial species differ in requirements for and benefits received from such dispersal. The extent to which floral microbes shape the evolution of floral traits, influence fitness of floral visitors, and respond to anthropogenic change is unclear. A deeper understanding of these phenomena could illuminate the ecological and evolutionary importance of floral microbiomes and their role in the conservation of plant–pollinator interactions.

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 20190132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert N. Schaeffer ◽  
Caitlin C. Rering ◽  
Isabelle Maalouf ◽  
John J. Beck ◽  
Rachel L. Vannette

Animals such as bumblebees use chemosensory cues to both locate and evaluate essential resources. Increasingly, it is recognized that microbes can alter the quality of foraged resources and produce metabolites that may act as foraging cues. The distinct nature of these chemosensory cues however and their use in animal foraging remain poorly understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that species of nectar-inhabiting microbes differentially influence pollinator attraction and feeding via microbial metabolites produced in nectar. We first examined the electrophysiological potential for bumblebee ( Bombus impatiens ) antennal olfactory neurons to respond to microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs), followed by an olfactory preference test. We also assessed gustatory preferences for microbial-altered nectar through both no-choice and choice feeding assays. Antennal olfactory neurons responded to some mVOCs, and bees preferred nectar solutions inoculated with the bacterium Asaia astilbes over the yeast Metschnikowia reukaufii based on volatiles alone. However, B. impatiens foragers consumed significantly more Metschnikowia -inoculated nectar, suggesting distinct roles for mVOCs and non-volatile metabolites in mediating both attraction and feeding decisions. Collectively, our results suggest that microbial metabolites have significant potential to shape interspecific, plant–pollinator signalling, with consequences for forager learning, economics and floral host reproduction.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz Mittelbach ◽  
Andrey M. Yurkov ◽  
Dominik Begerow

AbstractNectar-dwelling yeast and bacteria are common inhabitants of flowers and evidently involved in pollination. The limited number of floral plant-pollinator models studied to date reveal inconsistent conclusions on microbial effects, but coincide with respect to high microbial specificity: while bacteria reduce visitation frequencies of pollinators, nectar-borne specialist yeasts (in contrast to allochthonous or transient species) impose none or even a beneficial effect on flower visitation. However, these findings are in conflict with the strong impact of these predominantly fermenting organisms on the nectar environment. In order to cope with the ultimate dependency of nectar-dwellers on repeated transportation by foragers as a result of early floral senescence, the modifications of nectar associated with specialist growth have been interpreted as adaptations that suit forager’s preferences. But, the development of foraging preferences to either axenic flowers or flowers colonized by specialist microorganisms would lead to a dead-end for nectar-dwellers, as the probability of inoculation into new suitable habitats would be reduced.Based on a critical survey of the available literature and an additional pollinator experiment where we find that the allochthonous species Cryptococcus victoriae negatively affects attraction and rewarding of floral visitors, while the specialist yeast Metschnikowia reukaufii does not, we propose the hypothesis that nectar-borne yeasts may have evolved to blend into their environment avoiding detection by pollinators, following the ecological concept of crypsis. Although, neither chemical nor olfactory crypsis has been reported for nectar-borne microorganisms, the attention to this mechanism in yeast dispersal needs to be directed in future studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Muhamad Zaenudin ◽  
Ahmadi Ahmadi ◽  
Hulyadi Hulyadi

Soap is a necessity for daily life, such as for bathing, washing, and cleaning other necessities. Normally various kinds of bacteria and fungi can live permanently on the skin, for example, such as thebacteria Staphyloccocus aureus. Antibacterial soap is used as a solution to this bacterial problem. Sumbawa oil is a natural ingredient that has the potential to be antibacterial in body wash. Sumbawa oil contains geraniol and citronellal, flavonoids, polyphenols and also contains saponins and tannins. The research objective was to find out what volume of Sumbawa oil is used to obtain the quality of liquid bath soap which has antibacterial content and meets SNI standards. This research is an experimental research in a laboratory by varying the volume of Sumbawa oil. The parameters measured in this study were the effect of variations in the volume of Sumbawa oil on antibacterial properties and pH of liquid bath soap. The findings in this study that the best antibacterial properties were found in the addition of 15 ml volume of Sumbawa oil with an average inhibition zone of 19.5-22.3 mm and a pH of 5 ml of Sumbawa oil volume with an average pH of 6.1. Based on the above findings, it can be concluded that the addition of Sumbawa oil has an effect on the antibacterial properties and pH of liquid bath soap. 


