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Yang P, Niu M, Fu Q, Qian L, Huang M, Li Z, Sun H, Chen J. Ecosystem engineers can regulate resource allocation strategies in associated plant species. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1387951. [PMID: 38903422 PMCID: PMC11187262 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1387951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Balancing the biomass requirements of different functions for the purpose of population reproduction and persistence can be challenging for alpine plants due to extreme environmental stresses from both above- and below-ground sources. The presence of ecosystem engineers in alpine ecosystems effectively alleviates microenvironmental stresses, hence promoting the survival and growth of other less stress-tolerant species. However, the influence of ecosystem engineers on plant resource allocation strategies remains highly unexplored. In this study, we compared resource allocation strategies, including biomass accumulation, reproductive effort (RE), root fraction (RF), as well as relationships between different functions, among four alpine plant species belonging to Gentianaceae across bare ground, tussock grass-, cushion-, and shrub-engineered microhabitats. Shrub-engineered microhabitats exerted the strongest effects on regulating plant resource allocation patterns, followed by tussock grass- and cushion-engineered microhabitats. Additionally, apart from microhabitats, population background and plant life history also significantly influenced resource allocation strategies. Generally, plants established within engineered microhabitats exhibited higher biomass accumulation, as well as increased flower, leaf and stem production. Furthermore, individuals within engineered microhabitats commonly displayed lower RF, indicating a greater allocation of resources to above-ground functions while reducing allocation to root development. RE of annual plants was significantly higher than that of perennial plants. However, individuals of annual plants within engineered microhabitats showed lower RE compared to their counterparts in bare ground habitats; whereas perennial species demonstrated similar RE between microhabitat types. Moreover, RE was generally independent of plant size in bare-ground habitats but exhibited size-dependency in certain populations for some species within specific engineered microhabitat types. However, size-dependency did exist for absolute reproductive and root biomass allocation in most of the cases examined here. No trade-offs were observed between flower mass and flower number, nor between leaf mass and leaf number. The capacity of ecosystem engineers to regulate resource allocation strategies in associated plants was confirmed. However, the resource allocation patterns resulted synergistically from the ecosystem engineering effects, population environmental backgrounds, and plant life history strategies. In general, such regulations can improve individual survival and reproductive potential, potentially promoting population persistence in challenging alpine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Yang
- School of Life Science, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Mengqiu Niu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- School of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Quansheng Fu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lishen Qian
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Meihong Huang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhimin Li
- School of Life Science, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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Chen J, Chen X, Qian L, Zhang Y, Li B, Shi H, Sun L, Schöb C, Sun H. Degeneration of foundation cushion species induced by ecological constraints can cause massive changes in alpine plant communities. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:789-802. [PMID: 38057621 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2383-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Foundational cushion plants can re-organize community structures and sustain a prominent proportion of alpine biodiversity, but they are sensitive to climate change. The loss of cushion species can have broad consequences for associated biota. The potential plant community changes with the population dynamics of cushion plants remain, however, unclear. Using eight plant communities along a climatic and community successional gradient, we assessed cushion population dynamics, the underlying ecological constraints and hence associated plant community changes in alpine communities dominated by the foundational cushion plant Arenaria polytrichoides. The population dynamics of Arenaria are attributed to ecological constraints at a series of life history stages. Reproductive functions are constrained by increasing associated beneficiary plants; subsequent seedling establishment is constrained by temperature, water and light availability, extreme climate events, and interspecific competition; strong competitive exclusion may accelerate mortality and degeneration of cushion populations. Along with cushion dynamics, species composition, abundance and community structure gradually change. Once cushion plants completely degenerate, previously cushion-dominated communities shift to relatively stable communities that are overwhelmingly dominated by sedges. Climate warming may accelerate the degeneration process of A. polytrichoides. Degeneration of this foundational cushion plant will possibly induce massive changes in alpine plant communities and hence ecosystem functions in alpine ecosystems. The assessment of the population dynamics of foundation species is critical for an effective conservation of alpine biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Xufang Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lishen Qian
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yazhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bo Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Honghua Shi
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lu Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Christian Schöb
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, 28933, Spain.
