Article
Ecology
Martin Andrzejak, Harald Auge, Lotte Korell, Tiffany Knight
Summary: Climate change can directly and indirectly affect plant reproductive success through disruptions in animal pollination. Plants have evolved reproductive strategies to overcome limitations in pollen and water availability, and climate change may cause plants to become more pollen limited in wetter seasons. In this study, two perennial species showed different reproductive responses to future climate conditions, with one species producing more seeds when given supplemental pollen. The findings highlight the potential for changes in pollinator services to impact plant reproduction in a changing climate.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Cole Burns, Soraya Villalobos, Jana C. Vamosi
Summary: The study suggests that generalized pollinators do not play a significant role in increasing the reproductive output of many plant species, and may only offer a weak buffer against stronger disturbances.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Samantha A. A. Catella, Karen C. C. Abbott
Summary: During community assembly, abiotic factors can influence species at different stages of their life history, either by affecting initial densities or by affecting the strength of biotic interactions. The combined effects of variable density and variable interaction strengths on community patterns are non-additive, leading to different spatial structures and local species richness.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Andres F. Ramirez-Mejia, Silvia Lomascolo, Pedro G. Blendinger
Summary: Wild pollinators contribute to higher yields and larger berries in blueberry crops, and the farm's land cover is related to the abundance of wild pollinators and RPFG. However, these effects are contingent on the blueberry cultivar, highlighting the importance of considering cultivar-specific variation when assessing pollinator benefits.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sakhawat Shah, Muhammad Ilyas, Rui Li, Jie Yang, Feng-Lian Yang
Summary: Microplastics and nanoplastics contamination is a growing environmental and public health concern, and they have been found in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Recent studies have increased our understanding of the harmful effects of microplastics pollution on humans, animals, insects, and plants. This perspective explores the adverse effects of microplastic particles on pollinator and plant health, discusses the mechanisms by which they disrupt pollination, and integrates transcriptome studies to investigate their negative effects on the molecular biology of pollination, which can lead to delays or inhibition of pollination services. The harmful effects of microplastics pollution on plant-pollinator health disrupt the communication necessary for successful pollination.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jing Chen, Fangzhou Ma, Yanjing Zhang, Chenbin Wang, Haigen Xu
Summary: The study comprehensively evaluated invasion risk levels of Chinese provinces using multiple invasion indices and taxonomic groups, predicting distribution patterns based on environmental and anthropogenic factors. Results identified 17 provinces as high invasion risk regions, with environmental and anthropogenic factors showing similar prediction abilities on invasive species richness.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhou-Dong Han, You Wu, Peter Bernhardt, Hong Wang, Zong-Xin Ren
Summary: This study reports the role of fungus gnats as pollinators for the orchid species Corybas geminigibbus and C. shanlinshiensis in southwestern Yunnan, China. The fungus gnats were found to carry the pollinia on their thoraces and no eggs were found in the flowers. Fragrance analyses did not suggest that these orchid species were mimicking mushroom brood-sites. This is the first confirmation of fungus gnats dispersing the pollinia of Corybas species in subtropical-temperate Asia.
Article
Ecology
Mark A. Genung, James Reilly, Neal M. Williams, Andrew Buderi, Joel Gardner, Rachael Winfree
Summary: Rare and declining bee species play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem function by pollinating wildflowers and crops in large-scale natural ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jun Bai, Shixiang Li, Qiying Kang, Nan Wang, Kailu Guo, Jinfeng Wang, Jinhua Cheng
Summary: This study examines the spatial spillover effects of renewable energy on carbon emissions in China's less-developed areas, finding that renewable energy is beneficial for reducing local carbon emissions and has positive impacts on neighboring areas. Additionally, urbanization, industrialization, physical capital, and other variables were found to have different effects on carbon emissions in local and nearby areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Pablo Villegas, Tommaso Gili, Guido Caldarelli
Summary: The study uses statistical physics to analyze a plant-species competition model and discovers scale-invariant plant clusters and modular correlations, which are significant in natural rainforest ecosystems.
Article
Ecology
Fugui Wang, Steven I. Apfelbaum, Ry L. Thompson, Richard Teague, Peter Byck
Summary: The study compared the effects of adaptive multi-paddock grazing (AMP) and continuous grazing (CG) on vegetation in neighboring ranches in Mississippi, USA. Results showed that AMP had higher vegetation production and larger clustered distribution patterns, while CG had more aggregated distribution patterns.
