Reproductive Phenology, Seed Dispersal and Seed Predation inSyagrus romanzoffianain a Highly Fragmented Landscape

2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 220-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caio Castro Freire ◽  
Melissa Bars Closel ◽  
Erica Hasui ◽  
Flavio Nunes Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Fragmented Landscape

Individual crop size increases predispersal predation by beetles in a tropical palm

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Morgana Maria Arcanjo Bruno ◽  
Klécia Gili Massi ◽  
Alexander V. Christianini ◽  
John du Vall Hay
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Crop Size ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Plant Trait ◽  
Predispersal Seed Predation ◽  
Total Seed ◽  
Number Of Seeds

Abstract Predispersal seed predation is one of the main causes of seed mortality in plant populations, contributing to decreased plant recruitment. Seed loss has previously been found to be related to crop size. Thus, we examined the influence of individual crop size on predispersal seed predation by beetles in the palm Syagrus flexuosa in the Brazilian savanna. The study was carried out in three tropical woodland savanna sites, where we sampled the total seed crop of 46 fruiting palms and checked the presence of beetle larvae inside all seeds per plant. We observed predispersal seed predation of S. flexuosa from all sites and a high variation in the number of seeds preyed on per individual palm. Crop size had a positive influence on the number of seeds lost to predispersal seed predators. Variations in levels of predispersal seed predation may also be accounted for by the reproductive phenology of S. flexuosa. If fruits are not available at the same time, less resource is available for predators and therefore a high proportion of seeds may be preyed on. Thus, our study demonstrates that an individual plant trait, crop size, is an important predictor of beetle seed damage per palm and a driver of the number of seeds lost to predispersal seed predators.

scholarly journals The Impact of Microclimate on the Reproductive Phenology of Female Populus tomentosa in a Micro-Scale Urban Green Space in Beijing

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3518
Author(s):  
Xiaoyi Xing ◽  
Li Dong ◽  
Cecil Konijnendijk ◽  
Peiyao Hao ◽  
Shuxin Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Populus Tomentosa ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Micro Scale ◽  
The Impact

The spatial variation of poplars’ reproductive phenology in Beijing’s urban area has aggravated the threat of poplar fluff (cotton-like flying seeds) to public health. This research explored the impact of microclimate conditions on the reproductive phenology of female Populus tomentosa in Taoranting Park, a micro-scale green space in Beijing (range <1 km). The observed phenophases covered flowering, fruiting, and seed dispersal, and ENVI-MET was applied to simulate the effect of the microclimate on SGS (start day of the growing season). The results showed that a significant spatial variation in poplar reproductive phenology existed at the research site. The variation was significantly affected by the microclimate factors DMT (daily mean temperature) and DMH (daily mean heat transfer coefficient), with air temperature playing a primary role. Specifically, the phenology of flowering and fruiting phenophases (BBB, BF, FF, FS) was negatively correlated with DMT (−0.983 ≤ r ≤ −0.908, p <0.01) and positively correlated with DMH (0.769 ≤ r ≤ 0.864, p < 0.05). In contrast, DSD (duration of seed dispersal) showed a positive correlation with DMT (r = 0.946, p < 0.01) and a negative correlation with DMH (r = −0.922, p < 0.01). Based on the findings, the increase in air convection with lower air temperature and decrease in microclimate variation in green space can be an effective way to shorten the seed-flying duration to tackle poplar fluff pollution in Beijing’s early spring.

Seed dispersal and realized gene flow of two forest orchids in a fragmented landscape

Plant Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 522-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kotilínek ◽  
T. Těšitelová ◽  
J. Košnar ◽  
P. Fibich ◽  
L. Hemrová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Fragmented Landscape

Reproductive phenology of sympatric taxa of Chamaecrista (Leguminosae) in Serra do Cipó, Brazil

1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 463-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
João A. Madeira ◽  
G. Wilson Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Plant Architecture ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Biotic Factors ◽  
Selective Force ◽  
Monthly Average ◽  
Serra Do Cipó ◽  
Mature Seeds

Reproductive phenology of 13 sympatric taxa of Chamaecrista in three sections was surveyed at Serra do Cipó, south-east Brazil. Mean abundance of flowers and fruits per plant and mean number of aborted, predated, and surviving seeds per fruit were estimated. Monthly average number of developed seeds per fruit multiplied by the monthly mean number of fruits per plant gave the monthly average number of seeds produced by a plant of each taxon. Five types of phenological behaviour were differentiated by cluster analyses according to the season during which each species produced most of its mature seeds. This behaviour was related to the taxonomic section to which the taxa belong, to plant architecture, to geographical range, to seed predation and to local climatic seasonality. Herbs were more affected by variation in rainfall than shrubs and trees. Two species did not show any clear seasonal behaviour. Widespread taxa produced most of their mature seeds in the rainy season or immediately after it, and all but one of the narrowly distributed species produced most of their mature seeds in the dry season or in the transition from dry to rainy season. Seed predation is probably not an important selective force affecting reproductive phenology of larger taxa, while the smaller taxa seemed too constrained by abiotic factors for biotic factors to influence their phenology significantly.

