scholarly journals Restoring lepidopteran diversity in a tropical dry forest: relative importance of restoration treatment, tree identity and predator pressure

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizet Solis-Gabriel ◽  
Wendy Mendoza-Arroyo ◽  
Karina Boege ◽  
Ek del-Val
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Plant Performance ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Host Identity ◽  
Restoration Strategies

Tropical dry forests (TDFs) have been widely transformed by human activities worldwide and the ecosystem services they provide are diminishing. There has been an urgent call for conservation and restoration of the degraded lands previously occupied by TDFs. Restoration experiences aim to recover species diversity and ecological functions. Different restoration strategies have been used to maximize plant performance including weeding, planting or using artificial mulching. In this investigation, we evaluated whether different restoration practices influence animal arrival and the reestablishment of biotic interactions. We particularly evaluated lepidopteran larvae diversity and caterpillar predation on plants established under different restoration treatments (mulching, weeding and control) in the Pacific West Coast of México. This study corroborated the importance of plant host identity for lepidopteran presence in a particular area. Lepidopteran diversity and herbivory rates were not affected by the restoration treatment but they were related to tree species. In contrast, caterpillar predation marks were affected by restoration treatment, with a greater number of predation marks in control plots, while caterpillar predation marks among plant species were not significantly different. This study highlights the importance of considering the introduction of high plant species diversity when planning TDF restoration to maximize lepidopteran diversity and ecosystem functioning.

Regeneration beneath a dioecious tree species (Spondias purpurea) in a Mexican tropical dry forest

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moisés Méndez-Toribio ◽  
Ana María González-Di Pierro ◽  
Mauricio Quesada ◽  
Julieta Benítez-Malvido
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Total Density ◽  
Dioecious Plant ◽  
Nucleation Sites ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Spondias Purpurea

Abstract:In dioecious plant species different frugivore activity between genders may influence the abundance and richness of the seedling banks underneath their canopies throughout seed removal and dispersal. In the tropical dry forest of Chamela, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, the role of S. purpurea female trees as nucleation sites of regeneration was investigated. The standing density, species richness and dispersal syndrome of woody seedlings (i.e. trees and shrubs, 10–100 cm tall) recruited underneath and outside the canopy of 10 male and 10 female S. purpurea trees were recorded in a total of 160 1-m2 plots. Total density was greater in seedling communities associated with female trees (i.e. underneath and outside their canopies) as compared with male trees (231 vs. 153 seedlings, respectively); whereas overall species richness was greater underneath female canopies. Further, the density of zoochorous species were greater underneath the canopy of S. purpurea females (range = 0–5 plants m−2), than elsewhere (outside female canopies, range = 0–3 plants m−2; underneath and outside male canopies, range = 0–2 plants m−2), suggesting a directional dispersal bias towards them. Females of dioecious plant species may act as nucleation sites of initial seedling recruitment in tropical dry forests.

scholarly journals Madrigueras de Liomys pictus en dos selvas tropicales del Pacífico mexicano.

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yolanda Domínguez-Castellanos ◽  
Beatriz Hernandez Meza ◽  
Angeles Mendoza D. ◽  
Gerardo Ceballos González
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Mexican Pacific ◽  
La Selva

