Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Temporal changes in spatial scale and autocorrelation structure of forest openings based on taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional turnover","authors":"David F. Barfknecht ,&nbsp;Alice A. Heikens ,&nbsp;David J. Gibson","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2024.103998","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2024.103998","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><p>During European settlement, Illinois grasslands were converted for agricultural purposes. Remaining natural areas in southern Illinois include natural xeric forest openings, with communities representative of remnant grasslands and adjacent hardwood forests. Previous research in these openings shows plant communities are driven by edaphic conditions.</p></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><p>The first objective aimed to characterize spatial scale and autocorrelation structure of these openings based on climatic, environmental, and diversity variables. The second objective was to predict taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional turnover between 1988 and 2019, using climatic and environmental variables.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>Surveys were conducted to calculate taxonomic, phylogenetics and functional trait metrics and analyses of these dimensions of diversity. Randomization tests were used to assess phylogenetic and functional clustering and over-dispersion at each site. Spatially-explicit climatic and environmental variables were included from earlier surveys and data repositories. Global Moran's I and spatial autocorrelograms were used to assess spatial structure of climatic, environmental, and diversity variables and generalized dissimilarity modeling was used to characterize taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional turnover based on environmental variables.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Soil depth was the only environmental variable which exhibited significant global spatial autocorrelation. Overall, sandstone sites were phylogenetically over-dispersed while loess sites were phylogenetically clustered. Climate variables and diversity metrics exhibited significant spatial structure during surveys. Generalized dissimilarity models showed that geographic distance between openings was the most influential driver of turnover across surveys.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Previous glacial events explained the spatial structure of soil depth across sites, due to Quaternary loess deposition in loess sites. High diversity values were clustered in the southeastern portions of the study area. Functional generalized dissimilarity models best predicted turnover in these openings compared to taxonomic and phylogenetic models.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103998"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140807684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rainfall and soil properties driver the temporal dynamics of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal assemblages in a seasonally dry tropical forest","authors":"Joana Suassuna da Nóbrega Veras ,&nbsp;Indra Elena Costa Escobar ,&nbsp;Renato Lúcio Mendes-Alvarenga ,&nbsp;Vilma Maria dos Santos ,&nbsp;Danielle Karla Alves da Silva ,&nbsp;Jailma Alves da Silva ,&nbsp;Maria Fabíola Barros ,&nbsp;Leonor Costa Maia","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2024.104000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2024.104000","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests (SDTF), distributed from Mexico to northern Argentina, are habitat to a unique biodiversity. Among these forests, the Caatinga stands out, occupying a large part of the Brazilian Northeast and is subject to cycles of anthropic disturbance and abandonment of exploited areas. Understanding how microbial communities respond to environmental changes is crucial, especially considering the various ecosystem services provided by microorganisms. Among soil microorganisms, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a significant role in the maintenance of terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the structure, composition, and distribution of AMF assemblages, as well as their main drivers, in regeneration areas of the Caatinga. Soil samples were collected in the Catimbau National Park (Pernambuco State), including an old-growth forest representing undisturbed areas, and in early, intermediate, and late regeneration areas. The composition of AMF assemblages differed among regenerating areas and old-growth forest, but their distribution is not related and conditioned to plant assemblages. Instead, soil properties and rainfall are the main factors structuring these assemblages in SDTF. A total of 83 taxa of AMF were identified. <em>Glomus</em> and <em>Acaulospora</em>, which exhibit respectively ruderal and stress-tolerant life strategies were the most abundant genera. The highest number of unique AMF species was recorded in the old-growth forest, contrasting with the late regeneration areas which had the lowest number. The results showed that deterministic processes (soil and rainfall) are structuring the AMF assemblages in areas under regeneration process in SDTF. Plants and AMF do not recover simultaneously over the evaluated regeneration times.