Trophic partitioning among three littoral microcrustaceans: relative importance of periphyton as food resource

Hélène Masclaux; Alexandre Bec; Gilles Bourdier

doi:10.4081/jlimol.2012.e28

Trophic partitioning among three littoral microcrustaceans: relative importance of periphyton as food resource

Journal of Limnology ◽

10.4081/jlimnol.2012.e28 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 71 (2) ◽

pp. 28 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Hélène Masclaux ◽

Alexandre Bec ◽

Gilles Bourdier

Keyword(s):

Food Resource ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Trophic Partitioning

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Above-ground biomass estimation for a shrubby mistletoe in an Amazonian savanna

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467419000294 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 6-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah Rosane M. C. Fadini ◽

Reinaldo I. Barbosa ◽

Rafael Rode ◽

Viviane Corrêa ◽

Rodrigo F. Fadini

Keyword(s):

Life Form ◽

Food Resource ◽

Keystone Species ◽

Host Size ◽

Biomass Estimation ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Above Ground Biomass ◽

Ground Biomass ◽

Relative Contribution ◽

Poor Predictor

AbstractMistletoes are considered keystone species on woodlands and savannas worldwide, providing a food resource for a diversified fauna, as well as a nutrient-enriched litter. Infections can be large (∼1–3 m) and, in some parts of the Amazonian savannas, parasitize up to 70% of hosts locally. Despite these facts, biomass of mistletoes is rarely investigated. Here we constructed allometric models to predict the biomass stock of the shrubby mistletoe Psittacanthus plagiophyllus in an Amazonian savanna. In addition, we determined whether host size could be used as a proxy for mistletoe biomass. Finally, we compared the biomass of mistletoes with that of trees, to evaluate their relative importance. We have shown that: (1) biomass of leaves (46.1% ± 13.5%) are as important as of stems (47.8% ± 13.5%), and relative contribution of stems increases as plant grows; (2) the model including width, breadth and vertical depth was the best (SE = 0.39, R2 = 0.9) for predicting individual mistletoe biomass; (3) mistletoe load and biomass per host had a positive, but weak (R2 = 0.11 and 0.09, respectively), relationship with host size, and thus such host information is a poor predictor of mistletoe biomass; and (4) in comparison with trees, mistletoes constituted less than 0.15% (0.5–22 kg ha−1) of the total above-ground biomass, suggesting that this life-form is irrelevant to the local biomass stock despite its unequivocal biological importance.

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Food resource utilization of the skates Rioraja agassizii (Müller & Henle, 1841) and Psammobatis extenta (Garman, 1913) on the continental shelf off Ubatuba, South-eastern Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Biologia ◽

10.1590/s0034-71082001000200005 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 61 (2) ◽

pp. 217-238 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

E. Y. MUTO ◽

L. S. H. SOARES ◽

R. GOITEIN

Keyword(s):

Feeding Habits ◽

Food Resource ◽

Stomach Content Analysis ◽

Brazilian Coast ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Important Food ◽

South Eastern ◽

Eastern Brazil ◽

Index Of Relative Importance ◽

Food Resource Utilization

The feeding habits of Rioraja agassizii (syn. Raja agassizii) and Psammobatis extenta (syn. Psammobatis glansdissimilis) of the South-eastern Brazilian coast were studied by means of stomach content analysis. The samples were obtained on eight seasonal oceanographic cruises, carried out between October 1985 and July 1987. The importance of each food item was evaluated on the basis of the Index of Relative Importance and the feeding similarity by Percentage of Similarity. The results indicated that both species are benthic feeders, preying mainly on Crustacea, especially Amphipoda, Caridea and Brachyura. Teleostei were also important for R. agassizii. Seasonal variation of the diet seems to be associated with the availability of the prey, whose distribution and abundance are related to the dynamics of the water masses of the region. Juveniles and adults of P. extenta exploited the same resources while juveniles and adults of R. agassizii presented low diet similarity during most of the year. Caridea were an important food for all length classes of R. agassizii, while Amphipoda were for smaller specimens, and Teleostei for larger ones. The feeding overlap between the two species was higher during autumn 1986, winter 1986 and winter 1987.

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A fruitful endeavor: scent cues and echolocation behavior used by Carollia castanea to find fruit

10.1101/532614 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Leith B. Leiser-Miller ◽

Zofia A. Kaliszewska ◽

M. Elise Lauterbur ◽

Brianna Mann ◽

Jeffrey A. Riffell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Selection ◽

Food Resource ◽

Sensory System ◽

Behavioral Flexibility ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Fruit Bats ◽

Ripe Fruit ◽

Behavioral Experiments ◽

Foraging Decisions ◽

Sensory Adaptations

ABSTRACTFrugivores have evolved sensory and behavioral adaptations that allow them to find ripe fruit effectively, but the relative importance of different senses in varying foraging scenarios is poorly known. Within Neotropical ecosystems, short-tailed fruit bats (Carollia: Phyllostomidae) are abundant nocturnal frugivores, relying primarily on plants of the genus Piper as a food resource. Previous research has demonstrated Carollia employ olfaction and echolocation to locate Piper fruit, but it is unknown how their sensory use and foraging decisions are influenced by the complex diversity of chemical cues that fruiting plants produce. Using wild C. castanea and their preferred food, Piper scintillans, we conducted behavioral experiments to test two main hypotheses: (1) foraging decisions in C. castanea are primarily driven by ripe fruit scent and secondarily by vegetation scent, and (2) C. castanea re-weight their sensory inputs to account for available environmental cues, such that bats rely more heavily on echolocation in the absence of adequate scent cues. Our results suggest that C. castanea requires olfactory information and relies almost exclusively on ripe fruit scent to make foraging attempts. Ripe fruit scent is chemically distinct from vegetation scent in P. scintillans, with a greater abundance of β-caryophyllene, germacrene D and β-elemene, and a few unique compounds. Although variation in echolocation call parameters was independent of scent cue presence, bats emitted longer and more frequent echolocation calls in trials where no fruit scent was present. Altogether, these results highlight the adaptations, plasticity, and potential constraints in the sensory system of neotropical fruit bats.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTLittle is known about the relative importance of different senses and which plant cues are most important for fruit location by frugivores. We conducted behavioral experiments on short-tailed fruit bats (Carollia castanea), which use a combination of olfaction and echolocation to find ripe fruit, and their preferred food source (Piper scintillans) to test (1) which plant scent cues drive food selection and (2) if bats alter their echolocation behaviors based on which scent cues are present. We find that C. castanea rely almost exclusively on ripe fruit scent to forage, and echolocate more frequently when fruit scent is absent. Ripe fruit scent is chemically different from vegetation scent in P. scintillans, potentially providing a clear signal of food availability to mutualistic bats. These results highlight the sensory adaptations and behavioral flexibility of fruit bats as they navigate the cues provided by fruiting plants.

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