Category: plant-animal interaction

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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plant-animal interaction

Estimates of nectar productivity through a simulation approach differ from the nectar replenished in 24 h

Luca Carisio, Lucie Schurr, Véronique Masotti, Marco Porporato, Gabriel Nève, Laurence Affre, Sophie Gachet, Benoît Geslin This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Nectar is a key resource for numerous insects. Despite its importance, the production of nectar by flowers has mainly been assessed using one simple sampling method, in which the replenished nectar volume … Continue reading Estimates of nectar productivity through a simulation approach differ from the nectar replenished in 24 h

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plant-animal interaction

Experimental removal of egg microbes has long-lasting performance effects for Melissa blue caterpillars

Su’ad A. Yoon, Joshua G. Harrison, Angela M. Smilanich, Matthew L. Forister This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Transmission of microbes from mothers to young (maternal transmission) is extremely common in the animal kingdom. In the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), the microbiome is thought to be transient and mostly shaped by diet. In this … Continue reading Experimental removal of egg microbes has long-lasting performance effects for Melissa blue caterpillars

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plant-animal interaction

Superior pest control on defenceless plants

Saioa Legarrea, Arne Janssen, Lin Dong, Joris J. Glas, Yvonne M. van Houten, Alessandra Scala, Merijn R. Kant This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. The world is green with plants, despite the abundance of herbivores that attack and consume them. For decades, scientists have debated whether plant persistence is due to predators that feed … Continue reading Superior pest control on defenceless plants

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plant-animal interaction

Insect associated microbes and plant defense interact to modulate the performance of a caterpillar

Guillaume Minard, Aapo Kahilainen, Arjen Biere, Hannu Pakkanen, Johanna Mappes, Marjo Saastamoinen This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Plants tend to express some pattern of physical or chemical defenses that protects them against their natural enemies. Many specialist herbivores have evolved strategies to cope with such plant defenses. Their gut microbiota (i.e. the microbes … Continue reading Insect associated microbes and plant defense interact to modulate the performance of a caterpillar

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plant-animal interaction

Bottom-up cascading effects triggered by increased soil nutrients modulate interactions between plants, aphids, and aphid-tending ants

María Lescano, Carolina Quintero, Alejandro G. Farji-Brener, Esteban Balseiro This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Herbivores demand large amounts of nutrients other than carbon (C) to sustain their vital functions. Particularly, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the two most important and critical limiting ones, but plants are usually poor in these nutrients (i.e., … Continue reading Bottom-up cascading effects triggered by increased soil nutrients modulate interactions between plants, aphids, and aphid-tending ants

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plant-animal interaction

Frugivorous birds adjust their diet to achieve their nutritional goals

Pedro G. Blendinger, Tobias N. Rojas, Andrés F. Ramírez-Mejía, Irene M. A. Bender, Silvia Lomáscolo, Julieta Magro, M. Gabriela Núñez Montellano, Román A. Ruggera, Mariana Valoy, Mariano Ordano This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. You may have come across announcements that say something like: “Eat fruits and vegetables”. No doubt this sign would be … Continue reading Frugivorous birds adjust their diet to achieve their nutritional goals

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plant-animal interaction

Habitat Loss Increases Partner-Switching In Plant-Pollinator Communities

Amparo Lázaro, Carmelo Gómez-Martínez This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here Many ecosystem services depend on interactions between species. This is the case for the pollination service, which is essential for the maintenance of biodiversity, crop production and overall ecosystem functions, and is sustained by plant-pollinator interactions. Understanding how flexible the interactions between plants and … Continue reading Habitat Loss Increases Partner-Switching In Plant-Pollinator Communities

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plant-animal interaction

Toxin tolerance across landscapes: Ecological exposure not a prerequisite

M. Denise Dearing, Teri J. Orr, Dylan M. Klure, Robert Greenhalgh, Sara B. Weinstein, Tess Stapleton, KayLene Y.H. Yamada, Madeleine D. Nelson, Margaret. L. Doolin, Danny P. Nielsen, Marjorie D. Matocq, Michael D. Shapiro This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Most plants produce toxic chemicals to deter herbivores from feeding on them.  Plant chemistry is … Continue reading Toxin tolerance across landscapes: Ecological exposure not a prerequisite

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