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
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Rosa C, Hegel CGZ, Passamani M. Seed removal of Araucaria angustifolia by native and invasive mammals in protected areas of Atlantic Forest. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2020-1111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Araucaria Forest is one of the most threatened tropical forests in the world. Wild pig (Sus scrofa) are invasive pig that is expanding through these forests and seed removing that would be available to native fauna. Our aim was to evaluate the rates of seed Araucaria (Araucaria angustifolia) removal by both small, medium, and large mammals in areas with and without wild pig. We conducted a seed-removal experiment with three treatments differing in mammals’ access to seeds, in areas with and without the occurrence of wild pig. Similar numbers of seeds Araucaria were removed by small, medium and large mammals, even in areas with wild pig. However, we verified that seed removal by small mammals is graduate over time, while large mammals, especially wild pig, remove in one event. So, we recommend long-term studies to investigate competition between wild pig and native biota and the effects of wild pig on seed dispersal and seed survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Rosa
- Universidade Federal de Lavras, Brasil; Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Brasil
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Raath-Krüger MJ, Schöb C, McGeoch MA, le Roux PC. Interspecific facilitation mediates the outcome of intraspecific interactions across an elevational gradient. Ecology 2020; 102:e03200. [PMID: 32970842 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Where interspecific facilitation favors the establishment of high densities of a beneficiary species, strong intraspecific competition may subsequently impede beneficiary performance. Consequently, the negative influence of intraspecific competition between beneficiary individuals could potentially outweigh the positive influence of interspecific facilitation when, for example, higher densities of a beneficiary are negated by the negative effect of crowding on beneficiary reproduction. The aim of this study was, therefore, to examine the impact of an interspecific interaction on the outcome of intraspecific interactions within the context of plant-plant facilitation. We used the cushion-forming Azorella selago and a commonly co-occurring dominant perennial grass species, Agrostis magellanica, on sub-Antarctic Marion Island as a model system. We assessed the impact of an interspecific interaction (between A. selago and A. magellanica) on the outcome of intraspecific interactions (between A. magellanica individuals), by testing if the impact of A. magellanica density on A. magellanica performance is mediated by its interaction with A. selago. We observed evidence for competition among A. magellanica conspecifics, with a decreasing proportion of A. magellanica individuals being reproductive under higher conspecific density. This negative intraspecific effect was greater on A. selago than on the adjacent substrate, suggesting that the facilitative effect of A. selago changes the intensity of intraspecific interactions between A. magellanica individuals. However, experimentally reducing A. magellanica density did not affect the species' performance. We also observed that the effect of A. selago on A. magellanica was positive, and despite the negative effect of intraspecific density on the proportion of reproductive A. magellanica individuals, the net reproductive effort of A. magellanica (i.e., the density of reproductive individuals) was significantly greater on A. selago than on the adjacent substrate. These results highlight that, in abiotically severe environments, the positive effects of interspecific facilitation by a benefactor species may outweigh the negative effects of intraspecific competition among beneficiaries. More broadly, these results suggest that both positive inter- and intraspecific biotic interactions may be key to consider when examining spatial and temporal variation in species' performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan J Raath-Krüger
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.,Department of Zoology, Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa
| | - Christian Schöb
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Melodie A McGeoch
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, School of Natural Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Peter C le Roux
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
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5
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Multi-taxon patterns from high Andean peatlands: assessing climatic and landscape variables. COMMUNITY ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42974-020-00029-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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6
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Orellana JI, Valdivia CE. Putative local adaptations modulate the interactions of the carnivorous plant Drosera uniflora
Willd (1809) (Droseraceae) with cushion and shrub nurse plants. AUSTRAL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José I. Orellana
- Laboratorio de Vida Silvestre; Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad; Universidad de Los Lagos; Avenida Fuchslocher 1305 Osorno Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias, mención Conservación y Manejo de Recursos Naturales; Universidad de Los Lagos; Puerto Montt Chile
| | - Carlos E. Valdivia