Author(s):  
Leonardo Silva Junior ◽  
Jéssica Andrade Vilas Boas ◽  
Marcos Eduardo Cordeiro Bernardes ◽  
Maria Inês Nogueira Alvarenga

Os processos ecológicos contribuem de forma ímpar para vivência humana, sendo capazes de fornecer condições essenciais à manutenção da vida na Terra, permitindo que ecossistemas se mantenham em equilíbrio. Nesse cenário, algumas áreas designadas legalmente pelo poder público, incubem-se de proteger vestígios naturais às ações antrópicas, porém estas áreas protegidas vêm sofrendo continuamente com pressões humanas mesmo em seus interiores. Assim, o Parque Estadual da Ilha Anchieta (PEIA), localizado no litoral norte do estado de São Paulo, é uma das áreas protegidas mais visitadas do estado. Nesse contexto, diversas atividades recreativas são permitidas em seu interior, possibilitando assim possíveis adversidades aos processos ecológicos. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade visual da paisagem do PEIA, por meio de indicadores ambientais. Para tal, foram selecionadas 10 paisagens de alta relevância quanto a sua beleza cênica, fluxo de turistas, amplitude visual, relevância educacional e para a conservação ambiental. As paisagens encontram-se em diferentes altitudes, fitofisionomias, aspectos abióticos e níveis de acesso público, com diversidade espacial, o que confere características únicas a elas. Os seguintes indicadores visuais foram usados na classificação das paisagens: diversidade; naturalidade; singularidade e detratores. Além disso, os locais foram georreferenciados e fotografados. Como resultado, quatro locais apresentaram qualidade visual média; quatro, com qualidade visual média superior e duas paisagens com qualidade visual superior. Em geral, a qualidade visual foi inferior nas zonas frontais do PEIA, onde o acesso aos turistas é facilitado por trilhas e infraestrutura de apoio. Já regiões mais afastadas e de difícil acesso foram as que apresentaram melhor qualidade visual. Deste modo, conclui-se que de fato a interferência humana reflete diretamente na qualidade visual das paisagens e assim, medidas de gestão ambiental, principalmente a atualização do seu plano de manejo, que data de 1989, podem dar suporte a uma proteção mais qualificada ao parque, bem como, proporcionar uma experiência ainda mais agradável e educativa aos seus visitantes. Quality visual landscape of State Park Anchieta Island, Ubatuba (SP, Brazil) ABSTRACT The ecological processes contribute in a unique way to human experience, being able to provide essential conditions for sustaining life on earth, allowing that keep ecosystems in balance. In this scenario, some areas legally designated by the Government, incubate up to protect natural traces to human actions, but these protected areas are continuously suffering from human pressures even in their interiors, Thus, the State Park of the Anchieta Island (PEIA), located on the northern coast of São Paulo, is one of the most visited protected areas of the state. In this context, various recreational activities are allowed inside, thus enabling possible adversities to ecological processes. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the visual quality of PEIA landscape through environmental indicators. To this end, were selected 10 landscapes of high relevance as its scenic beauty, tourist flow, visual range, educational relevance and to environmental conservation. The landscapes are at different altitudes, vegetation types, abiotic aspects and public access levels with spatial diversity, which gives unique characteristics to them. The following visual indicators were used in the classification of landscapes: diversity; naturalness; uniqueness and detractors. Furthermore, the sites were georeferenced and photographed. As result, four sites had visual medium quality; four, with visual medium superior quality and two landscapes with visual superior quality. In general, the visual quality was lower in the frontal areas of the PEIA, where access to tourists is facilitated by trails and infrastructure support. Already more remote areas and difficult access showed the best visual quality. Thus, it is concluded that in fact human interference directly reflects the visual quality of the landscape and thus environmental management measures, mainly updating its management plan, dating from 1989 can support a more qualified protection park, as well as provide an experience even more enjoyable and educational visitors. KEYWORDS: Ecotourism; Protected Areas; Environmental Indicators.


Author(s):  
Negin Alemazkoor ◽  
Conrad J Ruppert ◽  
Hadi Meidani

Defects in track geometry have a notable impact on the safety of rail transportation. In order to make the optimal maintenance decisions to ensure the safety and efficiency of railroads, it is necessary to analyze the track geometry defects and develop reliable defect deterioration models. In general, standard deterioration models are typically developed for a segment of track. As a result, these coarse-scale deterioration models may fail to predict whether the isolated defects in a segment will exceed the safety limits after a given time period or not. In this paper, survival analysis is used to model the probability of exceeding the safety limits of the isolated defects. These fine-scale models are then used to calculate the probability of whether each segment of the track will require maintenance after a given time period. The model validation results show that the prediction quality of the coarse-scale segment-based models can be improved by exploiting information from the fine-scale defect-based deterioration models.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Saltus ◽  
Todd Swannack ◽  
S. McKay

