Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guillermo Blanco, Pedro Romero-Vidal, Martina Carrete, Daniel Chamorro, Carolina Bravo, Fernando Hiraldo, Jose L. Tella
Summary: The study highlights the important role of burrowing parrots as seed dispersers in the Monte Desert, Argentina. They have a high abundance and are crucial in spreading seeds by preying on them and dispersing them around plants. Their nomadic movements and long flights lead to the dispersal of large amounts of seeds across large areas, suggesting they play a unique and significant role in the ecosystem.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
James G. Rodger, Joanne M. Bennett, Mialy Razanajatovo, Tiffany M. Knight, Mark van Kleunen, Tia-Lynn Ashman, Janette A. Steets, Cang Hui, Gerardo Arceo-Gomez, Martin Burd, Laura A. Burkle, Jean H. Burns, Walter Durka, Leandro Freitas, Jurene E. Kemp, Junmin Li, Anton Pauw, Jana C. Vamosi, Marina Wolowski, Jing Xia, Allan G. Ellis
Summary: The study found that the lack of pollinators has a significant impact on plant reproduction, with some plant species unable to produce seeds without pollinators, while others face a major reduction in fertility. Specifically, plants with tree growth form, multiple reproductive episodes, more specialized pollination systems, and tropical distributions are more vulnerable to the effects of reduced pollinator services.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ketema Beyecha Hundie, Desalegn Abdissa Akuma
Summary: The production of biodiesel from Prosopis julifera seed oil using ethanol as solvent and magnesium oxide nanocatalyst was optimized using the definitive screening design method. The maximum biodiesel yield obtained was 32.5%, and acid esterification and transesterification were applied to reduce the acidity. The optimal biodiesel conversion efficiency achieved was 94.83% under specific reaction conditions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Naganeeswaran Sudalaimuthuasari, Rashid Ali, Martin Kottackal, Mohammed Rafi, Mariam Al Nuaimi, Biduth Kundu, Raja Saeed Al-Maskari, Xuewen Wang, Ajay Kumar Mishra, Jithin Balan, Srinivasa R. Chaluvadi, Fatima Al Ansari, Jeffrey L. Bennetzen, Michael D. Purugganan, Khaled M. Hazzouri, Khaled M. A. Amiri
Summary: The genome sequence of Prosopis cineraria provides valuable insights into its disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms, contributing to crop and legume improvement.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Muhammad Awais Ahmad, Mudssar Ali, Shafqat Saeed, Fahim Nawaz
Summary: Selenium is an essential nutrient that plays important roles in plant growth and animal health. While selenium enrichment promotes plant growth, hyper-accumulation can have toxic effects on insects, especially bees. This study found that the application of selenium has significant effects on the foraging behavior and seed yield of native pollinators in berseem crop.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Cristiane de Souza Paulino, Liedson Tavares Carneiro, Natan Messias Almeida, Emmanuel Santa-Martinez, Cibele Cardoso Castro
Summary: The influence of animal pollination on the common bean production is variable, but self-fertility is predominant. There is a lack of research on the influence of pollination on production and seed germination quality. The study aims to investigate the influence of animal pollination on the amount and quality of fruits, seeds, and seed germination of the common bean.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Angela Vanina Egea, Maria Sofia Campagna, Monica Ines Cona, Carmen Sartor, Claudia Monica Campos
Summary: This study evaluated the effectiveness of seed dispersal by domestic ungulates on desert rangelands. The results showed that horses had higher seed recovery and germination compared to goats and cattle, indicating a better seed treatment by horses. Further research on faeces properties and seed deposition sites is needed to fully understand this mutualistic interaction.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
M. Cecilia Sagario, Victor R. Cueto
Summary: In the central Monte desert in Argentina, the selection of Algarrobos trees by seed-eating birds for defending and establishing breeding territories is crucial, with these birds using the trees as song posts. Tree height, density, and spatial configuration are associated with territory selection.
Article
Ecology
Dario Sanchez-Castro, Georg Armbruster, Yvonne Willi
Summary: This study investigated the variation in pollinator service of North American Arabidopsis lyrata across its range, and found that smaller populations at the southern edge receive lower pollinator service. The effect of reduced pollination is also detectable within populations when the local flower density is low. Additionally, pollinator visitation was positively correlated with the richness of other flowering plants.
Article
Forestry
F. M. Cappa, V. E. Campos, F. R. Barri, L. Ramos, C. M. Campos
Summary: This study aimed to assess the factors affecting the abundance of Prosopis flexuosa saplings in dry forests. The findings showed that sandy substrates and conditions around adult trees positively influenced sapling abundance, while wetness index had a negative effect. Additionally, the presence of exotic and domestic ungulates in low densities had neutral or positive effects on sapling abundance. These results suggest that the regeneration of P. flexuosa population in the study area is not a major concern.