Article
Ecology
Laura Moquet, Anne-Laure Jacquemart, Mathilde Dufay, Isabelle De Cauwer
Summary: The study found that flower number dimorphism negatively affected the number of visits on female plants and flowers, but did not impact the number of pollen grains deposited per stigma. Meanwhile, flower size dimorphism had no effect on visitation patterns and pollen transfer.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erin O'Neill, Alison K. Brody, Taylor Ricketts
Summary: Most terrestrial angiosperms form mutualistic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi and animal pollinators, but the effects of mycorrhizae on pollinator behavior and plant reproduction are not well understood. This study examined the effects of inoculating highbush blueberry plants with ericoid mycorrhizal fungi on flowering investment and attractiveness to pollinators. The results showed that plants treated with inoculums were more likely to flower and produced more inflorescence buds than non-inoculated plants.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tomasz H. Szymura, Henok Kassa, Grzegorz Swacha, Magdalena Szymura, Adam Zajac, Zygmunt Kacki
Summary: Recognition of species richness spatial patterns is important for conservation and theoretical studies. This study presents a new data set of vascular plant species richness in Poland based on a grid of 10 x 10 km squares, created using data from two sources. The analysis of 2,160 species in 3,283 squares provides valuable statistics for each square and enables theoretical analysis and better planning for nature conservations.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Vanessa Arranz, Rachel M. Fewster, Shane D. Lavery
Summary: This study proposes a new method for comparative multi-species meta-analysis of published population genetic data. It uses a genogeographic clustering technique to capture common spatial patterns of genetic diversity among species and enables statistical comparison of these patterns. The method provides a novel approach to discern multiple common spatial patterns and allows for more rigorous comparative studies from diverse published data.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Bracha Y. Schindler, Leon Blaustein, Amiel Vasl, Gyongyver J. Kadas, Merav Seifan
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bracha Y. Schindler, Arnie Vasl, Leon Blaustein, David Gurevich, Gyongyver J. Kadas, Merav Seifa
Article
Ecology
Anubhav Mohiley, Katja Tielborger, Merav Seifan, Michal Gruntman
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Eleanor V. J. Gibson-Forty, Katja Tielboerger, Merav Seifan
Summary: This study investigates the correlations between pollinator-mediated pollen transfer, autonomous selfing, and habitat conditions. The results show that pollinator activity decreases with increasing aridity, but annual species still have relatively high reproductive success. Only one species exhibits increased autonomous selfing correlated with aridity and decreased pollinator visits.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Gilad Ben Zvi, Merav Seifan, Itamar Giladi
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhaniya S. Batyrshina, Alon Cna'ani, Tamir Rozenberg, Merav Seifan, Vered Tzin
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob E. Lucero, Merav Seifan, Ragan M. Callaway, Christopher J. Lortie
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2020)
Article
Ecology
L. Zakharova, K. M. Meyer, M. Seifan
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Christopher J. Lortie, Mario Zuliani, Nargol Ghazian, Stephanie Haas, Jenna Braun, Malory Owen, Florencia Miguel, Merav Seifan, Alessandro Filazzola, Jacob Lucero
Summary: The study explored the complex interactions between local plant species richness and shrub facilitation intensity to maintain biodiversity in arid ecosystems. It was found that increasing local plant species richness shifted the interaction with shrubs from positive to negative, indicating that higher richness does not always enhance functions that maintain diversity in plant communities.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Alon Cna'ani, Efrat Dener, Efrat Ben-Zeev, Jan Guenther, Tobias G. Koellner, Vered Tzin, Merav Seifan
Summary: The study found that floral scent emission is influenced by both environmental factors and phylogenetic relationships, with genetic relatedness and growing conditions affecting the diel fluctuations. Additionally, the biosynthetic origins of the compounds are associated with their production patterns, possibly to maximize emission efficacy.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Gilad Ben-Zvi, Merav Seifan, Itamar Giladi
Summary: Ants have a dual role in their interaction with plant seeds in deserts, with granivorous ants commonly consuming seeds while scavenging ants provide beneficial seed dispersal services. Documented evidence suggests that scavenging ants may be efficient seed dispersers in arid ecosystems, aiding in plant establishment and success. Granivores mainly harm seed dispersal, while scavengers exhibit characteristics that make them efficient seed dispersers in deserts, similar to other ecosystems.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Efrat Gavish-Regev, Shlomi Aharon, Igor Armiach Steinpress, Merav Seifan, Yael Lubin
Summary: The study revealed that various factors such as precipitation, elevation, climate, and animal guano levels significantly affect the composition of cave-dwelling spider assemblages. Caves in the Mediterranean region are found to have higher species richness, abundance, and more troglobite and troglophile arachnids.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jordan P. Cuff, Shlomi Aharon, Igor Armiach Steinpress, Merav Seifan, Yael Lubin, Efrat Gavish-Regev
Summary: The study found differences in spider assemblages between different ecological zones in caves, with cave-endemic troglobites residing in the deepest zones and common species inhabiting the entrance. Ecological specialisation, speciation, and local adaptation contribute to the distinct spider assemblages in caves.
Article
Entomology
Ibrahim N. A. Salman, Alon Cna'ani, Vered Tzin, Merav Seifan
Summary: Floral volatiles play an important role in plant-pollinator interactions. Understanding these interactions, especially in arid regions, is crucial as pollinator scarcity and abiotic stress factors like water shortage can limit the reproductive success of plants. This study focused on Matthiola livida and found that water shortage and insect herbivory caused stress in the plants, leading to changes in their floral volatiles. Bumblebees were able to differentiate between stressed and non-stressed plants based on their volatile composition, showing that pollinators are sensitive to plant conditions and use floral volatiles in their foraging decisions.
ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Stefano Mammola, Shlomi Aharon, Merav Seifan, Yael Lubin, Efrat Gavish-Regev