Article
Ecology
Tia-Lynn Ashman, Na Wei
Summary: This study investigated the species composition and abundances of heterospecific pollen (HP) communities in three serpentine seep communities in California. The results showed that floral traits play a key role in shaping the heterogeneity of HP diversity, while floral abundances have variable impacts. These findings contribute to our understanding of the process underlying patterns of HP receipt in plant communities.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mark A. McPeek, Sarah J. McPeek, Judith L. Bronstein
Summary: Numerous analyses have shown that antagonistic interactions can promote the coexistence of two species competing for a single resource, while the impact of mutualistic partners on coexistence is less understood. A mechanistic model was derived to illustrate that plant coexistence requires specific relationships, with pollinators being able to shape competitive hierarchy among plant species. Data on pollen limitation and nectar production across competing plant species will be crucial for evaluating the role pollinators play in promoting plant coexistence.
Article
Plant Sciences
Juan I. Moreira-Hernandez, Harmeet Ghai, Nicholas Terzich, Ricardo Zambrano-Cevallos, Nora H. Oleas, Nathan Muchhala
Summary: The study shows that bat-pollinated plants are susceptible to heterospecific pollen deposition and reproductive interference. However, Burmeistera ceratocarpa exhibited a strong resistance to heterospecific pollen, indicating the presence of effective barriers against foreign pollen.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jose B. Lanuza, Ignasi Bartomeus, Tia-Lynn Ashman, Greg Bible, Romina Rader
Summary: This study demonstrates that specific traits and trait combinations between donor and recipient species are crucial in determining seed production outcomes. Differences in traits between species lead to a competitive structure with clear winners or losers species.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Riko Komamura, Kohei Koyama, Takeo Yamauchi, Yasuo Konno, Lingshuang Gu
Summary: The study identified the most important pollinators of Cardiocrinum cordatum as the bumblebee, sweat bee, and marmalade hoverfly, while the contribution of a flower-visiting ant species was found to be small. The research also highlighted the need for more information on flower-visiting species to accurately assess pollination contribution.
Article
Plant Sciences
Rodrigo Taveira, William E. Magnusson, Juliana Hipolito
Summary: This study investigated the transfer and deposition of heterospecific pollen in a Central Amazon forest. It found that plants with larger flowers, more flowers per individual, and solitary flowers were more likely to receive heterospecific pollen. Despite the diversity of floral types in the Adolpho Ducke Reserve, there was a low percentage of heterospecific pollen deposition, likely due to specialized plant-pollinator interactions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lucia R. Weinman, Trent Ress, Joel Gardner, Rachael Winfree
Summary: Bees provision most of the pollen to their larvae and transport only a small proportion to stigmas, which can negatively affect plant fitness. The efficiency of bees' pollen transport varies among host plant species, and specialization on individual foraging bouts reduces heterospecific pollen transfer but also results in less-efficient pollen transport. This suggests that bee foragers visiting predominantly one plant species may have contrasting effects on that plant's fitness.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Gerard X. Smith, Mark T. Swartz, Rachel B. Spigler
Summary: The study found that different species of pollen were widely present on the stigmas of Oenothera fruticosa, but the amount received varied greatly and was unrelated to conspecific pollen receipt. Heterospecific pollen receipt depended on pollinator type, the proportion of nearby conspecific flowers, and flowering date. Naturally occurring levels of heterospecific pollen were sufficient to negatively impact seed set, but large amounts of conspecific pollen counteracted this effect.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Wei Hao, Xinting Ding, Zhi He, Kai Li, Weixin Gong, Zixu Li, Zhen Yang, Yongjie Cui
Summary: This study developed a precision liquid pollinator for kiwifruit robotic pollination, which improved pollination efficiency while saving pollen usage. By optimizing the pollinator, a working range of air pressure and liquid pressure was established, and it was found that reducing droplet size enhanced pollen deposition rate. The developed pollinator achieved a pollen deposition efficiency of 21.15% under specific air and liquid pressure conditions.
COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS IN AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Review
Agronomy
Alieta Eyles, Dugald C. Close, Steve R. Quarrell, Geoff R. Allen, Cameron J. Spurr, Kara M. Barry, Matthew D. Whiting, Alistair J. Gracie
Summary: Mechanical pollination is crucial for the production of fruit and nut crops, but faces challenges due to knowledge gaps and access to proprietary information.
Article
Plant Sciences
Bo Zhang, Shu-Fan Sun, Wang-Long Luo, Jia-Xin Li, Qiang-En Fang, De-Gang Zhang, Gui-Xin Hu
Summary: The adult thrips of Frankliniella intonsa and the host Stellera chamaejasme interact mutually to contribute to each other's fitness, with the thrips pollinating host plants and the plants providing the insects with breeding sites and food. The thrips preferentially forage in half-flowering inflorescences and oviposit in floral tubes, and the floral longevity precisely accommodates the thrips life cycle. Excluding adult thrips from foraging flowers results in a significant decrease in host plant fitness and thrips fecundity in the flowers.