Habitat suitability models are widely adopted in ecosystem management and restoration, where these index models are used to assess environmental impacts and benefits based on the quantity and quality of a given habitat. Many spatially distributed ecological processes require application of suitability models within a geographic information system (GIS). Here, we present a geospatial toolbox for assessing habitat suitability. The Geospatial Suitability Indices (GSI) toolbox was developed in ArcGIS Pro 2.7 using the Python® 3.7 programming language and is available for use on the local desktop in the Windows 10 environment. Two main tools comprise the GSI toolbox. First, the Suitability Index Calculator tool uses thematic or continuous geospatial raster layers to calculate parameter suitability indices based on user-specified habitat relationships. Second, the Overall Suitability Index Calculator combines multiple parameter suitability indices into one overarching index using one or more options, including: arithmetic mean, weighted arithmetic mean, geometric mean, and minimum limiting factor. The resultant output is a raster layer representing habitat suitability values from 0.0 to 1.0, where zero is unsuitable habitat and one is ideal suitability. This report documents the model purpose and development as well as provides a user’s guide for the GSI toolbox.


Author(s):  
Angela Lisibach ◽  
Valérie Benelli ◽  
Marco Giacomo Ceppi ◽  
Karin Waldner-Knogler ◽  
Chantal Csajka ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Older people are at risk of anticholinergic side effects due to changes affecting drug elimination and higher sensitivity to drug’s side effects. Anticholinergic burden scales (ABS) were developed to quantify the anticholinergic drug burden (ADB). We aim to identify all published ABS, to compare them systematically and to evaluate their associations with clinical outcomes. Methods We conducted a literature search in MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify all published ABS and a Web of Science citation (WoS) analysis to track validation studies implying clinical outcomes. Quality of the ABS was assessed using an adapted AGREE II tool. For the validation studies, we used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Cochrane tool Rob2.0. The validation studies were categorized into six evidence levels based on the propositions of the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine with respect to their quality. At least two researchers independently performed screening and quality assessments. Results Out of 1297 records, we identified 19 ABS and 104 validations studies. Despite differences in quality, all ABS were recommended for use. The anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB) scale and the German anticholinergic burden scale (GABS) achieved the highest percentage in quality. Most ABS are validated, yet validation studies for newer scales are lacking. Only two studies compared eight ABS simultaneously. The four most investigated clinical outcomes delirium, cognition, mortality and falls showed contradicting results. Conclusion There is need for good quality validation studies comparing multiple scales to define the best scale and to conduct a meta-analysis for the assessment of their clinical impact.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Magali Proffit ◽  
Benoit Lapeyre ◽  
Bruno Buatois ◽  
Xiaoxia Deng ◽  
Pierre Arnal ◽  
...  

Abstract In several highly specialized plant-insect interactions, scent-mediated specificity of pollinator attraction is directed by the emission and detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Although some plants engaged in such interactions emit singular compounds, others emit mixtures of VOCs commonly emitted by plants. We investigated the chemical ecological bases of host plant recognition in the nursery pollination mutualism between the dioecious Ficus carica and its specific pollinator Blastophaga psenes. Using Y-tube olfactometer tests, we show that B. psenes females are attracted by VOCs of receptive figs of both sexes and do not exhibit preference for VOCs of either male or female figs. Electrophysiological tests and chemical analysis revealed that of all the VOCs emitted by receptive figs, only five were found to be active on female antennae. Behavioural tests show that, in contrast to VOCs presented alone, only a blend with a particular proportion of four of these VOCs is as attractive as the odour of receptive figs, and that if there is a very small change in this blend proportion, the pollinator is no longer attracted. This study revealed that in highly specialized mutualistic interactions specificity could be mediated by a particular blend of common compounds emitted by plants.


2015 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 47-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Wissen Hayek ◽  
D. Efthymiou ◽  
B. Farooq ◽  
T. von Wirth ◽  
M. Teich ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Liming Li ◽  
Xiaodong Chai ◽  
Shuguang Zhao ◽  
Shubin Zheng ◽  
Shengchao Su

This paper proposes an effective method to elevate the performance of saliency detection via iterative bootstrap learning, which consists of two tasks including saliency optimization and saliency integration. Specifically, first, multiscale segmentation and feature extraction are performed on the input image successively. Second, prior saliency maps are generated using existing saliency models, which are used to generate the initial saliency map. Third, prior maps are fed into the saliency regressor together, where training samples are collected from the prior maps at multiple scales and the random forest regressor is learned from such training data. An integration of the initial saliency map and the output of saliency regressor is deployed to generate the coarse saliency map. Finally, in order to improve the quality of saliency map further, both initial and coarse saliency maps are fed into the saliency regressor together, and then the output of the saliency regressor, the initial saliency map as well as the coarse saliency map are integrated into the final saliency map. Experimental results on three public data sets demonstrate that the proposed method consistently achieves the best performance and significant improvement can be obtained when applying our method to existing saliency models.


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