Article
Plant Sciences
Priscila Tunes, Maria Gabriela Gutierrez Camargo, Elza Guimaraes
Summary: The study found that only about 30% of Neotropical savanna plant species have floral UV features, which are associated with phylogeny, pollinators, floral resources, and attraction units, but not with non-UV colour patterns. UV-patternless flowers can be associated with most pollination systems, while UV-patterned flowers are mainly associated with bee-pollination.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Joao Vitor S. Messeder, Fernando A. O. Silveira, Tatiana G. Cornelissen, Lisieux F. Fuzessy, Tadeu J. Guerra
Summary: The study focused on the role of Miconia, a hyperdiverse plant clade in the Neotropics, in seed dispersal through interactions with a diverse range of animal frugivores. The results highlighted the key role of Miconia in facilitating seed dispersal in the Neotropics by providing fruits accessible to a wide range of animal vectors, sustaining entire frugivore assemblages.
Article
Plant Sciences
Neha Mohanbabu, Michiel P. Veldhuis, Dana Jung, Mark E. Ritchie
Summary: Allocating plant defense traits depends on resource supply, herbivory, and other plant functional traits. However, integrating defense with resource acquisitive traits remains challenging.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Paul Glaum, Thomas J. Wood, Jonathan R. Morris, Fernanda S. Valdovinos
Summary: Variation in dietary specialization is determined by fundamental interactions between species and their environment. Understanding the drivers of this variation is crucial for understanding ecological and evolutionary processes. Organismal phenology may play a significant role in shaping realized specialization by determining simultaneous resource availability and pollinator foraging activity.
Article
Ecology
Chelsea R. Hinton, Valerie E. Peters
Summary: The study uses quantitative pollinating insect-plant networks and modularity analysis to show that plant species with continuous flowering play core roles in mutualistic networks, with variations in their topological roles and evidence supporting specialized subsets of interactions based on phenology. This suggests that conserving Neotropical pollinating insect communities may need to focus on planting species from each module, rather than focusing on identifying and conserving network hubs.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Stephanie A. A. Rivest, E. M. Wolkovich, Heather M. M. Kharouba
Summary: The study explored the impact of non-native plants on native butterflies and found that non-native plants can positively interact with native butterflies by providing nectar. The flowering time of plants directly influences butterfly visitation and nectar availability. The study also revealed that non-native plants were well integrated into butterfly diets and were preferred by butterflies over native plants. This suggests that non-native plants can be a valuable resource for native butterflies.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kunwar K. Singh, Nishan Bhattarai, Jelena Vukomanovic
Summary: This study assessed the impact of an invasive shrub on water resources using remote sensing and ET modeling methods, finding that Ligustrum sinense has higher water demand and competes fiercely with native forest types, especially in dry and normal precipitation years. Removing invasive plants may help to conserve water, particularly in water-scarce regions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alice Ziegler, Johannes Heisig, Marvin Ludwig, Chris Reudenbach, Hanna Meyer, Thomas Nauss
Summary: LAI is commonly used to describe vegetation structure, and remote-sensing methods have been used for area-wide monitoring. GEDI provides point-based LAI product, which can be integrated with high resolution sensors. By studying the landscape of Hesse, Germany, we tested the potential of GEDI for regional LAI estimations and found that it is feasible beyond the mission lifespan.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Remote Sensing
Sa'Ad Ibrahim, Jorg Kaduk, Kevin Tansey, Heiko Balzter, Umar Mohammed Lawal
Summary: Phenology plays a key role in controlling vegetation feedbacks to the climate system, and detecting phenological variations in plant functional types (PFTs) is crucial for conservation planning. Using MODIS NDVI data, Savitzky-Golay filtering, and BFAST algorithms, this study reveals distinct phenological events and their impact on the growing season length (GSL) in a West African savannah landscape dominated by woody species. Woody species show early green-up dates and prolonged senescence, while the relationship between SOS or EOS and GSL varies among different PFTs. Vegetation changes estimated by BFAST differ by PFT, with grassland being more vulnerable to disturbances compared to woody species.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REMOTE SENSING
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Juliana Silveira dos Santos, Carlos M. Silva-Neto, Thiago Castro Silva, Karoline Nascimento Siqueira, Milton Cezar Ribeiro, Rosane Garcia Collevatti
Summary: Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes is influenced by land-use types, natural elements, and farming intensity. The Brazilian Cerrado, a biodiversity hotspot, has experienced increased native vegetation loss rates in recent years, leading to extinction risks for several plant species. Monocultures have been found to reduce plant diversity in the studied landscapes, highlighting the importance of considering local variables and the diversity of vegetation types in restoration efforts for the Cerrado.