Article
Horticulture
Radosav Cerovic, Milica Fotiric Aksic, Milena Dordevic, Mekjell Meland
Summary: The study evaluated the progamic phase of fertilization and fruit set in four European plum cultivars in Western Norway, showing different adaptability of both recipient and donor cultivars to specific ecological conditions. The pollinizers Victoria, Opal and C. Lepotica were proven to be very good pollinizers for certain cultivars, while cultivars Opal, R. E. Prolific and Mallard were considered excellent pollinizers for Edda under certain temperature conditions.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Gerardo Arceo-Gomez
Summary: The study reveals that heterospecific pollen transfer can directly influence plant interactions and play a significant role in generating plant diversity. The existence of spatial variation has important implications for the interactions between species within plant communities and deserves further investigation.
Article
Ecology
Guillermo L. Florez-Montero, Renata L. Muylaert, Marcelo R. Nogueira, Cullen Geiselman, Sharlene E. Santana, Richard D. Stevens, Marco Tschapka, Francisco A. Rodrigues, Marco A. R. Mello
Summary: Data papers and open databases have revolutionized contemporary science by promoting collaboration and making natural history information widely accessible. However, most data papers have focused on species occurrence and abundance while neglecting interactions. In this study, the authors compiled a georeferenced dataset of interactions between 93 bat species and 501 plant species, filling a significant gap in the literature.
Article
Horticulture
Ramon Silva da Santos, Liedson Tavares Carneiro, Jose Peroba de Oliveira Santos, Mairon Moura da Silva, Marcelo de Oliveira Milfont, Cibele Cardoso Castro
Summary: Insect pollination, particularly by honeybees, significantly enhances fruit production of 'Tee' and 'Nova' tangelos in northeastern Brazil. The differences in fruit traits between cultivars may not be due to floral characteristics divergence.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Helen P. Waudby, Sophie Petit
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2017)
Review
Plant Sciences
B. Amato, S. Petit
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alexander W. Gofton, Helen P. Waudby, Sophie Petit, Telleasha L. Greay, Una M. Ryan, Peter J. Irwin
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2017)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Annette T. Scanlon, Sophie Petit, Marika Tuiwawa, Alivereti Naikatini
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Ecology
Sophie Petit, M. Bernard Stonor, John J. Weyland, Joan Gibbs, Bianca Amato
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lauren Roman, Farzana Kastury, Sophie Petit, Rina Aleman, Chris Wilcox, Britta Denise Hardesty, Mark A. Hindell
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Sophie Petit, John J. Weyland, Cameron Brumley, Monica A. Kehoe, Cuiping Wang
Summary: The invasive aphid Aphis lugentis was discovered in Australia for the first time, specializing in Compositae plants and tended by various ant species. Further investigation into its distribution in Australia and impacts on plant hosts, including threatened species and associated native ant and aphid communities, is recommended.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sophie Petit, Annette T. Scanlon, Alivereti Naikatini, Tara Pukala, Russell Schumann
Summary: This study found that Dillenia biflora, a member of the family Dilleniaceae, relies on bats for pollination. This discovery has significant implications for the conservation of bat-dependent trees and their associated fauna.
Article
Ecology
Lauren Roman, Farzana Kastury, Sophie Petit, Rina Aleman, Britta Denise Hardesty, Chris Wilcox
Summary: This study investigates the concentration of elements in feathers of highly mobile seabirds in global biodiversity hotspots. The results show that some elements have higher concentrations in smaller species compared to larger ones. Additionally, the element concentrations in feathers vary among different ocean basins.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Bianca Amato, Sophie Petit
Summary: Farmers' perceptions of roadside and private property vegetation differ, leading to the failure of conservation targets. It is recommended to restore social capital to promote roadside vegetation, establish long-term farmer-led conservation actions supported by Government and industry, involve agronomists in conservation management on private properties, demonstrate the benefits of native vegetation as wildlife habitat, and celebrate on-farm conservation as successful farming.
AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN VALUES
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Sophie Petit, Peter A. Hammond, Brian Heterick, John J. Weyland
Summary: Many animal species, including ants, use "playing dead" or feigning death as a defense strategy against predators, but the triggers and durations are not well understood. This study observed the death-feigning behavior of Polyrhachis femorata ants in nest boxes on Kangaroo Island after the bushfires in 2019-2020. The behavior was observed in both burnt and unburnt habitats, and it is suggested that the fire might have affected the abundance and re-establishment of the species. This surprising defensive immobility strategy is not only performed by individuals but also by entire ant colonies, accompanied by plugging box entrances.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Correction
Biodiversity Conservation
Sophie Petit, Deborah S. Frazer
Summary: The iconic grass-trees of Australia, Xanthorrhoea semiplana, play a role in buffering ground-dwelling animals against extreme weather conditions, such as temperature and rainfall. The temperatures under the grass-tree canopies are more stable and have a smaller range compared to other areas, with a difference of up to 20 degrees Celsius cooler than the ambient temperature in summer. The largest grass-tree canopies provide the best shelter. However, the presence of the fungal pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi and current burning practices can have detrimental effects on the survival of these trees and the wildlife that depend on them as shelter.
PACIFIC CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Bianca Amato, Sophie Petit, Russell Schumann
Summary: The study aimed to develop an effective method to store nectar on filter paper. Findings suggest that eluting nectar with 15 mL of water and agitating for 1 minute yields the best results, with smaller papers showing higher success rates in sugar recovery.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
H. P. Waudby, S. Petit, B. Matthews, A. Sharp, R. Pradhan, B. Dale
AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Helen P. Waudby, Sophie Petit, Matthew J. Gill