Category: plant-animal interaction

plant-animal interaction

Spiny pollens from different species in the sunflower family reduce parasite infection in the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens)

Laura L Figueroa, Alison Fowler, Stephanie Lopez, Victoria E Amaral, Hauke Koch, Philip C Stevenson, Rebecca E Irwin, Lynn S Adler This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. The importance of bees as pollinators is now widely acknowledged and we are increasingly aware of the numerous stressors that can negatively impact pollinator health. These include … Continue reading Spiny pollens from different species in the sunflower family reduce parasite infection in the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens)

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plant-animal interaction

First attempt to estimate the size of seeds and fruits that extinct mammal species were able to ingest and potentially disperse

Elise Sivault, Kim R. McConkey, François Bretagnolle, Asmita Sengupta, Joanna Lambert, Eckhard W. Heymann, Anthony Herrel, Pierre-Michel Forget This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Many trees depend on mammals for seed dispersal, especially in the tropics. Indeed, mammals can consume many fruits and ingest many seeds that can be found, sometimes, perfectly intact in … Continue reading First attempt to estimate the size of seeds and fruits that extinct mammal species were able to ingest and potentially disperse

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plant-animal interaction

Resistant oaks fight an herbivorous pest by altering the caterpillar’s digestion (+Italian, German, and Serbian translation)

Marko Bertić, Franziska Orgel, Silvia Gschwendtner, Michael Schloter, Franco Moritz, Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin, Ina Zimmer, Matthias Fladung, Jörg-Peter Schnitzler, Hilke Schroeder, Andrea Ghirardo This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Moth larvae of Tortrix viridana are small, green caterpillars that roll themselves snugly in oak leaves on which they feed. Their massive occurrence can cause complete … Continue reading Resistant oaks fight an herbivorous pest by altering the caterpillar’s digestion (+Italian, German, and Serbian translation)

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plant-animal interaction

Toxic plants improve caterpillar immunity against some, but not all, parasites

Enakshi Ghosh, Ryan L. Paul, Paul J. Ode This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Plants, insect herbivores, and their natural enemies (e.g., predators and parasites) rank among the most abundant and ecologically important species interactions in nearly all terrestrial environments. Insect herbivores, such as caterpillars, face a lot of challenges from below and above. … Continue reading Toxic plants improve caterpillar immunity against some, but not all, parasites

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plant-animal interaction, Translated Summaries

Plant sex changes the outcome of ant-plant interactions in O. robusta—a facultative myrmecophytic cactus (including Spanish & Polish translation)

Mario A. Sandoval-Molina, José G. García-Franco, Cecilia Díaz Castelazo, Mariusz Krzysztof Janczur This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Plants have developed different mechanisms to defend themselves against herbivore insects, like the production of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). In exchange for extrafloral nectar, ants deter herbivores from the plants, thus decreasing herbivore damage and increasing plant … Continue reading Plant sex changes the outcome of ant-plant interactions in O. robusta—a facultative myrmecophytic cactus (including Spanish & Polish translation)

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plant-animal interaction

Flower patterns improve foraging efficiency in bumblebees by guiding approach flight and landing

Robin Richter, Alexander Dietz, James Foster, Johannes Spaethe, Anna Stöckl This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. We have all experienced the fascinating range of colourful patterns that flowers display on our windowsills and in our gardens. However, while merely pleasing to us, they can be of great importance to animals that visit flowers for … Continue reading Flower patterns improve foraging efficiency in bumblebees by guiding approach flight and landing

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plant-animal interaction

Movement strategy of pollinators plays a positive role in adaptation of plant population to habitat loss

Le Jiao, Peng Zhang, Heyue Zhang, Dongdong Shao, Wei Yang, Tao Sun This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. More than 85% of flowering plants need pollinators (e.g. bees, butterflies, hoverflies) to transfer pollen. Therefore, the movement behavior and strategy of pollinators will significantly affect pollination success and subsequent seed set. However, such movement is … Continue reading Movement strategy of pollinators plays a positive role in adaptation of plant population to habitat loss

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plant-animal interaction

How bee body size influences plant interactions depends on when and where it varies

Aoife Cantwell-Jones, Keith Larson, Alan Ward, Olivia K. Bates, Tara Cox, Charlotte Gibbons, Ryan Richardson, Abdullah M. R. Al-Hayali, Johan Svedin, Max Aronsson, Frida Brannlund, Jason M. Tylianakis, Jacob Johansson, Richard J. Gill This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Scientists have long looked to understand the complex web of interactions between plants and their … Continue reading How bee body size influences plant interactions depends on when and where it varies

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plant-animal interaction

Water stress reduces flower and seed production in wild mustard plants

Rebecca J. Höfer, Tina Lindner, Manfred Ayasse, Jonas Kuppler This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Climate change will lead to reduced precipitation, which can cause a water deficit in the soil, leading to water stress in plants. It is known that water stress in plants alters floral characteristics such as morphology, phenology or floral … Continue reading Water stress reduces flower and seed production in wild mustard plants

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plant-animal interaction

High CO2 helps savanna trees escape fatal herbivory

Brad S. Ripley, Sarah L. Raubenheimer, Lavinia Perumal, Maurice Anderson, Emma Mostert, Barney S. Kgope, Guy F. Midgley, Kimberley J. Simpson This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. When you picture a savanna in your mind, you likely think of a wide and open tropical scene dominated by grasses with a scattering of trees. However … Continue reading High CO2 helps savanna trees escape fatal herbivory

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