- Laboratorio de Vida Silvestre; Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad; Universidad de Los Lagos; Avenida Fuchslocher 1305 Osorno Chile
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7
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Raath‐Krüger MJ, McGeoch MA, Schöb C, Greve M, Roux PC. Positive plant–plant interactions expand the upper distributional limits of some vascular plant species. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan J. Raath‐Krüger
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences University of Pretoria Private Bag X20 Pretoria 0002 South Africa
| | - Melodie A. McGeoch
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Christian Schöb
- Department of Environmental Systems Science Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zürich Zürich 8092 Switzerland
| | - Michelle Greve
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences University of Pretoria Private Bag X20 Pretoria 0002 South Africa
| | - Peter C. Roux
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences University of Pretoria Private Bag X20 Pretoria 0002 South Africa
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8
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De Jode A, David R, Haguenauer A, Cahill AE, Erga Z, Guillemain D, Sartoretto S, Rocher C, Selva M, Le Gall L, Féral JP, Chenuil A. From seascape ecology to population genomics and back. Spatial and ecological differentiation among cryptic species of the red algae Lithophyllum stictiforme/L. cabiochiae, main bioconstructors of coralligenous habitats. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 137:104-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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9
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Pescador DS, de la Cruz M, Chacón‐Labella J, Escudero A. The shape is more important than we ever thought: Plant to plant interactions in a high mountain community. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David S. Pescador
- Biodiversity and Conservation Unit, Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry ESCET, URJC; Móstoles Madrid Spain
| | - Marcelino de la Cruz
- Biodiversity and Conservation Unit, Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry ESCET, URJC; Móstoles Madrid Spain
| | - Julia Chacón‐Labella
- Departamento de Medio Ambiente Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, INIA Madrid Spain
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Biodiversity and Conservation Unit, Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry ESCET, URJC; Móstoles Madrid Spain
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10
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Cornacchia L, van de Koppel J, van der Wal D, Wharton G, Puijalon S, Bouma TJ. Landscapes of facilitation: how self-organized patchiness of aquatic macrophytes promotes diversity in streams. Ecology 2018; 99:832-847. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Loreta Cornacchia
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research; Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems; Utrecht University; P.O. Box 140 Yerseke 4400 AC The Netherlands
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; PO Box 11103 Groningen 9700 CC The Netherlands
| | - Johan van de Koppel
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research; Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems; Utrecht University; P.O. Box 140 Yerseke 4400 AC The Netherlands
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; PO Box 11103 Groningen 9700 CC The Netherlands
| | - Daphne van der Wal
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research; Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems; Utrecht University; P.O. Box 140 Yerseke 4400 AC The Netherlands
- Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC); University of Twente; P.O. Box 217 Enschede 7500 AE The Netherlands
| | | | - Sara Puijalon
- UMR 5023 LEHNA; CNRS; Université Lyon 1; ENTPE; Villeurbanne France
| | - Tjeerd J. Bouma
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research; Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems; Utrecht University; P.O. Box 140 Yerseke 4400 AC The Netherlands
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; PO Box 11103 Groningen 9700 CC The Netherlands
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11
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Gribben PE, Kimbro DL, Vergés A, Gouhier TC, Burrell S, Garthwin RG, Cagigas ML, Tordoff Y, Poore AGB. Positive and negative interactions control a facilitation cascade. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Paul E. Gribben
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science 19 Chowder Bay Road Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
| | - David L. Kimbro
- Northeastern University Marine Science Centre 430 Nahant Road Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
| | - Adriana Vergés
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science 19 Chowder Bay Road Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Tarik C. Gouhier
- Northeastern University Marine Science Centre 430 Nahant Road Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
| | - Samuel Burrell
- Northeastern University Marine Science Centre 430 Nahant Road Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
| | - Ruby G. Garthwin
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
- Northeastern University Marine Science Centre 430 Nahant Road Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
| | - María Lastra Cagigas
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Yasmin Tordoff
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Alistair G. B. Poore
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science 19 Chowder Bay Road Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
