scholarly journals Evidence for herbaceous seed dispersal by small-bodied fishes in a Pantanal seasonal wetland

2014 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 588-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
RML Silveira ◽  
B Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Digestive Tract ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Aluminum Foil ◽  
Soil Mass ◽  
Fecal Material ◽  
Sampling Area ◽  
Intestinal Contents

We analysed the germination of seeds after their passage through the digestive tract of small floodplain fishes. Samples were collected in five open flooded fields of the northern Pantanal in March 2011. All fishes were sacrificed and their intestinal contents were removed. The fecal material was weighed and stored at 4°C in a GF/C filter wrapped in aluminum foil. The material was then transferred to a receptacle containing sterilised soil from the sampling area. The fecal samples were kept in a germination chamber for 68 days and then transferred to a greenhouse for another 67 days. We collected a total of 45 fish species and 1014 individuals which produced a total amount of 32g of fresh fecal mass and 11 seedlings. We were able to identify six seedlings: two Banara arguta, two Steinchisma laxa, one Hymenachne amplexicaulis and one Luziola sp.. The fish species that produced samples with seedlings were Astyanax assuncionensis, Metynnis mola, Plesiolebias glaucopterus, Acestrorhyncus pantaneiro and Anadoras wendelli. With the exception of B. arguta the remaining plant species and all fish species were not known to be associated with the seed dispersal process of these plants. We found a ratio of 0.435 seedlings.g–1 of fresh fecal material, which is 100 times higher than the amount of seedlings encountered in fresh soil mass (92,974 grams) in seed bank studies conducted in the same study area. In particular, Astyanax assuncionensis and Metynnis mola were among the most frequent and most abundant fish taxa in the area. Together with the high seed concentration in the fish fecal material, this evidence allows us to conclude that such fish species may play an important role in seed dispersal in the herbaceous plants of the Pantanal.

scholarly journals Short-term study on the yak dung seed bank on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: effects of grazing season, seed characteristics and forage preferences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shulin Wang ◽  
Fujiang Hou
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Seedling Density ◽  
Seed Shape ◽  
Grazing Season ◽  
Size And Shape ◽  
Foraging Preferences ◽  
Seed Characteristics ◽  
Yak Dung

Abstract Aims Viable seeds in herbivore dung constitute the dung seed bank, and the contribution of livestock dung to this seed bank in grazing pastures is often overlooked. Grazing season (warm and cold), seed characteristics (size and shape), and forage preference are the main factors that affect the size and composition of the dung seed bank and ultimately affect grassland ecology. However, how these three factors interact is unclear. Methods We collected yak dung as well as seeds of the common plant species from warm- and cold-season alpine meadows in northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and explored how grazing season (warm and cold), seed characteristics (size and shape) and foraging preferences (temporary cages method) affects yak dung seedling density, richness and diversity in an alpine pasture. Results Forty-three plant species (mainly perennials) germinated from yak dung. Dung seedling density, richness, and diversity did not differ significantly between the two grazing seasons. Small to medium-sized spherical seeds (seed size < 10 mg, shape index < 0.5) had the greatest germination potential. Conclusions Yaks vary their forage preference depending on the season (phenological period), and endozoochory occurs throughout both grazing seasons. Seed shape and size directly regulate the dung seedling density, richness, and diversity. Dung seedlings increase the heterogeneity of the aboveground vegetation near the microsites of the dung pieces and therefore promote grassland patching. Our study demonstrates that grazing season, seed characteristics, and yak forage preferences affect the dung seed bank in grazing ecosystems.

Seed bank, seed dispersal and vegetation cover: Colonization along a newly‐created river channel

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 665-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.M. Gurnell ◽  
A J. Boitsidis ◽  
K. Thompson ◽  
N J. Clifford
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
River Channel

scholarly journals The Geographic Structure of Viruses in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, a Unique Oasis in Northern Mexico, Reveals a Highly Diverse Population on a Small Geographic Scale

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Taboada ◽  
P. Isa ◽  
A. L. Gutiérrez-Escolano ◽  
R. M. del Ángel ◽  
J. E. Ludert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Chihuahuan Desert ◽  
Geographic Scale ◽  
Geographic Structure ◽  
Virus Diversity ◽  
Intestinal Contents ◽  
Cuatro Ciénegas ◽  
Cuatro Ciénegas Basin

ABSTRACT The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) is located in the Chihuahuan desert in the Mexican state of Coahuila; it has been characterized as a site with high biological diversity despite its extreme oligotrophic conditions. It has the greatest number of endemic species in North America, containing abundant living microbialites (including stromatolites and microbial mats) and diverse microbial communities. With the hypothesis that this high biodiversity and the geographic structure should be reflected in the virome, the viral communities in 11 different locations of three drainage systems, Churince, La Becerra, and Pozas Rojas, and in the intestinal contents of 3 different fish species, were analyzed for both eukaryotic and prokaryotic RNA and DNA viruses using next-generation sequencing methods. Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) virus families were the most abundant (72.5% of reads), followed by single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses (2.9%) and ssRNA and dsRNA virus families (0.5%). Thirteen families had dsDNA genomes, five had ssDNA, three had dsRNA, and 16 had ssRNA. A highly diverse viral community was found, with an ample range of hosts and a strong geographical structure, with very even distributions and signals of endemicity in the phylogenetic trees from several different virus families. The majority of viruses found were bacteriophages but eukaryotic viruses were also frequent, and the large diversity of viruses related to algae were a surprise, since algae are not evident in the previously analyzed aquatic systems of this ecosystem. Animal viruses were also frequently found, showing the large diversity of aquatic animals in this oasis, where plants, protozoa, and archaea are rare. IMPORTANCE In this study, we tested whether the high biodiversity and geographic structure of CCB is reflected in its virome. CCB is an extraordinarily biodiverse oasis in the Chihuahuan desert, where a previous virome study suggested that viruses had followed the marine ancestry of the marine bacteria and, as a result of their long isolation, became endemic to the site. In this study, which includes a larger sequencing coverage and water samples from other sites within the valley, we confirmed the high virus biodiversity and uniqueness as well as the strong biogeographical diversification of the CCB. In addition, we also analyzed fish intestinal contents, finding that each fish species eats different prey and, as a result, presents different viral compositions even if they coexist in the same pond. These facts highlight the high and novel virus diversity of CCB and its “lost world” status.