Review
Agronomy
Shuxuan Jing, Per Kryger, Birte Boelt
Summary: The measurement approaches varied among studies in evaluating red clover seed yield components. Insect pollen transfer plays a key role in red clover seed production, but there remains much uncertainty surrounding pollination and reproductive success.
Article
Ecology
K. C. Arrowsmith, Victoria A. Reynolds, Heather M. Briggs, Berry J. Brosi
Summary: A critical goal for ecologists is to understand the impact of ongoing species losses on ecosystem functions. The relationship between diversity and ecosystem functions involving multiple trophic levels is less predictable. This study focuses on pollination functioning and assesses the effects of bumble bee species richness on seed production in a perennial herb. The results demonstrate the complex dynamics of ecosystem function in multitrophic systems and the importance of community context in diversity-functioning relationships.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Florencia M. Correa Uriburu, Florencia Cattaneo, Luis M. Maldonado, Iris C. Zampini, Maria R. Alberto, Maria I. Isla
Summary: This study describes the extraction of flour and phenolic enriched extracts (PEE) from P. alba (white alder) seeds, and analyzes their chemical characteristics and antioxidant capacity. The results show variations in macronutrient composition of seed flour among different clones, while certain clones demonstrate higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity in their extracts.
Review
Horticulture
Yan Li, Xiang Li, Ming-Hui Zhao, Zhong-Yi Pang, Jia-Tong Wei, Mulualem Tigabu, Vincent L. Chiang, Heike Sederoff, Ronald Sederoff, Xi-Yang Zhao
Summary: Flowering is a crucial stage in plant growth, especially in conifer species with straight trunks and good wood quality. Some conifer seeds are rich in nutrients for food and medicine. Despite being the largest and oldest plants, conifers have long growth cycles and unstable seed yields. Various factors and management techniques have been developed to improve flowering and seed production in conifers.
Article
Plant Sciences
K. Endoh, N. Itahana, M. Matsushita, H. Yamada, M. Ubukata
Summary: The study demonstrated the high desiccation tolerance of Morus boninensis seeds, with open-pollinated dried seeds capable of cryopreservation at low moisture content for maintaining high germination rates. External seed production provided a feasible resource for reintroduction and restoration programmes for Morus boninensis.
Article
Ecology
Micaela Santos, Luciano Cagnolo, Tomas Roslin, Emmanuel F. Ruperto, Maria Laura Bernaschini, Diego P. Vazquez
Summary: Research shows that younger, smaller, isolated habitat fragments are particularly important for the conservation of species and interactions, while larger, more connected fragments contribute little to meta-network robustness.
Article
Ecology
Joel A. Queiroz, Ugo M. Diniz, Diego P. Vazquez, Zelma M. Quirino, Francisco A. R. Santos, Marco A. R. Mello, Isabel C. Machado
Summary: The study shows that bats and hawkmoths form mixed modules in the pollination network, sharing plant resources and engaging in cross-syndrome interactions. Hawkmoths can visit chiropterophilous flowers without restriction, while bats are restricted to accessing wider flowers.
Article
Ecology
Julian Resasco, Natacha P. Chacoff, Diego P. Vazquez
Summary: Generalist species interactions tend to persist more in time and space, with species' tolerance of environmental variation playing a key role in generalization. The results suggest a role of spatiotemporal environmental variation in organizing species interactions.
Article
Ecology
Agustin Vitali, Diego P. Vazquez, Maria F. Miguel, Yamila Sasal, Mariano A. Rodriguez-Cabal
Summary: This study found that a keystone mutualism can enhance community resistance against the impacts of a non-native invasive pollinator by increasing species diversity and promoting interaction rewiring in the community.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
V. R. Chalcoff, Y. Sasal, L. E. Graham, D. P. Vazquez, C. L. Morales
Summary: The invasion of the European bumble bee Bombus terrestris in NW Patagonia, Argentina has disrupted the pollination mutualism between the native legume Vicia nigricans and its primary pollinator B. dahlbomii. The invasion has resulted in a decrease in fruit set and seeds per fruit for V. nigricans due to the replacement of the native bumble bee by B. terrestris, which engages in nectar robbing behavior and reduces the deposition of high quality pollen.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Agustin Vitali, Yamila Sasal, Diego P. Vazquez, M. Florencia Miguel, Mariano A. Rodriguez-Cabal
Summary: Understanding the impacts of global change on ecological communities is a major challenge in modern ecology. Disruption of the hummingbird-mistletoe-marsupial mutualism can lead to cascading effects on both pollination and seed dispersal networks in Patagonia. The disruption of this mutualism by non-native species can result in less complex ecological networks.