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12
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Eriksson BK, Westra J, van Gerwen I, Weerman E, van der Zee E, van der Heide T, van de Koppel J, Olff H, Piersma T, Donadi S. Facilitation by ecosystem engineers enhances nutrient effects in an intertidal system. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Britas Klemens Eriksson
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Joëlle Westra
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Imke van Gerwen
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Ellen Weerman
- HAS Den Bosch; University of Applied Sciences; Onderwijsboulevard 221 5223 DE 's-Hertogenbosch The Netherlands
| | - Els van der Zee
- Altenburg and Wymenga Ecological Consultants; Suderwei 2 9269 TZ Feanwâlden The Netherlands
| | - Tjisse van der Heide
- Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology Group; Institute for Water and Wetland Research at the Radboud University; Heyendaalseweg 135 6525 AJ Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Johan van de Koppel
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems; Utrecht University; PO Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg Texel The Netherlands
| | - Han Olff
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems; Utrecht University; PO Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg Texel The Netherlands
| | - Serena Donadi
- Department of Aquatic Resources (SLU Aqua); Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Stångholmsvägen 2 SE-178 93 Drottningholm Sweden
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13
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Dullo BW, Grootjans AP, Roelofs JGM, Senbeta AF, Fritz C, Lamers LPM. Radial oxygen loss by the cushion plant Eriocaulon schimperi prevents methane emissions from an East-African mountain mire. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2017; 19:736-741. [PMID: 28581674 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater-fed fens are known sources of methane (CH4 ) emissions to the atmosphere, and these are known to be mediated by the vegetation. In a fen located in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, we assessed the effects of a cushion plant (Eriocaulon schimperi) and a sedge (Carex monostachya) on rhizosphere biogeochemistry. Methane and CO2 concentrations and pH were measured in pore-water at different depths in the profile. Redox potentials and NaCl-extractable element concentrations were analysed in soil samples from sites dominated by either E. schimperii or C. monostachya. Nutrient and element concentration were analysed in plant tissues. At Carex-dominated sites, CH4 concentrations increased from 70 μmol·l-1 at a depth of 10 cm to 130 μmol·l-1 at a depth of 100 cm. CH4 concentrations at Eriocaulon-dominated sites were almost zero (<1 μmol·l-1 ) to a depth of 100 cm. Simultaneously, soil redox potentials and CO2 concentrations were higher at Eriocaulon-dominated sites, indicating a low potential for CH4 production and a high potential for CH4 oxidation. Eriocaulon schimperi displayed a root investment strategy to cope with the harsh environment, similar to the cushion plant Astelia pumila in Patagonian bogs. This strategy is characterised by high root/shoot ratios, high root porosity and density under high redox conditions. Both cushion plant species create an aerobic rhizosphere through radial oxygen loss from deep roots, which strongly reduce CH4 fluxes to the atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- B W Dullo
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Center for Energy and of Environmental Sciences, Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - A P Grootjans
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Center for Energy and of Environmental Sciences, Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - J G M Roelofs
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - A F Senbeta
- Department of Biology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - C Fritz
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Center for Energy and of Environmental Sciences, Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - L P M Lamers
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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14
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Chen J, Li Y, Yang Y, Sun H. How cushion communities are maintained in alpine ecosystems: A review and case study on alpine cushion plant reproduction. PLANT DIVERSITY 2017; 39:221-228. [PMID: 30159515 PMCID: PMC6112308 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Cushion species occur in nearly all alpine environments worldwide. In past decades, the adaptive and ecosystem-engineering roles of such highly specialized life forms have been well studied. However, the adaptive strategies responsible for cushion species reproductive success and maintenance in severe alpine habitats remain largely unclear. In this study, we reviewed the current understanding of reproductive strategies and population persistence in alpine cushion species. We then present a preliminary case study on the sexual reproduction of Arenaria polytrichoides (Caryophyllaceae), a typical cushion species inhabiting high elevations of the Himalaya Hengduan Mountains, which is a hotspot for diversification of cushion species. Finally, we highlight the limitations of our current understanding of alpine cushion species reproduction and propose future directions for study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yanbo Li
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Corresponding author. Fax: +86 871 65215002.