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104000"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140647457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prey dynamics and breeding performance in a generalist predator: The differential role of prey density, biomass, and effective consumption rates","authors":"Ignasi Torre ,&nbsp;Joan Grajera ,&nbsp;Fèlix Amat ,&nbsp;Daniel Oro ,&nbsp;Santi Mañosa","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2024.103999","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2024.103999","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The breeding performance of predators is influenced by the differential consequences of prey density, prey biomass and effective consumption rates. Using camera traps at nests, we investigated whether changes in prey abundances caused functional and/or numerical responses of the common buzzard (<em>Buteo</em>) in a Mediterranean woodland region. After determining 1150 prey delivered to the nests by adults, we found that the biomass of prey caught was not a good indicator of its influence on individual life history traits such as productivity. Indeed, the consumption of small mammal prey, despite representing only 11% of the biomass delivered, had a much greater influence on buzzards' productivity than the consumption of snakes, which made up 47% of the biomass delivered. Live trapping evidenced that small mammals were roughly preyed according to its availability in the field, and their abundance in spring was directly related to buzzards' productivity and inversely related to hatching dates. Small mammals – mostly mice – can be considered as very suitable prey, owing quick handling times, profitability, and high energy intake. Our results pointed out the relevance of mice on buzzards' breeding performance, and altogether with the outstanding role of open-land small mammals on buzzards' demography during autumn-winter, suggested a key role of small mammals on buzzards’ ecology throughout the year cycle in the Mediterranean area studied. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the foraging strategies of generalist species and the role that habitat and environmental factors play in shaping them.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103999"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140643708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From acquisitive to conservative: The ontogenetic trajectory of root syndrome of annual and perennial co-generic species","authors":"L. Gonzalez-Paleo ,&nbsp;C. Parmigiani ,&nbsp;A. Pastor-Pastor ,&nbsp;A.E. Vilela","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2024.103996","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2024.103996","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Perennials has been proposed as new crops because their root syndrome offers more ecosystem services and a better use of resources than the annual one. Objective: To compare the ontogenetic trajectory of root syndromes of annual (<em>P. gracilis and P. angustifolia) and perennial (P. pinetorum and P. mendocina) species of Physaria (Brassicaceae) and their root trait relationships.</em></p></div><div><h3>Results and Conclusion</h3><p>Roots became conservative as plants grew, independently of the life cycle of the species. However, perennials invested initially more resources in increasing storage capacity (bigger and thicker roots) while annuals favored increasing the exploration capacity (higher SRL). During first anthesis we found tradeoffs between acquisitive and conservative traits, as expected according to the Root Economic Spectrum (RES), but after the first year, those tradeoffs disappeared and perennials were able to combine a thick and deep taproot and high investment in C reserves with some well-developed acquisitive traits such as higher SRL and total length. This suggest that root traits should be selected during the second year, when no tradeoff exist. Differences between annuals and perennials in most structural taproot traits remained constant along the ontogenetic trajectory, thus the relative position of species in the RES did not change over time. We found a gradient of root strategies supported by the RES theory: from acquisitive in the annual P. gracilis (high SRL, STD and total length) to conservative in the perennial <em>P. mendocina (high root biomass, root diameter, tissue density and storage) with intermediate strategies in P. angustifolia and P. pinetorum.</em></p></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103996"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140533379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional structure of an herbaceous community on a natural regeneration gradient in a seasonally dry tropical forest","authors":"Izabella Cintra ,&nbsp;Julia Caram Sfair ,&nbsp;Erika S. Takata ,&nbsp;Jarcilene Almeida","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2024.103997","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2024.103997","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The capability of plants to modify phenotypic characteristics through interactions with the environment can contribute to functional stability, particularly when this plasticity influences traits associated with survival, rendering it a pivotal mechanism for adaptation. Grime's CSR theory is employed to classify plants based on functional traits dictating competitive, stress, and ruderal tolerance strategies, as these traits serve as indicators of plant responses to environmental stimuli. This study examines the variation in plant functional traits (morphophysiological and phytochemical) within herbaceous communities across a chronosequence of natural regeneration after land-use alteration and abandonment. We investigate whether a correlation exists between regeneration duration and community-weighted mean values through principal component analysis and canonical correspondence analysis. Intraspecific variability of traits is assessed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test at a significance level of 5% for mean comparisons. Generally, with progressing regeneration, intraspecific differences emerge, including elevated carbon:nitrogen ratio, phenolic compounds, and carbon assimilation, alongside reductions in leaf area, plant height, leaf succulence, individual biomass, and leaf nitrogen content. Consequently, pasture and initial regeneration communities harbor species with functional traits akin to ruderal species, whereas species inhabiting later stages exhibit traits associated with competitors. Analysis of intraspecific variation demonstrates that species occupying sites at different regeneration stages exhibit phenotypic plasticity. The findings underscore how alterations in environmental conditions during natural regeneration influence functional trait values, and underscore the utility of CSR theory for quantifying, comparing, and predicting community structure based on adaptive plant