Resumen: Se determinó la estructura y el contenido de las madrigueras de Liomys pictus por tipo de vegetación y temporada del año, en dos selvas tropicales del Pacífico Mexicano. Se encontraron 24 madrigueras: en la selva baja la mayoría son complejas, mientras que  en la selva mediana son lineales, por consiguiente y de acuerdo a la clasificación de las madrigueras, en selva baja se presentaron madrigueras múltiples y en selva mediana madrigueras simples. De acuerdo al contenido, las de selva baja tienen en promedio una mayor cantidad de materiales en comparación a las de selva mediana. Se catalogaron un total de 248 especies de plantas de estas 50 se comparten en ambos sitios, del total de las especies se llegaron a identificar sólo 77. Las familias más representativas fueron Leguminoseae, Euphorbiaceae y Convolvulaceae. La estructura de las madrigueras no esta determinada por la temporalidad, sin embargo el contenido esta determinado con la cantidad de material almacenado aunque la producción de semillas esta definido por el patrón de fructificación que esta dado a lo largo del año.Palabras clave: Madrigueras, estructura, contenido, Liomys pictus, Jalisco, México.Abstract: We determined the structure and contents of burrows of Liomys pictus by vegetation type and season in two tropical forests of the Mexican Pacific. 24 burrows were found in the tropical dry forest and most complex, in the semi deciduous forest is linear, and therefore according to the classification of the burrows in the tropical dry forest are more numerous and simple in the semi deciduous forest. According to the content, of the tropical dry forest have on average a greater amount of material compared to the semi deciduous forest. Were categorized a total of 248 plant species of these 50 sites are shared in both the total number of species is to determine 77. The most representative families were Leguminoseae, Euphorbiaceae and Convulvolaceae. The structure of the burrows is not affected by the timing, but the content is determined with the amount of stored material but seed production is defined by the pattern of fruit that is given throughout the year.Key words: Burrows, structure, food hoarding, Liomys pictus, Jalisco, Mexico.

Contrasting patterns of morphology, fluctuating asymmetry and leaf herbivory in three plant species of different successional stages of a tropical dry forest

Trees ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 1075-1086
Author(s):  
Joan Sebastian Aguilar-Peralta ◽  
Antonio González-Rodríguez ◽  
Yurixhi Maldonado-López ◽  
Marcílio Fagundes ◽  
Maurício L. Faria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Successional Stages ◽  
Leaf Herbivory

The effects of individual tree species on species diversity in a tropical dry forest change throughout ontogeny

Ecography ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. I. Espinosa ◽  
M. de la Cruz ◽  
A. Jara-Guerrero ◽  
E. Gusmán ◽  
A. Escudero
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Forest Change ◽  
Individual Tree

scholarly journals Accidental consumption of Atta cephalotes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) by Artibeus lituratus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-26
Author(s):  
Sebastián Montoya-Bustamante ◽  
Natalya Zapata-Mesa
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Psidium Guajava ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Atta Cephalotes ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Valle Del Cauca ◽  
Artibeus Lituratus

During a 6-months research carried out in the Robles village (Jamundí municipality, Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia) in 2014, bat feces were collected to determine the diet of fruit-eating bats. This study area included farms and tropical dry forest remnants, where A. lituratus was the most generalist species, with 10 different plant species recorded in its diet, including Ficus, Psidium, Mangifera, Cecropia, and Piper species (Montoya-Bustamante et al., 2016). Within two (out of 130) different fecal samples an individual of Atta cephalotes (both workers) were found associated to Psidium guajava seeds and pulp

scholarly journals Similarity in plant species consumed by goat flocks in the tropical dry forest of the Cañada, Oaxaca

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 490-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvador Mandujano ◽  
Ariana Barrera-Salazar ◽  
Antonio Vergara-Castrejón
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Capra Hircus ◽  
Eleusine Indica ◽  
Para Determinar

El manejo de caprinos (Capra hircus) en sistemas extensivos es una práctica común en la Reserva de la Biosfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán (RBTC), México. En el presente estudio se analizó la similitud de las especies de plantas consumidas por los caprinos de diferentes rebaños en un paisaje de la Cañada en Oaxaca. Se siguió a ocho rebaños en diferentes localidades durante las épocas de lluvias 2012 y la de seca 2013. Para determinar la similitud espacial y temporal entre los rebaños dependiendo de las plantas consumidas, se emplearon métodos de análisis multivariado, específicamente de agrupamiento jerárquico en el programa R. Los caprinos consumieron 84 especies, de las cuales 30 constituyen el 75 % de la dieta. De acuerdo a los análisis de similitud, Mimosa sp. y Acacia cochiliacantha fueron las especies consumidas con mayor frecuencia por todos los rebaños; mientras que Eleusine indica, Prosopis leavigata y Opuntia sp. fueron las siguientes en importancia. El rebaño de la localidad Tecomovaca fue el menos similar al resto de los rebaños estudiados. Estos resultados contribuyen al entendimiento de los hábitos de forrajeo de los caprinos en región tropical seca, donde la disponibilidad de recursos es marcadamente estacional.