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15
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Lathlean JA, McQuaid CD. Biogeographic Variability in the Value of Mussel Beds as Ecosystem Engineers on South African Rocky Shores. Ecosystems 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-016-0041-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Pistón N, Armas C, Schöb C, Macek P, Pugnaire FI. Phylogenetic distance among beneficiary species in a cushion plant species explains interaction outcome. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Pistón
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Carretera de Sacramento s/n ES-04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería Spain
| | - Cristina Armas
- Depto de Biología; Univ. de La Serena, Casilla 554, La Serena and Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad; Casilla 653 Santiago Chile
| | - Christian Schöb
- Inst. of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Univ. of Zürich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Petr Macek
- Faculty of Science, Univ. of South Bohemia; Branisovska 31 CZ-370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - Francisco I. Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Carretera de Sacramento s/n ES-04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería Spain
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Pescador DS, Chacón-Labella J, de la Cruz M, Escudero A. Maintaining distances with the engineer: patterns of coexistence in plant communities beyond the patch-bare dichotomy. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2014; 204:140-148. [PMID: 24954264 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Two-phase plant communities with an engineer conforming conspicuous patches and affecting the performance and patterns of coexisting species are the norm under stressful conditions. To unveil the mechanisms governing coexistence in these communities at multiple spatial scales, we have developed a new point-raster approach of spatial pattern analysis, which was applied to a Mediterranean high mountain grassland to show how Festuca curvifolia patches affect the local distribution of coexisting species. We recorded 22 111 individuals of 17 plant perennial species. Most coexisting species were negatively associated with F. curvifolia clumps. Nevertheless, bivariate nearest-neighbor analyses revealed that the majority of coexisting species were confined at relatively short distances from F. curvifolia borders (between 0-2 cm and up to 8 cm in some cases). Our study suggests the existence of a fine-scale effect of F. curvifolia for most species promoting coexistence through a mechanism we call 'facilitation in the halo'. Most coexisting species are displaced to an interphase area between patches, where two opposite forces reach equilibrium: attenuated severe conditions by proximity to the F. curvifolia canopy (nutrient-rich islands) and competitive exclusion mitigated by avoiding direct contact with F. curvifolia.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Pescador
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnológicas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, E-28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Julia Chacón-Labella
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnológicas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, E-28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Marcelino de la Cruz
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnológicas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, E-28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Adrian Escudero
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnológicas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, E-28933, Móstoles, Spain
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Anderson CB, Vanessa Lencinas M, Wallem PK, Valenzuela AEJ, Simanonok MP, Martínez Pastur G. Engineering by an invasive species alters landscape-level ecosystem function, but does not affect biodiversity in freshwater systems. DIVERS DISTRIB 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Anderson
- Institute of Polar Sciences; Natural Resources & Environment; National University of Tierra del Fuego; Onas 450 Ushuaia 9410 Argentina
- Austral Center for Scientific Research (CADIC-CONICET); Houssay 200 Ushuaia 9410 Argentina
- Omora Sub-Antarctic Research Alliance; 510 Calahaln Road Mocksville NC 27028 USA
| | - María Vanessa Lencinas
- Austral Center for Scientific Research (CADIC-CONICET); Houssay 200 Ushuaia 9410 Argentina
| | - Petra K. Wallem
- Bioamérica Consultores; Monseñor Sótero Sanz 55 - Oficina 601A Providencia Santiago Chile
| | - Alejandro E. J. Valenzuela
- Southern Patagonia Coordination Office; Argentine National Park Administration; San Martín 1395 Ushuaia 9410 Argentina
| | - Michael P. Simanonok
- Department of Ecology; Montana State University; P.O. Box 173460 Bozeman MT 59717 USA
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Testing the stress-gradient hypothesis at the roof of the world: effects of the cushion plant Thylacospermum caespitosum on species assemblages. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53514. [PMID: 23326446 PMCID: PMC3542354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2012] [Accepted: 11/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many cushion plants ameliorate the harsh environment they inhabit in alpine ecosystems and act as nurse plants, with significantly more species growing within their canopy than outside. These facilitative interactions seem to increase with the abiotic stress, thus supporting the stress-gradient hypothesis. We tested this prediction by exploring the association pattern of vascular plants with the dominant cushion plant Thylacospermum caespitosum (Caryophyllaceae) in the arid Trans-Himalaya, where vascular plants occur at one of the highest worldwide elevational limits. We compared plant composition between 1112 pair-plots placed both inside cushions and in surrounding open areas, in communities from cold steppes to subnival zones along two elevational gradients (East Karakoram: 4850–5250 m and Little Tibet: 5350–5850 m). We used PERMANOVA to assess differences in species composition, Friedman-based permutation tests to determine individual species habitat preferences, species-area curves to assess whether interactions are size-dependent and competitive intensity and importance indices to evaluate plant-plant interactions. No indications for net facilitation were found along the elevation gradients. The open areas were not only richer in species, but not a single species preferred to grow exclusively inside cushions, while 39–60% of 56 species detected had a significant preference for the habitat outside cushions. Across the entire elevation range of T. caespitosum, the number and abundance of species were greater outside cushions, suggesting that competitive rather than facilitative interactions prevail. This was supported by lower soil nutrient contents inside cushions, indicating a resource preemption, and little thermal amelioration at the extreme end of the elevational gradient. We attribute the negative associations to competition for limited resources, a strong environmental filter in arid high-mountain environment selecting the stress-tolerant species that do not rely on help from other plants during their life cycle and to the fact the cushions do not provide a better microhabitat to grow in.