strategies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103997"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140321014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gastropod grazing on fresh and senescent leaves of non-native invasive plants Reynoutria japonica and Impatiens glandulifera","authors":"Bruno Baur ,&nbsp;Anette Baur ,&nbsp;Peter Stoll ,&nbsp;Hans-Peter Rusterholz","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2024.103995","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2024.103995","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In invaded regions, the introduced non-native plants <em>Reynoutria japonica</em> and <em>Impatiens glandulifera</em> show little grazing damage, most likely due to the absence of specialized herbivores and the deterrent effect of secondary metabolites on generalist herbivores. The low degree of grazing damage has been explained by the non-mutually exclusive enemy-release and novel weapon hypotheses. We tested assumptions of these hypotheses by conducting a series of preference tests in which leaf samples from <em>R. japonica</em>, <em>I. glandulifera,</em> and the native <em>Urtica dioica</em> were offered to five species of generalist gastropods (the native <em>Arianta arbustorum</em>, <em>Cepaea nemoralis</em> and <em>Fruticicola fruticum</em>, and the non-native invasive <em>Hygromia cinctella</em> and <em>Arion vulgaris</em>). In addition, we determined the C/N-ratio and total phenolic compounds (as a surrogate of secondary metabolites) of the plant species. In the choice experiment with fresh leaf samples, all snail species showed a preference for <em>U. dioica</em>, with the exception of the non-native invasive slug <em>A. vulgaris</em>, which ate leaf tissue from <em>I. gladulifera</em> almost as much as from <em>U. dioica</em>. The snails’ preference of <em>U. dioica</em> was even more pronounced when the fresh weight of leaf material eaten was considered. No-choice tests with either fresh or dead <em>R. japonica</em> leaves showed that most individuals of all species ate small amounts of fresh leaves, but less of dead leaves. In contrast, no-choice tests with either fresh or senescent <em>I. glandulifera</em> leaf tissue showed that individuals of all five gastropod species consumed larger amounts of senescent leaves than fresh leaves, probably because secondary compounds have been broken down or leached or the leaf texture has changed. The low susceptibility of these non-native invasive plants to the gastropods can most likely be explained by a combination of chemical and physical plant characteristics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103995"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140296749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pollinator-mediated connectivity in fragmented urban green spaces—tracking pollen grain movements in the city center","authors":"Barbara Płaskonka ,&nbsp;Marcin Zych ,&nbsp;Marcin Mazurkiewicz ,&nbsp;Mateusz Skłodowski ,&nbsp;Katarzyna Roguz","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2024.103985","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2024.103985","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cities are expanding rapidly and emerging as complex ecosystems. This expansion of urbanized areas has resulted in the alteration and fragmentation of several natural habitats. Recent studies have shown that cities support a significant level of biodiversity. This unexpected role of cities holds promise for advancing knowledge of urban ecosystems and promoting their conservation. In particular, the connectivity of plant populations through pollen transfer is crucial for the long-term persistence of insect-pollinated plant species. In this study, we tracked pollen movement areas in four isolated patches of urban greenery in urbanized area using quantum dots. We studied <em>Fritillaria imperialis</em> (spring) and <em>Hemerocallis</em> sp. (mid-summer). Our research revealed frequent pollen transfer between small, isolated flowering patches, even when these locations were not connected by green corridors. Common elements found in urban ecosystems, such as streets, trails, and pavements, do not stop the dispersion of pollen grains. Moreover, the migration pathways of pollen grains vary for each species according to different factors. For <em>F. imperialis</em>, we identified the proportion of green areas in proximity to the study location as a key factor in shaping pollen transfer. For <em>Hemerocallis</em>, we discovered that the proportion of green areas, the distance between study sites, and the frequency of pollinator visits are influential factors. Our study demonstrates that small isolated plant populations exchange pollen due to pollinator movement, indicating that these small populations may serve as stepping stones for pollinators among larger populations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103985"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1146609X24000079/pdfft?md5=3c07bac1eceb3492581bda5b22909031&pid=1-s2.0-S1146609X24000079-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140137875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wildfires affect mesocarnivores habitat use and mammalian predator-prey relationships in a Mediterranean ecosystem","authors":"Orlando Tomassini ,&nbsp;Andrea Favilla ,&nbsp;Anna Aghemo ,&nbsp;Gianni Bedini ,&nbsp;Giulio Petroni ,&nbsp;Dimitri Giunchi ,&nbsp;Alessandro Massolo","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2024.103986","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2024.103986","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Effects of fires on carnivores are still poorly understood, particularly in the fire-prone Mediterranean basin. For instance, whether the effects are mainly mediated by prey abundance (Prey Abundance Hypothesis, PAH), prey catchability (Prey Catchability Hypothesis, PCH) or habitat suitability is unclear. Our objective was to investigate the role of fire, mammalian prey abundance, habitat suitability and their interactions in shaping the use of space and time of two carnivores, i.e., the red fox <em>Vulpes vulpes</em> and the stone marten <em>Martes foina</em>. The