scholarly journals Plant dominance in a subalpine montane meadow: biotic vs. abiotic controls of subordinate diversity within and across sites

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika LaPlante ◽  
Lara Souza
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Removal Experiment ◽  
Plant Removal ◽  
Montane Meadow

Background Understanding the underlying factors that determine the relative abundance of plant species is critical to predict both biodiversity and ecosystem function. Biotic and abiotic factors can shape the distribution and the relative abundance of species across natural communities, greatly influencing local biodiversity. Methods Using a combination of an observational study and a five-year plant removal experiment we: (1) documented how plant diversity and composition of montane meadow assemblages vary along a plant dominance gradient using an observational study; (2) tracked above- and belowground functional traits of co-dominant plant species Potentilla and Festuca along a plant dominance gradient in an observational study; (3) determined whether plant species diversity and composition was directly influenced by commonly occurring species Potentilla and Festuca with the use of a randomized plot design, 5-year plant removal experiment (no removal control, Potentilla removed, Festuca removed, n = 10). Results We found that subordinate species diversity and compositional dissimilarity were greatest in Potentilla and Festuca co-dominated sites, where neither Potentilla nor Festuca dominated, rather than at sites where either species became dominant. Further, while above- and belowground plant functional traits varied along a dominance gradient, they did so in a way that inconsistently predicted plant species relative abundance. Also, neither variation in plant functional traits of Festuca and Potentilla nor variation in resources and conditions (such as soil nitrogen and temperature) explained our subordinate diversity patterns. Finally, neither Potentilla nor Festuca influenced subordinate diversity or composition when we directly tested for their impacts in a plant removal experiment. Discussion Taken together, patterns of subordinate diversity and composition were likely driven by abiotic factors rather than biotic interactions. As a result, the role of abiotic factors influencing local-level species interactions can be just as important as biotic interactions themselves in structuring plant communities.

scholarly journals Dominance across montane meadows: Patterns and processes structuring plant communities

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika LaPlante ◽  
Lara Souza
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Removal Experiment ◽  
Plant Removal

Background. Understanding the underlying factors that determine the relative abundance of plant species is critical to predict both biodiversity and ecosystem function. Biotic and abiotic factors can shape the distribution and the relative abundance of species across natural communities, greatly influencing local biodiversity. Methods. Using a combination of an observational study and a five-year plant removal experiment we: (1) documented how plant diversity and composition of montane meadow assemblages vary along a plant dominance gradient using an observational study; (2) tracked above- and belowground functional traits of co-dominant plant species Potentilla and Festuca along a plant dominance gradient in an observational study; (3) determined whether plant species diversity and composition was directly influenced by commonly occurring species Potentilla and Festuca with the use of a randomized plot design, 5-year plant removal experiment (no removal control, Potentilla removed, Festuca removed, n=10) . Results. We found that subordinate species diversity and compositional dissimilarity were greatest in Potentilla and Festuca co-dominated sites, where neither Potentilla nor Festuca dominated, rather than at sites where either species became dominant. Further, while above- and belowground plant functional traits varied along a dominance gradient, they did so in a way that inconsistently predicted plant species relative abundance. Also, neither variation in plant functional traits of Festuca and Potentilla nor variation in resources and conditions (such as soil nitrogen and temperature) explained our subordinate diversity patterns. Finally, neither Potentilla nor Festuca influenced subordinate diversity or composition when we directly tested for their impacts in a plant removal experiment. Discussion. Taken together, patterns of subordinate diversity and composition were likely driven by abiotic factors rather than biotic interactions. As a result, the role of abiotic factors influencing local-level species interactions can be just as important as biotic interactions themselves in structuring plant communities.

Plant Species Diversity in Natural and Managed Forests of the Pacific Northwest

1995 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 913-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles B. Halpern ◽  
Thomas A. Spies
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Species Diversity ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
The Pacific
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document