A Comparison of Seed Predation, Seed Dispersal, and Seedling Herbivory in Oak and Hickory: Species with Contrasting Regenerating Abilities in a Bluegrass Savanna—Woodland Habitat

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 466-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara E. Cilles ◽  
Garnett Coy ◽  
Christopher R. Stieha ◽  
John J. Cox ◽  
Philip H. Crowley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Savanna Woodland ◽  
Seedling Herbivory

Effective Seed Dispersal Across a Fragmented Landscape

Science ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 311 (5761) ◽  
pp. 628-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F. E. Bacles
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Fragmented Landscape

scholarly journals Disentangling the drivers of reduced long-distance seed dispersal by birds in an experimentally fragmented landscape

Ecology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 924-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Uriarte ◽  
Marina Anciães ◽  
Mariana T. B. da Silva ◽  
Paulo Rubim ◽  
Erik Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Long Distance

scholarly journals Seed-dispersal networks in tropical forest fragments: area effects, remnant species, and interaction diversity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carine Emer ◽  
Pedro Jordano ◽  
Marco A. Pizo ◽  
Milton C. Ribeiro ◽  
Fernanda R. da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Species Interaction ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Plant Seed ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Network Area ◽  
Functional Homogenization

ABSTRACTSeed dispersal interactions involve key ecological processes in tropical forests that help to maintain ecosystem functioning. Yet this functionality may be threatened by increasing habitat loss, defaunation and fragmentation. However, generalist species, and their interactions, can benefit from the habitat change caused by human disturbance while more specialized interactions mostly disappear. Therefore changes in the structure of the local, within fragment, networks can be expected. Here we investigated how the structure of seed-dispersal networks changes along a gradient of increasing habitat fragmentation. We analysed 16 bird seed-dispersal assemblages from forest fragments of a biodiversity-rich ecosystem. We found significant species-, interaction- and network-area relationships, yet the later was determined by the number of species remaining in each community. The number of frugivorous bird and plant species, their interactions, and the number of links per species decreases as area is lost in the fragmented landscape. In contrast, network nestedness has a negative relationship with fragment area, suggesting an increasing generalization of the network structure in the gradient of fragmentation. Network specialization was not significantly affected by area, indicating that some network properties may be invariant to disturbance. Still, the local extinction of partner species, paralleled by a loss of interactions and specialist-specialist bird-plant seed dispersal associations suggests the functional homogenization of the system as area is lost. Our study provides empirical evidence for network-area relationships driven by the presence/absence of remnant species and the interactions they perform.RESUMOInterações de dispersão de sementes formam um processo ecológico chave em florestas tropicais onde colaboram na manutenção do funcionamento do ecossistema. Porém, esta funcionalidade pode estar ameaçada pelo aumento na perda e fragmentação do habitat. Enquanto espécies generalistas e suas interações podem se beneficiar da mudança de habitat causada por distúrbios antrópicos, interações envolvendo espécies mais especialistas são, na maioria, eliminadas. Desta forma, mudanças nas redes locais, dentro de fragmentos florestais, são esperadas. Neste trabalho nós investigamos como a estrutura de redes de dispersão de sementes mudam em um gradiente de fragmentação do habitat. Nós analisamos 16 comunidades de dispersão de sementes espacialmente explícitas e distribuídas em fragmentos florestais de um ecossistema rico em biodiversidade. Nós encontramos relações significativas entre a área do fragmento e espécies, interações e estrutura das redes, sendo que o último foi determinado pelo número de espécies remanescentes em cada comunidade. O número de espécies de aves frugívoras e plantas e as interações entre eles, bem como o número de links por espécie diminuíram significativamente conforme a área dos fragmentos é perdida. Por outro lado, o aninhamento da rede mostrou uma relação negativa com a área do fragmento, sugerindo um aumento da generalização da estrutura das redes com a fragmentação do habitat. No entanto, o grau de especialização das redes não foi afetado pela área, indicando que algumas propriedades de rede podem ser resistentes à perturbação. Sendo assim, a extinção local de espécies parceiras, conjuntamente com a perda das interações e associações planta-dispersor mais especializadas, sugere uma homogeneização do sistema conforme a área do fragmento é perdida. Nosso estudo fornece evidências empíricas para as relações rede-área, sendo estas direcionadas pela presença e/ou ausência das espécies remanescentes bem como das interações que estas realizam.

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