Article
Ecology
Lauren D. Maynard, Elodie Moureau, Maaike Y. Bader, Diego Salazar, Gerhard Zotz, Susan R. Whitehead
Summary: This study investigates the short-term effects of climate change on plant-herbivore interactions in a Neotropical shrub, Piper generalense. The results suggest that climate change may indirectly affect plant-herbivore systems by altering the relationship between growth and chemical defense.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Laureline Rossignaud, Philip E. Hulme
Summary: This study investigates the factors influencing non-native plant invasions in manuka and kanuka shrublands in New Zealand. The results show that adjacent anthropogenic land cover not only facilitates the arrival of non-native species but also aids their establishment.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Luiz Felipe Souza Pinheiro, Leticia Kansbock, Davi Rodrigo Rossatto, Rosana Marta Kolb
Summary: Woody encroachment negatively affects the regeneration ability of ground-layer savanna species by changing environmental filters, such as reducing incident light, altering temperature and litter deposition.
Article
Plant Sciences
Eddie Lenza, Ana Clara Abadia, Arthur Verissimo, Hellen Kezia Almada, Lorrayne Aparecida Goncalves, Daielle Carrijo
Summary: This study examines the relationship between soil properties and woody flora richness and composition in different vegetation communities in the Brazilian Cerrado. The results show that there are clear differences in soil properties among different vegetation communities, and these differences explain the variations in species richness and composition. Waterlogging, fertility, and soil texture are important factors influencing the differences and similarities in species composition. The findings highlight the importance of conserving the complex vegetation mosaic in the region to maintain high local species richness and turnover.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Leandro Maracahipes, Walter S. de Araujo, Fernando L. Sobral, Leonardo L. Bergamini, Mario Almeida-Neto, Marcus Cianciaruso
Summary: The study aimed to investigate whether plants surrounded by more similar neighbors tended to exhibit higher levels of herbivory than plants surrounded by less similar neighbors. The results showed that leaf herbivory damage of individual plants was not consistently influenced by either phylogenetic or trait similarity with neighbors.
PLANT ECOLOGY & DIVERSITY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Marsal D. Amorim, Pietro K. Maruyama, Gudryan J. Baronio, Cristiano S. Azevedo, Andre R. Rech
Summary: Floral traits play a role in determining the effectiveness of different animal pollinators along a generalization/specialization continuum. This study investigates the contributions of hummingbirds to the pollination of various plant species in the Brazilian grasslands. The results suggest that hummingbirds can contribute to pollination independently of the fit to bird pollination syndrome, highlighting their importance as under-appreciated generalized pollinators in certain communities.
Article
Plant Sciences
L. B. Valadao-Mendes, I Rocha, D. A. L. Meireles, F. B. Leite, M. Sazima, P. K. Maruyama, V. L. G. Brito
Summary: The study found that stamen dimorphic plant species typically have larger flowers and less variable style shapes, as well as a higher richness of visiting bees. This suggests that stamen dimorphism is associated with ecological generalization in plant-pollinator interactions at the community scale.
Article
Ecology
Breno Dias Vitorino, Angelica Vilas Boas da Frota, Pietro Kiyoshi Maruyama, Josue Ribeiro da Silva Nunes, Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni
Summary: Analysis of ecological networks is a useful approach to investigate species interactions. Sampling method can affect the observed patterns and interpretation of network structure. This study found that sampling approaches based on plants and animals were highly complementary in characterizing a seed dispersal network. The choice of sampling method can impact the assessment of species roles in communities.
ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ganges Lim, Kevin C. Burns
Summary: The extinction of bird species on islands due to introduced predators has a negative impact on bird-plant mutualisms. However, reintroducing threatened and endangered bird species can accelerate the recovery of ecosystem services.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ganges Lim, K. C. Burns
Summary: This study investigated the fruit colour polymorphism in Gaultheria depressa var. novae-zealandiae and found that the frequencies of different fruit colour morphs varied geographically to maximize fruit-foliage colour contrasts. The study also showed that different fruit colour morphs varied in their susceptibility to UV damage. This research highlights the importance of trade-offs between conspicuousness to dispersers and tolerance to UV damage in maintaining the fruit colour polymorphism.