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Zhang F, Tao Y, Hui C. Organism-induced habitat restoration leads to bi-stability in metapopulations. Math Biosci 2012; 240:260-6. [PMID: 22982509 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2012.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2012] [Revised: 08/23/2012] [Accepted: 08/31/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Following Levins' patch occupancy model, we presented a differential-equation model, in which both the metapopulation dynamics and the dynamics of the fraction of suitable patches in the habitat are characterized. Habitat restoration induced by organism itself (internal restoration) and by other organisms or/and abiotic causes (external restoration) were incorporated in the model, together with habitat destruction. Stability analysis revealed the existence of alternative equilibriums (i.e., bi-stability) in the system. The internal restoration of habitat was identified as the trigger for the bi-stability, whereas the external restoration, in contrast, can eliminate the bi-stability from the system. The results, thus, emphasize the important role of the organism-environment feedback in biological conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhang
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.
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Miller RJ, Hocevar J, Stone RP, Fedorov DV. Structure-forming corals and sponges and their use as fish habitat in Bering Sea submarine canyons. PLoS One 2012; 7:e33885. [PMID: 22470486 PMCID: PMC3309998 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Accepted: 02/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Continental margins are dynamic, heterogeneous settings that can include canyons, seamounts, and banks. Two of the largest canyons in the world, Zhemchug and Pribilof, cut into the edge of the continental shelf in the southeastern Bering Sea. Here currents and upwelling interact to produce a highly productive area, termed the Green Belt, that supports an abundance of fishes and squids as well as birds and marine mammals. We show that in some areas the floor of these canyons harbors high densities of gorgonian and pennatulacean corals and sponges, likely due to enhanced surface productivity, benthic currents and seafloor topography. Rockfishes, including the commercially important Pacific ocean perch, Sebastes alutus, were associated with corals and sponges as well as with isolated boulders. Sculpins, poachers and pleuronectid flounders were also associated with corals in Pribilof Canyon, where corals were most abundant. Fishes likely use corals and sponges as sources of vertical relief, which may harbor prey as well as provide shelter from predators. Boulders may be equivalent habitat in this regard, but are sparse in the canyons, strongly suggesting that biogenic structure is important fish habitat. Evidence of disturbance to the benthos from fishing activities was observed in these remote canyons. Bottom trawling and other benthic fishing gear has been shown to damage corals and sponges that may be very slow to recover from such disturbance. Regulation of these destructive practices is key to conservation of benthic habitats in these canyons and the ecosystem services they provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Miller
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.
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Steinmann K, Eggenberg S, Wohlgemuth T, Linder H, Zimmermann N. Niches and noise—Disentangling habitat diversity and area effect on species diversity. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2011.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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de Bello F, Doležal J, Dvorský M, Chlumská Z, Řeháková K, Klimešová J, Klimeš L. Cushions of Thylacospermum caespitosum (Caryophyllaceae) do not facilitate other plants under extreme altitude and dry conditions in the north-west Himalayas. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2011; 108:567-573. [PMID: 21813564 PMCID: PMC3158696 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2011] [Accepted: 05/26/2011] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cushion plants are commonly considered as keystone nurse species that ameliorate the harsh conditions they inhabit in alpine ecosystems, thus facilitating other species and increasing alpine plant biodiversity. A literature search resulted in 25 key studies showing overwhelming facilitative effects of different cushion plants and hypothesizing greater facilitation with increased environmental severity (i.e. higher altitude and/or lower rainfall). At the same time, emerging ecological theory alongside the cushion-specific literature suggests that facilitation might not always occur under extreme environmental conditions, and especially under high altitude and dryness. METHODS To assess these hypotheses, possible nursing effects of Thylacospermum caespitosum (Caryophyllaceae) were examined at extremely high altitude (5900 m a.s.l.) and in dry conditions (precipitation <100 mm year(-1)) in Eastern Ladakh, Trans-Himalaya. This is, by far, the highest site, and the second driest, at which the effects of cushions have been studied so far. KEY RESULTS In accordance with the theoretical predictions, no nursing effects of T. caespitosum on other alpine plants were detected. The number and abundance of species were greater outside cushions than within and on the edge of cushions. None of the 13 species detected was positively associated with cushions, while nine of them were negatively associated. Plant diversity increased with the size of the area sampled outside cushions, but no species-area relationship was found within cushions. CONCLUSIONS The results support the emerging theoretical prediction of restricted facilitative effects under extreme combinations of cold and dryness, integrating these ideas in the context of the ecology of cushion plants. This evidence suggests that cases of missing strong facilitation are likely to be found in other extreme alpine conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco de Bello
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 82 Třeboň, Czech Republic.