study area was Monte Pisano (Italy), where 12 km² of surface burned in 2018. In early summer 2021 a stratified random sampling design was implemented, with fire and forest type as main strata. Fifty sites were selected, and two infrared cameras were placed at each site. Camera data were used to develop single-species occupancy models for the two predators, whereas time overlap between theme and their prey was evaluated through the Mardia-Watson-Wheeler test. Fox occupancy decreased with increasing herbaceous cover, but only when “mouse and voles” abundance was medium to high, regardless of habitat type. Fox also had significant differences in temporal activity between burnt and unburnt areas, not coupled by a similar pattern for its prey. In contrast, stone marten occupancy mainly depended on canopy cover. The fox could have adapted its hunting strategy to features of the environment and prey abundance, somehow supporting both PCH and PAH. In time, this species could optimize its activity in burnt and unburnt areas according to the brightness of the night. Differences in activity in “mice and voles” were interpreted as anti-predatory responses to the fox. Lastly, the stone marten did not pursue its prey in open areas. In conclusion, carnivores’ habitat use and mammalian predator-prey relationships were overall influenced by fire and post-fire successions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103986"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1146609X24000080/pdfft?md5=5df3583e38ad79a17867a9be59319524&pid=1-s2.0-S1146609X24000080-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140123075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radon as a possible link between peak spring tides and lemming cycles","authors":"Vidar Selås","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2024.103987","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2024.103987","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>There is still no consensus regarding the ultimate cause of the famous 3–4-year population cycles of lemmings. According to the plant stress hypothesis, herbivore population peaks are caused by stress factors that force plants to reallocate stored defensive proteins to transportable and easily digestible N-compounds. One possible plant stress factor is ionization caused by exhalation of the radioactive noble gas radon, which is enhanced after spring tides, i.e., tides at new or full Moon. I hypothesized that increased ionization caused by radon accumulation in the subnivean space after peak spring tides, which occur close to perihelion (31 December–05 January, when the Earth–Sun distance is shortest), and at 3.8-year intervals, results in increased protein digestibility of mosses, which are important food for lemmings. Population outbreaks of Norway lemming <em>Lemmus lemmus</em> occurred two years after peak spring tides during 1871–1910, when also perigee (the time when the Earth–Moon distance is shortest) coincided with spring tides and perihelion. Thereafter this relationship weakened, and lemming peaks became less pronounced and more related to plant seed indices. As we have now entered a new 30-year period with coincidence of spring tide, perihelion and perigee, I predict more regular and pronounced lemming outbreaks in the next decades, unless radon accumulation is prevented by frequent lack of a stable snow cover due to global warming.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103987"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1146609X24000092/pdfft?md5=e3e37a77ccfdb2a79ef52a5e623b803b&pid=1-s2.0-S1146609X24000092-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140096123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new player in the Panamanian fig tree – fig wasp mutualism; a study on the effect of gall midges on Ficus citrifolia","authors":"H. Roberta Hedberg,&nbsp;Lovisa Dück,&nbsp;K. Charlotte Jandér,&nbsp;Lisette van Kolfschoten","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2023.103975","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2023.103975","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The mutualism between the fig tree and the pollinating fig wasps is a keystone interaction in tropical forests. However, many antagonistic interactions also occur in the system, taking advantage of the fig trees and the pollinator. One such example is an antagonistic gall midge (Cecidomyiidae) that develops inside figs. Gall midges inside figs have been documented in a few <em>Ficus</em> species around the world, but to our knowledge they have not previously been observed in Panama. In this study the newly observed Panamanian fig gall midge is documented, together with its parasitoid wasp. The fig gall midge was only found in <em>Ficus citrifolia</em> figs. We investigated the effect of fig gall midge presence on the number of seeds and the number of pollinating wasps (<em>Pegoscapus tonduzi</em>) in a fig and aimed to identify the species based on morphology and barcoding of the COI region. We found that the fig gall midge had no, or a negligible effect, on the reproduction of the fig tree - fig wasp mutualism. The fig gall midge most likely belongs to the genus <em>Ficiomyia</em>, close to <em>Ficiomyia perarticulata</em>. The parasitoid belongs to the genus <em>Physothorax,</em> close to <em>Physothorax russelli</em>. This study suggests that the potentially newly arrived fig gall midge currently has no major effect on the fig tree - fig wasp mutualism. However, should infestation rates increase, it is likely that the fig gall midge would affect the mutualism negatively as it has in other parts of the world. More studies on the fig gall midge species distributions in this region would be valuable and would connect these newly observed species to a larger community, adding yet another species to this complex but classic example of a mutualism.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103975"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1146609X23000875/pdfft?md5=502bd39b2e1aeeefe055f88dd69e6d16&pid=1-s2.0-S1146609X23000875-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139082646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}