Networks offer a powerful tool for understanding and visualizing inter-species interactions within an ecology. Previously considered examples, such as trophic networks, are just representations of experimentally observed direct interactions. However, species interactions are so rich and complex it is not feasible to directly observe more than a small fraction. In this paper, using data mining techniques, we show how potential interactions can be inferred from geographic data, rather than by direct observation. An important application area for such a methodology is that of emerging diseases, where, often, little is known about inter-species interactions, such as between vectors and reservoirs. Here, we show how using geographic data, biotic interaction networks that model statistical dependencies between species distributions can be used to infer and understand inter-species interactions. Furthermore, we show how such networks can be used to build prediction models. For example, for predicting the most important reservoirs of a disease, or the degree of disease risk associated with a geographical area. We illustrate the general methodology by considering an important emerging disease - Leishmaniasis. This data mining approach allows for the use of geographic data to construct inferential biotic interaction networks which can then be used to build prediction models with a wide range of applications in ecology, biodiversity and emerging diseases.
Flowers of columnar cacti are animal-pollinated, often displaying a chiropterophylic syndrome. This study examined if the columnar cactus Stenocereus queretaroensis, a tropical species endemic to western Mexico, is bat-pollinated, by studying its pollination biology and the foraging behavior of potential pollinators. Flowers were produced in winter through spring, peaking in April. Anthesis was nocturnal, and stigma and anther turgidity began around 2200 hours. Production of nectar secretion and highest sugar concentration and energy supply were nocturnal, peaking between 2200 and 2400 hours. Manual auto-pollination and exclusion experiments showed that self-pollination yielded no fruits, while nocturnal pollinators resulted in high fruit set and seed set compared to diurnal pollination treatments. The nectar-feeding bat Leptonycteris curasoae (Phyllostomidae) was the main nocturnal pollinator with the highest effective pollination. Peak bat visitation coincided with peaks in nectar production. The high abundance of L. curasoae throughout the 4-yr study, suggests that it is a seasonally reliable pollinator for this columnar cactus. While pollination syndromes have been increasingly called into question in recent years, this study suggests that at least for this system, there is a fairly close fit between pollinator and pollination syndrome.
The implementation of sustainable control strategies aimed at disrupting the transmission of vector-borne pathogens requires a comprehensive knowledge of the vector ecology in the different eco-epidemiological contexts, as well as the local pathogen transmission cycles and their dynamics. However, even when focusing only on one specific vector-borne disease, achieving this knowledge is highly challenging, as the pathogen may exhibit a high genetic diversity and multiple vector species or subspecies and host species may be involved. In addition, the development of the pathogen and the vectorial capacity of the vectors may be affected by their midgut and/or salivary gland microbiome. The recent advent of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies has brought powerful tools that can allow for the simultaneous identification of all these essential components, although their potential is only just starting to be realized. We present a metabarcoding approach that can facilitate the description of comprehensive host-pathogen networks, integrate important microbiome and coinfection data, identify at-risk situations, and disentangle the transmission cycles of vector-borne pathogens. Please use Adobe Acrobat Reader to read this book chapter for free. Just open this same document with Adobe Reader. If you do not have it, you can download it here. You can freely access the chapter at the Web Viewer here. Vector-Borne Diseases -Recent Developments in Epidemiology and Control 2This powerful approach should be generalized to unravel the transmission cycles of any pathogen and their dynamics, which in turn will help the design and implementation of sustainable, effective, and locally adapted control strategies.
Phenotypic changes in plants during domestication may disrupt plant–herbivore interactions. Because wild and cultivated plants have different habitats and some anti-herbivore defences exhibit some plasticity, their defences may be also influenced by the environment. Our goal was to assess the effects of domestication and the environment on herbivory and some anti-herbivore defences in chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) in its centre of domestication. Herbivores, herbivory, and direct and indirect anti-herbivore defences were assessed in wild and cultivated plants. The same variables were measured in the field and in a common garden to assess environmental effects. Our results show that domestication increased herbivory and herbivore abundance, but reduced direct and some indirect defences (ants). The environment also affected the herbivore guild (herbivore abundance and richness) and some direct and indirect defences (trichome number and ants). There was also an interaction effect of domestication and the environment on the number of trichomes. We conclude that domestication and the environment influence herbivory and anti-herbivore defences in an additive and interactive manner in chaya.
Environmental change (i.e., urbanization) impacts species in contrasting ways, with some species experiencing benefits given their way of life (i.e., blood-sucking insects). How these species respond to such change is not well understood and for species involved in human diseases, this “how” question is particularly important. Most Triatominae bug species inhabit tropical and subtropical forests where their vertebrate hosts’ temporal abundance depends on climate seasonality. However, in human encroached landscapes, triatomines can benefit from resource stability which may lead to adaptive phenotypic change to track novel hosts. We tested for an association between different landscapes and morpho-functional traits linked to sensory, motion, and feeding functions in Triatoma dimidiata and compared fecundity (i.e., number of eggs) in each landscape as a proxy of fitness. Using geometric and traditional morphometric tools, we predicted a morphological simplification in bugs inhabiting urbanized areas. While wing morphology or proboscis were not influenced by landscape class, the opposite occurred for thorax morphology and number of sensilla. Wing and thorax morphology did not covary under modified landscape scenarios, yet we detected a morpho-functional convergence for thorax size and antennal phenotype in both sexes, with a simplification trend, from nature to urban settings. Given no fecundity differences across landscapes, there is no potential reproductive costs. Moreover, the convergence of thorax size and antennal phenotype suggests differences in flight/locomotion performance and host/environment perception, as a possible adaptive response to relaxed selective pressures of the bug’s native habitat. These results imply that T. dimidiata could be adapting to urbanized areas.
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