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Predicting effects of ecosystem engineering on species richness along primary productivity gradients. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2009.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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le Roux PC, McGeoch MA. Interaction intensity and importance along two stress gradients: adding shape to the stress-gradient hypothesis. Oecologia 2009; 162:733-45. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-009-1484-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2008] [Accepted: 10/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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26
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Beaver (Castor canadensis) Impacts on Herbaceous and Woody Vegetation in Southeastern Georgia. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2009. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-162.1.74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Arredondo-Núñez A, Badano E, Bustamante R. How beneficial are nurse plants? A meta-analysis of the effects of cushion plants on high-Andean plant communities. COMMUNITY ECOL 2009. [DOI: 10.1556/comec.10.2009.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Slope orientation enhances the nurse effect of a paramo shrub, Hypericum irazuense (Hypericaceae) in Costa Rica. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2009. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467409005999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The nurse effect is a positive interaction in which one plant (the nurse) provides conditions that enhance the establishment and growth of another plant species (Callaway 1995). Increased environmental severity appeared to increase the strength of nurse effects (Brooker et al. 2008, Lortie & Callaway 2006). On the one hand, the impact of the nurse effect depends on the magnitude of the environmental changes exerted by the nurse plant. On the other hand, the impact could depend on the number of plant species in the regional pool that respond to such changes. For example, better conditions beneath the crowns of nurse plants might allow the occurrence of species that are sensitive to environmental stress and that occur infrequently in open areas. Thus, if a nurse plant modulates environmental conditions that are critical for the persistence of other plant species, it seems likely that such nurse plants would have greater effects in stressful habitats, where they cause relatively larger environmental mitigation (Badano et al. 2006, Callaway et al. 2002).
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Buse J, Ranius T, Assmann T. An endangered longhorn beetle associated with old oaks and its possible role as an ecosystem engineer. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2008; 22:329-37. [PMID: 18261146 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2007.00880.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
For more than 10 years, ecologists have been discussing the concept of ecosystem engineering (i.e., nontrophic interactions of an organism that alters the physical state of its environment and affects other species). In conservation biology, the functional role of species is of interest because persistence of some species may be necessary for maintaining an entire assemblage with many threatened species. The great capricorn (Cerambyx cerdo), an endangered beetle listed in the European Union's Habitats Directive, has suffered a dramatic decline in the number of populations and in population sizes in Central Europe over the last century. The damage caused by C. cerdo larvae on sound oak trees has considerable effects on the physiological characteristics of these trees. We investigated the impacts of these effects on the species richness and heterogeneity of the saproxylic beetle assemblage on oaks. We compared the catches made with flight interception traps on 10 oaks colonized and 10 oaks uncolonized by C. cerdo in a study area in Lower Saxony (Germany). Our results revealed a significantly more species-rich assemblage on the trees colonized by C. cerdo. Colonized trees also harbored more red-listed beetle species. Our results suggest that an endangered beetle species can alter its own habitat to create favorable habitat conditions for other threatened beetle species. Efforts to preserve C. cerdo therefore have a positive effect on an entire assemblage of insects, including other highly endangered species. On the basis of the impact C. cerdo seems to have on the saproxylic beetle assemblage, reintroductions might be considered in regions where the species has become extinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Buse
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Chemistry, University of Lüneburg, Scharnhorststr. 1, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany.
