scholarly journals Field studies reveal functions of chemical mediators in plant interactions

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (14) ◽  
pp. 5338-5353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith C. Schuman ◽  
Ian T. Baldwin
Keyword(s):  
Interaction Network ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Chemical Mediators

Chemistry structures plant interactions, providing information and instructions to other organisms; and may be traceable through an interaction network.

Seasonal Variation in Bee-Plant Interactions in an Inselberg in the Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil

Sociobiology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelita França Marques ◽  
Mariana Scaramussa Deprá ◽  
Maria Cristina Gaglianone
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Interaction Network ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Bee Plant

Studies on bee-plant interactions are relevant to the understanding of temporal patterns in neotropical communities. In isolated habitats such as inselbergs little is yet known about the temporal dynamics in the availability of fl oral resources and interacting bee. In the present study, the objective is to verify the eff ect of seasonality on the bee-plant interaction in an Atlantic Forest inselberg in southeastern Brazil. The bees were sampled monthly in the dry (April/2008-September/2008) and wet seasons (October/2008-March/2009) using an entomological net. A total of 322 bees of 33 species were captured on fl owers of 34 species of plants during the year. Bees richness was similar between seasons (22 species in the wet season and 21 in the dry season), but abundance was higher in the wet season (60% of individuals) and higher diversity occurred in the dry season. Augochloropsis sp1 were the most abundant species and visited the largest number of plant species at each season. In the interaction network, plants with the highest degree were distinct between the seasons. The number of possible interactions was higher in the dry season compared to the wet season and connectance was similar; nestedness however varied between the seasons. The composition of plant and bees species was distinct between the seasons, as well as the interactions between them, mainly due to the alteration in the composition of the plant species and the change in the choice of the bees for the floral resources between the seasons.

scholarly journals Temporal dynamics of the hummingbird-plant interaction network of a dry forest in Chamela, Mexico: a 30-year follow-up after two hurricanes

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8338
Author(s):  
Sergio Díaz Infante ◽  
Carlos Lara ◽  
Maria del Coro Arizmendi
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Network Structure ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Interaction Network ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Temporal Perspective ◽  
Plant Interaction

Background Interactions among species are a driving force of community structure. The species composition of animal-plant interaction networks can be highly dynamic on a temporal scale, even though the general network structure is usually not altered. However, few studies have examined how interaction networks change over long periods of time, particularly after extreme natural events. We analyzed herein the structure of the hummingbird-plant interaction network in a dry forest of Chamela, Mexico, comparing the structure in 1985–1986 with that in 2016–2017 following the passage of two hurricanes (category 2 Jova in 2011 and category 4 Patricia in 2015). Methods The fieldwork was carried out in the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve in Jalisco, Mexico. In the last 30 years, three severe drought events and two hurricanes have affected this region. Previously, from 1985–1986, hummingbird-plant interactions were recorded monthly for one year in the study area. Then, from 2016–2017, we replicated the sampling in the same localities. We compared the network parameters describing the plant-hummingbird interactions of each period using adjacency matrices. Results We found differences in the number and identity of interacting species, especially plants. The plant species missing in 2016–2017 were either the least connected in the original network (1985–1986) or belonged to groups such as cacti, epiphytes, or trees. The new plant species incorporated in the 2016–2017 network were herbs, vines, and shrubs, or other species barely connected. These changes in the composition are consistent with reports on vegetation damage after strong hurricanes at other study sites. Conversely, all hummingbird species remained in the network, with the exception of Heliomaster constantii, which was primarily connected to a plant species absent in the 2016–2017 network. Migratory and habitat generalist species (i.e., Archilochus spp.) showed higher abundances following the disturbance events. Conclusions Most of the parameters describing the hummingbird-plant network structure remained unchanged after 30 years, with the exception of an increase in plant robustness and hummingbird niche overlap. However, the network’s generalist core was affected by the loss of some species. Also, core plant species such as Ipomoea bracteata, Combretum farinosum, and Justicia candicans were found to be important for maintaining the hummingbird-plant interaction network. The temporal perspective of this study provides unique insights into the conservation of plant-hummingbird networks across time and extreme natural events.