Article
Biology
Fabio Mologni, Kevin C. Burns
Summary: This study examines the variation in human population size among 486 islands at a global and regional scale. Findings show that globally, population size increases with island area, but does not decline with elevation and distance to nearest mainland. At a regional scale, population sizes vary among islands within archipelagos based on the location of different cultural source pools.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Victor H. D. Silva, Ingrid N. Gomes, Joao C. F. Cardoso, Camila Bosenbecker, Jessica L. S. Silva, Oswaldo Cruz-Neto, Willams Oliveira, Alyssa B. Stewart, Ariadna V. Lopes, Pietro K. Maruyama
Summary: Urbanization has significant impacts on the occurrence, abundance, and distribution of pollinators worldwide. However, there is a lack of global estimates of urban pollinator diversity. This study provides a comprehensive overview of urban pollinators, including the most frequently recorded species and functional groups, as well as the types of urban green spaces where they are commonly found. The findings reveal regional differences in the composition of urban pollinators and highlight the need for more inclusive conservation efforts.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ingrid N. Gomes, Camila Bosenbecker, Victor H. D. Silva, Joao C. F. Cardoso, Joao C. Pena, Pietro K. Maruyama
Summary: This study evaluated the spatiotemporal distribution of trees attractive to pollinators in a Brazilian metropolis and found a dominance of few tree species with bees being the most favored group. The potential supply of resources was homogeneous throughout the seasons but tree density was low in most areas. A luxury effect was observed, with higher tree richness and abundance in regions with higher average family income. Better planning and management of urban green areas are needed to support pollinators more uniformly across streetscapes.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Paulo Vitor Alves Ribeiro, Luis Paulo Pires, Marcia Cristina Cury, Celine de Melo
Summary: This study analyzed blood smears of 62 individuals of Antilophia galeata and found that 33 (53.2%) were infected with haemosporidian parasites, with a high prevalence but low and constant parasitaemia. The infection showed no adverse effects on the physiological and reproductive parameters of the individuals.
BIOSCIENCE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paulo Antonio Silva, Amanda Graciela Cherutte, Ana Caroline Silva Gomes, Larissa Lais Silva, Lucilene Brito, Bruno Magro Rodrigues, Pietro Kiyoshi Maruyama
Summary: Alien plants can have considerable benefits to biodiversity in urban areas with low to moderate risk of negative impacts. A study in an urban area in Brazil evaluated the ecological role of the alien tree Bombax ceiba in interacting with nectar-feeding birds and found it to be an important nectar resource for urban birds. Although there is a moderate risk of negative impacts on native species and ecosystems, keeping this tree species in the urban landscape can provide overall benefits.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Camila Bosenbecker, Pedro Amaral Anselmo, Roberta Zuba Andreoli, Gustavo Hiroaki Shimizu, Paulo Eugenio Oliveira, Pietro Kiyoshi Maruyama
Summary: Citizen science has the potential to improve scientific data collection efficiency. This study focused on hummingbird-plant interactions recorded by amateur birdwatchers in Brazil and compared the data with that generated by experts. The results showed that citizen science data provided better coverage and geographic range, but had a lower proportion of common plant partners with expert data. The study highlights the potential and challenges of utilizing citizen-gathered biodiversity data.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni, Pietro Kiyoshi Maruyama
Summary: In this study, the effects of removing a locally abundant plant species on plant-hummingbird pollination networks were examined. Contrary to the hypothesis, the overall structure of the networks remained mostly unchanged, indicating limited rewiring and minimal changes in specialization. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact of species extinctions on ecological communities.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Riccardo Ciarle, K. C. Burns
Summary: Physical geography and vegetation have both direct and indirect effects on island bird diversity in the South West Pacific. The impact of these factors varies among different functional guilds of birds, with total plant diversity playing a major role in determining overall bird diversity and physical geography being more important for herbivorous and frugivorous birds. Woody and herbaceous plant species diversity mediate the effect of physical geography on certain bird guilds, while granivorous, nectarivorous, and grassland-dwelling bird diversities are not influenced by physical geography or herbaceous plant diversity.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Pedro Amaral Anselmo, Joao Custodio F. Cardoso, Paulo Ricardo Siqueira, Pietro Kiyoshi Maruyama
Summary: Urbanization leads to restructuring of plant-animal interactions and increased introduction of non-native species. Conservation of pollinators in urban areas is important. This study characterized the interaction network between hummingbirds and plants in an urban green area in Brazil, finding that a majority of interactions were illegitimate and the network was generalized. Non-native plants contributed more to nectar availability, especially during periods of resource shortage. Non-native species play a relevant role in maintaining urban pollinators and biodiversity-friendly urban planning should consider their contributions.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pedro J. Bergamo, Katia F. Rito, Blandina F. Viana, Edenise Garcia, Eimear Nic Lughadha, Marcia M. Maues, AndreR. Rech, Felipe D. S. Silva, Isabela G. Varassin, Kayna Agostini, Marcia C. M. Marques, Pietro K. Maruyama, Nirvia Ravena, Lucas A. Garibaldi, Tiffany M. Knight, Paulo E. A. M. Oliveira, Alberto K. Oppata, Antonio M. Saraiva, Leandro R. Tambosi, Rodrigo Y. Tsukahara, Leandro Freitas, Marina Wolowski
Summary: Human activities threaten nature and ecosystem services, such as pollination. Ecological restoration provides opportunities for biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture. However, stakeholders' interactions and power access in social arenas are often overlooked in sustainable agriculture frameworks. This perspective integrates pollination services, ecological restoration, and public engagement for biodiversity conservation and agricultural production to enhance sustainable practices at different scales.