Article
Ecology
Jana M. T. de Souza, Diego P. Vazquez, Isabela G. Varassin
Summary: The study evaluated the restoration of plant-pollinator interaction networks in the South Atlantic rainforest in Brazil. Phenological coupling was found to be the best predictor of interactions, followed by plant composition and abundance. Restoration strategies did not directly predict interactions, possibly due to the influence of surrounding natural landscapes on the restoration sites.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Teresa Moran-Lopez, Gita Benadi, Carlos Lara-Romero, Natacha Chacoff, Agustin Vitali, David Pescador, Silvia B. Lomascolo, Javier Morente-Lopez, Diego P. Vazquez, Juan M. Morales
Summary: This study quantifies partner and trait flexibility of pollinators in different environments, and explores the correlation between them. The results show that pollinators are able to cope with shifts in plant species and visit plants with dissimilar traits. However, this ability is influenced by environmental conditions and plant traits.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maria Alisa Alvarez, Ana Agustina Barros, Diego P. Vazquez, Lorena de Jesus Bonjour, Jonas J. Lembrechts, Ronja E. M. Wedegartner, Valeria Aschero
Summary: Hikers and livestock using mountain trails have a negative impact on native vegetation and promote the spread of non-native plants. The study found that both trails and livestock abundance favored the occurrence of non-native plants, while elevation and native plant community composition affected the richness and cover of non-native plants.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Andrea L. Magnano, Pablo A. Meglioli, Eugenia Vazquez Novoa, Veronica Chillo, Juan A. Alvarez, Leandro M. Alvarez, Carmen E. Sartor, Diego P. Vazquez, Cecilia C. Vega Riveros, Pablo E. Villagra
Summary: Forest ecosystems are crucial for providing various ecosystem services and are under threat from human development. Understanding the relationship between land use-intensity, biodiversity, and carbon storage is important for developing strategies to promote carbon sequestration.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biology
Diego P. Vazquez, Nydia Vitale, Jimena Dorado, Georgina Amico, Erica L. Stevani
Summary: Species respond differently to environmental variation, resulting in phenological mismatches. Our study focused on the consequences of these mismatches for solitary bees. We found that nesting-flowering mismatches had negative effects on the reproductive performance and population growth rate of bees, except for the most generalized species. This highlights the importance of phenological mismatches for the demography of wild pollinators and suggests potential negative impacts of climate change for specialist bees.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Wande Li, Chen Zhu, Ingo Grass, Diego P. Vazquez, Duorun Wang, Yuhao Zhao, Di Zeng, Yi Kang, Ping Ding, Xingfeng Si
Summary: Habitat fragmentation affects seed dispersal processes and plant-frugivore interactions. This study used camera trapping to analyze plant-frugivore networks and found that habitat fragmentation simplifies networks, reducing interactions involving specialized species and large-bodied frugivores. Smaller islands have more connected, less modular, and more nested networks mainly consisting of small-bodied birds and abundant plants, with evidence of interaction release. The preservation of large forest remnants is crucial for supporting plant-frugivore interaction diversity and forest functionality.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marco A. Molina-Montenegro, Ian S. Acuna-Rodriguez, Gabriel I. Ballesteros, Mariela Baldelomar, Cristian Torres-Diaz, Bernardo R. Broitman, Diego P. Vazquez
Summary: We conducted field and laboratory experiments to evaluate the impact of electromagnetic field (EMF) on honeybees' pollination efficiency. Our findings demonstrate that EMF exposure leads to physiological stress in honeybees, affecting gene and protein expression in stress and behavioral response pathways. Additionally, our study reveals reduced honeybee visits and seed production in California poppy plants growing near EMF. Furthermore, we observed a non-linear relationship between EMF and plant community richness and abundance. These findings provide conclusive evidence of the detrimental effects of EMF on honeybee pollination behavior and subsequent impacts on plant communities.
Article
Biology
Agustin Vitali, Sofia Ruiz-Suarez, Diego P. Vazquez, Matthias Schleuning, Mariano A. Rodriguez-Cabal, Yamila Sasal, Shai Pilosof
Summary: The effects of invasive species on multitrophic networks were investigated in an ongoing invasion scenario in Patagonia, Argentina. Non-native ungulates disrupted a keystone interaction between hummingbirds, mistletoe, and marsupials, altering community composition. The connectivity between pollination and seed dispersal was reduced, and the network structure fragmented by the invasive species, leading to increased disturbance propagation and reduced network stability.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rodolfo Carrara, Diego P. Vazquez, Ana M. Scollo, Gustavo E. Flores
Summary: This study evaluated the mechanistic relationship between climate and species richness in mountain environments using path analysis. Results showed that richness of darkling beetles peaks at mid elevations, mainly influenced by precipitation and temperature. The best fitting model explains 84% of the variance of beetle richness. These results suggest high susceptibility of the study region to future global climate change.
ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS
(2023)