scholarly journals Role of co-occurring competition and facilitation in plant spacing hydrodynamics in water-limited environments

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (35) ◽  
pp. 9379-9384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Trautz ◽  
Tissa H. Illangasekare ◽  
Ignacio Rodriguez-Iturbe
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Plant Performance ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Plant Spacing ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Spacing Distance ◽  
Optimal Spacing ◽  
Plant Plant

Plant performance (i.e., fecundity, growth, survival) depends on an individual’s access to space and resources. At the community level, plant performance is reflected in observable vegetation patterning (i.e., spacing distance, density) often controlled by limiting resources. Resource availability is, in turn, strongly dependent on plant patterning mediated by competitive and facilitative plant–plant interactions. Co-occurring competition and facilitation has never been specifically investigated from a hydrodynamic perspective. To address this knowledge gap, and to overcome limitations of field studies, three intermediate-scale laboratory experiments were conducted using a climate-controlled wind tunnel–porous media test facility to simulate the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum. The spacing between two synthetic plants, a design consideration introduced by the authors in a recent publication, was varied between experiments; edaphic and mean atmospheric conditions were held constant. The strength of the above- and belowground plant–plant interactions changed with spacing distance, allowing the creation of a hydrodynamic conceptual model based on established ecological theories. Greatest soil water loss was observed for the experiment with the smallest spacing where competition dominated. Facilitation dominated at the intermediate spacing; little to no interactions were observed for the largest plant spacing. Results suggest that there exists an optimal spacing distance range that lowers plant environmental stress, thus improving plant performance through reduced atmospheric demand and conservation of available soil water. These findings may provide a foundation for improving our understanding of many climatological, ecohydrological, and hydrological problems pertaining to the hydrodynamics of water-limited environments where plant–plant interactions and community self-organization are important.

scholarly journals Neither ant dominance nor abundance explain ant-plant network structure in Mexican temperate forests

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e10435
Author(s):  
Brenda Juárez-Juárez ◽  
Mariana Cuautle ◽  
Citlalli Castillo-Guevara ◽  
Karla López-Vázquez ◽  
María Gómez-Ortigoza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Level ◽  
Network Structure ◽  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Interaction Network ◽  
Oak Forest ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
The Core ◽  
Core Species ◽  
Dominant Ant

Background Ant-plant mutualistic networks tend to have a nested structure that contributes to their stability, but the ecological factors that give rise to this structure are not fully understood. Here, we evaluate whether ant abundance and dominance hierarchy determine the structure of the ant-plant networks in two types of vegetation: oak and grassland, in two temperate environments of Mexico: Flor del Bosque State Park (FBSP) and La Malinche National Park (MNP). We predicted that dominant and abundant ant species make up the core, and submissives, the periphery of the network. We also expected a higher specialization level in the ant trophic level than in plant trophic level due to competition among the ant species for the plant-derived resources. Methods The ant-plant interaction network was obtained from the frequency of ant-plant interactions. We calculated a dominance hierarchy index for the ants using sampling with baits and evaluated their abundance using pitfall traps. Results In MNP, the Formica spp. species complex formed the core of the network (in both the oak forest and the grassland), while in FBSP, the core species were Prenolepis imparis (oak forest) and Camponotus rubrithorax (grassland). Although these core species were dominant in their respective sites, they were not necessarily the most dominant ant species. Three of the four networks (oak forest and grassland in FBSP, and oak forest in MNP) were nested and had a higher number of plant species than ant species. Although greater specialization was observed in the ant trophic level in the two sites and vegetations, possibly due to competition with the more dominant ant species, this was not statistically significant. In three of these networks (grassland and oak forest of MNP and oak forest of FBSP), we found no correlation between the dominance hierarchy and abundance of the ant species and their position within the network. However, a positive correlation was found between the nestedness contribution value and ant dominance hierarchy in the grassland of the site FBSP, which could be due to the richer ant-plant network and higher dominance index of this community. Conclusions Our evidence suggests that ant abundance and dominance hierarchy have little influence on network structure in temperate ecosystems, probably due to the species-poor ant-plant network and a dominance hierarchy formed only by the presence of dominant and submissive species with no intermediate dominant species between them (absence of gradient in hierarchy) in these ecosystems.