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Badano EI, Marquet PA. Ecosystem engineering affects ecosystem functioning in high-Andean landscapes. Oecologia 2008; 155:821-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-007-0953-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2007] [Accepted: 12/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Anderson CB, Rosemond AD. Ecosystem engineering by invasive exotic beavers reduces in-stream diversity and enhances ecosystem function in Cape Horn, Chile. Oecologia 2007; 154:141-53. [PMID: 17587063 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-007-0757-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2007] [Revised: 04/23/2007] [Accepted: 04/23/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Species invasions are of global significance, but predicting their impacts can be difficult. Introduced ecosystem engineers, however, provide an opportunity to test the underlying mechanisms that may be common to all invasive engineers and link relationships between changes in diversity and ecosystem function, thereby providing explanatory power for observed ecological patterns. Here we test specific predictions for an invasive ecosystem engineer by quantifying the impacts of habitat and resource modifications caused by North American beavers (Castor canadensis) on aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure and stream ecosystem function in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile. We compared responses to beavers in three habitat types: (1) forested (unimpacted) stream reaches, (2) beaver ponds, and (3) sites immediately downstream of beaver dams in four streams. We found that beaver engineering in ponds created taxonomically simplified, but more productive, benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Specifically, macroinvertebrate richness, diversity and number of functional feeding groups were reduced by half, while abundance, biomass and secondary production increased three- to fivefold in beaver ponds compared to forested sites. Reaches downstream of beaver ponds were very similar to natural forested sections. Beaver invasion effects on both community and ecosystem parameters occurred predominantly via increased retention of fine particulate organic matter, which was associated with reduced macroinvertebrate richness and diversity (via homogenization of benthic microhabitat) and increased macroinvertebrate biomass and production (via greater food availability). Beaver modifications to macroinvertebrate community structure were largely confined to ponds, but increased benthic production in beaver-modified habitats adds to energy retention and flow for the entire stream ecosystem. Furthermore, the effects of beavers on taxa richness (negative) and measures of macroinvertebrate biomass (positive) were inversely related. Thus, while a generally positive relationship between diversity and ecosystem function has been found in a variety of systems, this work shows how they can be decoupled by responding to alterative mechanisms.
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Lozupone CA, Hamady M, Kelley ST, Knight R. Quantitative and qualitative beta diversity measures lead to different insights into factors that structure microbial communities. Appl Environ Microbiol 2007; 73:1576-85. [PMID: 17220268 PMCID: PMC1828774 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01996-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1628] [Impact Index Per Article: 95.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2006] [Accepted: 12/20/2006] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The assessment of microbial diversity and distribution is a major concern in environmental microbiology. There are two general approaches for measuring community diversity: quantitative measures, which use the abundance of each taxon, and qualitative measures, which use only the presence/absence of data. Quantitative measures are ideally suited to revealing community differences that are due to changes in relative taxon abundance (e.g., when a particular set of taxa flourish because a limiting nutrient source becomes abundant). Qualitative measures are most informative when communities differ primarily by what can live in them (e.g., at high temperatures), in part because abundance information can obscure significant patterns of variation in which taxa are present. We illustrate these principles using two 16S rRNA-based surveys of microbial populations and two phylogenetic measures of community beta diversity: unweighted UniFrac, a qualitative measure, and weighted UniFrac, a new quantitative measure, which we have added to the UniFrac website (http://bmf.colorado.edu/unifrac). These studies considered the relative influences of mineral chemistry, temperature, and geography on microbial community composition in acidic thermal springs in Yellowstone National Park and the influences of obesity and kinship on microbial community composition in the mouse gut. We show that applying qualitative and quantitative measures to the same data set can lead to dramatically different conclusions about the main factors that structure microbial diversity and can provide insight into the nature of community differences. We also demonstrate that both weighted and unweighted UniFrac measurements are robust to the methods used to build the underlying phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Lozupone
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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1 On the purpose, meaning, and usage of the physical ecosystem engineering concept. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/s1875-306x(07)80003-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
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I. Badano E, G. Jones C, A. Cavieres L, P. Wright J. Assessing impacts of ecosystem engineers on community organization: a general approach illustrated by effects of a high-Andean cushion plant. OIKOS 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2006.0030-1299.15132.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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