scholarly journals Assessing the roles of seed bank, seed dispersal and historical disturbances for metapopulation persistence of a pyrogenic herb

2019 ◽  
Vol 107 (6) ◽  
pp. 2760-2771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro F. Quintana‐Ascencio ◽  
Stephanie M. Koontz ◽  
Brad M. Ochocki ◽  
Vivienne L. Sclater ◽  
Federico López‐Borghesi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Metapopulation Persistence

scholarly journals Evidence of within-species specialization by soil microbes and the implications for plant community diversity

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (15) ◽  
pp. 7371-7376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenalle L. Eck ◽  
Simon M. Stump ◽  
Camille S. Delavaux ◽  
Scott A. Mangan ◽  
Liza S. Comita
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Soil Microbial Community ◽  
Soil Microbes ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Species Specific

Microbes are thought to maintain diversity in plant communities by specializing on particular species, but it is not known whether microbes that specialize within species (i.e., on genotypes) affect diversity or dynamics in plant communities. Here we show that soil microbes can specialize at the within-population level in a wild plant species, and that such specialization could promote species diversity and seed dispersal in plant communities. In a shadehouse experiment in Panama, we found that seedlings of the native tree species, Virola surinamensis (Myristicaceae), had reduced performance in the soil microbial community of their maternal tree compared with in the soil microbial community of a nonmaternal tree from the same population. Performance differences were unrelated to soil nutrients or to colonization by mycorrhizal fungi, suggesting that highly specialized pathogens were the mechanism reducing seedling performance in maternal soils. We then constructed a simulation model to explore the ecological and evolutionary consequences of genotype-specific pathogens in multispecies plant communities. Model results indicated that genotype-specific pathogens promote plant species coexistence—albeit less strongly than species-specific pathogens—and are most effective at maintaining species richness when genetic diversity is relatively low. Simulations also revealed that genotype-specific pathogens select for increased seed dispersal relative to species-specific pathogens, potentially helping to create seed dispersal landscapes that allow pathogens to more effectively promote diversity. Combined, our results reveal that soil microbes can specialize within wild plant populations, affecting seedling performance near conspecific adults and influencing plant community dynamics on ecological and evolutionary time scales.

Histological and ultrastructural study of the stomach of the air-breathing Ancistrus multispinnis (Siluriformes, Teleostei)

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Satora
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Digestive Tract ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Ultrastructural Study ◽  
Lung Surfactant ◽  
Lamellar Bodies ◽  
Air Breathing ◽  
Air Interface ◽  
Diffusion Of Gases

Histological and ultrastructural analyses of selected segments of the digestive tract of the fish Ancistrus multispinnis were done, particular attention being paid to the cytological barrier between blood and air. Three regions can be distinguished in the stomach of A. multispinnis: cardia, corpus, and pylorus. The histological organization of the cardia and pylorus is similar to that in other fish species, but the organization of the corpus is distinct. The cell bodies of the epithelial cells of the corpus are located in the capillary mesh, while their flattened extensions cover the adjacent capillaries. This specialization reduces the thickness of the blood-air interface, which may influence the diffusion of gases in the stomach. Some epithelial cells in the stomach corpus contain numerous lamellar bodies. It is suggested that these produce a substance similar in function to the lung surfactant of Dipnoi, certain Amphibia, and Mammalia.

scholarly journals Larger chimpanzee-dispersed seeds are elongated at Mahale, Tanzania: possible consequence of plant–disperser interaction?

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michio Nakamura ◽  
Noriko Itoh
Keyword(s):  
Digestive Tract ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Seed Size ◽  
National Park ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Food Selection ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Mahale Mountains National Park ◽  
Round Seed

Abstract:Apes are important long-distance dispersers of large seeds in African tropical forests. Seed size and shape are likely to affect the ease of swallowing for an animal species. If an endozoochorous seed is larger than the digestive tract of an animal, the seed cannot be swallowed, and a round seed is more difficult to swallow than an elongated seed of the same length. In order to test if such a correlation exists between the seed size and its shape, we investigated the length and width of chimpanzee-dispersed seeds at the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. Among the 14 species of seeds, longer seeds had significantly narrower relative widths, and thus, they were more ovoid. Since the chimpanzee is the largest arboreal frugivore at Mahale, their food selection might have influenced the shape of larger seeds. The chimpanzee's selective consumption of such fruits with longer, elongated seeds may have facilitated the selective dispersal of such plant species in that area.

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