Sustainable use of poor quality water with proper scheduling of irrigation and nitrogen levels for a rice crop

1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-114
Author(s):  
D. K. Sharma ◽  
D. R. Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Irrigation Schedule ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Groundwater Levels

Over-exploitation of groundwaters to meet the water requirements for rice-wheat systems is causing both a fall in groundwater levels and their quality deterioration in semi-arid parts of India. Adoption of rice-wheat cropping systems by the farmers using poor quality (sodic) waters for irrigation may adversely affect soil health and thereby reduce crop yield. Adoption of an irrigation schedule coupled with optimum nitrogen doses can be advantageous for sustaining yields of rice in these areas. Strategies for optimum use of these inputs has to be based on the knowledge of soil-water-nutrient-plant interactions evolved through field studies. In order to develop such relations, studies involving several combinations of irrigation levels and nitrogen doses were conducted on rice crops at Kaithal (India), and their effect on biomass, yield, water and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) were studied during 1993 and 1994. Irrigation schedules were based on the period of submergence ranging from 0 to 6 days. The nitrogen doses varied from 0 to 180 kg ha−1. Both irrigation and nitrogen had a positive effect on yield, which increased from 1729 kg ha−1 (continuous submergence without fertilizer) to 4522 kg ha−1 (irrigation at 3 days disappearance of water with 180 kg N ha−1. At 60 kg N ha−1, NUE varied from 35.4 to 40.9 kg ha−1 grain per kg of N. Further increase in the dose of N upto 180 kg ha−1 however resulted in a decline in NUE. Nitrogen and irrigation had a positive influence on applied water efficiency (AWE). Under continuous submerged conditions, the beneficial effect of N on AWE was observed only up to 120 kg ha−1. But at lower levels of irrigation (3 and 6 days disappearance of water), these effects continued even up to 180 kg ha−1. The results of this study indicated that there is a possibility of using the sodic water (up to residual sodium carbonate [RSC] of 8 meq/l) for growing rice provided the crop is irrigated with an appropriate irrigation scheduling with the higher dose of N under conditions of > 50 cm monsoon rainfall.

A Metabolomic Approach to Identifying Chemical Mediators of Mammal–Plant Interactions

2010 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 727-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Tucker ◽  
Ian Robert Wallis ◽  
Jessica M. Bolton ◽  
Karen J. Marsh ◽  
Adam A. Rosser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Metabolomic Approach ◽  
Chemical Mediators

Averting robo-bees: why free-flying robotic bees are a bad idea

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 723-729
Author(s):  
Roslyn Gleadow ◽  
Jim Hanan ◽  
Alan Dorin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Food Security ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Plant Insect Interactions ◽  
Native Habitat ◽  
Insect Pollinators ◽  
Insect Interactions

Food security and the sustainability of native ecosystems depends on plant-insect interactions in countless ways. Recently reported rapid and immense declines in insect numbers due to climate change, the use of pesticides and herbicides, the introduction of agricultural monocultures, and the destruction of insect native habitat, are all potential contributors to this grave situation. Some researchers are working towards a future where natural insect pollinators might be replaced with free-flying robotic bees, an ecologically problematic proposal. We argue instead that creating environments that are friendly to bees and exploring the use of other species for pollination and bio-control, particularly in non-European countries, are more ecologically sound approaches. The computer simulation of insect-plant interactions is a far more measured application of technology that may assist in managing, or averting, ‘Insect Armageddon' from both practical and ethical viewpoints.

Empty visual field studies: Some effects of corrective lenses, filters, and structure.

1964 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milton S. Katz ◽  
Paul A. Cirincione ◽  
William Metlay
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Field Studies
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