Changes in temperature alter competitive interactions and overall structure of fig wasp communities

Aung, Khin Me Me; Chen, Huanhuan; Segar, Simon T.; Miao, Bai-Ge; Peng, Yan‐Qiong; Liu, Cong

doi:10.1111/1365-2656.13701

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…However, when the adult wasps leave (Aung et al, 2022;Gigante et al, 2020;Jevanandam et al, 2013;Sutton et al, 2018). Are these worrying findings generalizable also (Aung et al, 2022;Kordas et al, 2011). Specifically, we asked how increased air temperature affects the lifespan of ( 1…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, when the adult wasps leave their fig fruit to carry pollen and eggs to a new fig tree, wasps are exposed to the ambient temperature. Earlier studies of four Old world fig wasp genera ( Ceratosolen , Eupristina , Pleistodontes , and Valisia ) found that pollinator fig wasps can be extremely sensitive to increased temperatures resulting in dramatic decreases in lifespan (Aung et al, 2022 ; Gigante et al, 2020 ; Jevanandam et al, 2013 ; Sutton et al, 2018 ). Are these worrying findings generalizable also to New World pollinator fig wasps?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because our samples also contained some parasitic fig wasp genera, we opportunistically included also them in the study. If parasitic fig wasps respond differently than pollinators to increasing temperatures, the wasp community structure may change (Aung et al, 2022 ; Kordas et al, 2011 ). Specifically, we asked how increased air temperature affects the lifespan of (1) pollinator fig wasps and (2) parasitic fig wasps.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During their larval development, fig wasps are sheltered within fig fruits that, at least in some species, are actively cooled by the tree (Patiño et al, 1994). However, when the adult wasps leave (Aung et al, 2022;Gigante et al, 2020;Jevanandam et al, 2013;Sutton et al, 2018). Are these worrying findings generalizable also (Aung et al, 2022;Kordas et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rising temperatures threaten pollinators of fig trees—Keystone resources of tropical forests

Kolfschoten

Dück

Lind

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Pollinating insects are decreasing worldwide in abundance, biomass, and species richness, affecting the plants that rely on pollinators for fruit production and seed set. Insects are often sensitive to high temperatures. The projected temperature increases may therefore severely affect plants that rely on insect pollinators. Highly specialized mutualisms are expected to be particularly vulnerable to change because they have fewer partner options should one partner become unavailable. In the highly specialized mutualism between fig trees and their pollinating fig wasp, each fig species is pollinated by only one or a few wasp species. Because of their year‐round fruit production, fig trees are considered a keystone resource for tropical forests. However, to produce fruits, wild fig trees need to be pollinated by fig wasps that typically travel a long one‐way trip from the tree donating pollen to the tree receiving pollen. In a few previous studies from China and Australia, increasing temperatures dramatically decreased fig wasp lifespan. Are these grim results generalizable to fig mutualisms globally? Here, we use survival experiments to determine the effect of increasing temperature on the lifespan of Neotropical fig wasps associated with five common Panamanian Ficus species. Experimental temperatures were based on the current daytime mean temperature of 26.8°C (2SD: 21.6–31.7°C) and the predicted local temperature increase of 1–4°C by the end of the 21st century. We found that all tested pollinator wasp species had a significantly shorter lifespan in 30, 32, 34, and 36°C compared to the current diurnal mean temperature of 26°C. At 36°C pollinator median lifespan decreased to merely 2–10 h (6%–19% of their median lifespan at 26°C). Unless wasps can adapt, such a dramatic reduction in lifespan is expected to reduce the number of pollinators that successfully disperse to flowering fig trees, and may therefore jeopardize both fruit set and eventually survival of the mutualism.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Rising temperatures threaten pollinators of fig trees—Keystone resources of tropical forests

Kolfschoten

Dück

Lind

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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“…[20,21]) and empirical studies (e.g. [22][23][24]) on coexistence and trophic interactions show that even relatively small changes in abiotic conditions can alter species interactions and thereby community organization. For instance, changes in competitive interactions can result in niche shifts for some species, thereby allowing for local population persistence even under adverse abiotic conditions [25,26].…”

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confidence: 99%

Pathways to global-change effects on biodiversity: new opportunities for dynamically forecasting demography and species interactions

et al. 2023

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In structured populations, persistence under environmental change may be particularly threatened when abiotic factors simultaneously negatively affect survival and reproduction of several life cycle stages, as opposed to a single stage. Such effects can then be exacerbated when species interactions generate reciprocal feedbacks between the demographic rates of the different species. Despite the importance of such demographic feedbacks, forecasts that account for them are limited as individual-based data on interacting species are perceived to be essential for such mechanistic forecasting—but are rarely available. Here, we first review the current shortcomings in assessing demographic feedbacks in population and community dynamics. We then present an overview of advances in statistical tools that provide an opportunity to leverage population-level data on abundances of multiple species to infer stage-specific demography. Lastly, we showcase a state-of-the-art Bayesian method to infer and project stage-specific survival and reproduction for several interacting species in a Mediterranean shrub community. This case study shows that climate change threatens populations most strongly by changing the interaction effects of conspecific and heterospecific neighbours on both juvenile and adult survival. Thus, the repurposing of multi-species abundance data for mechanistic forecasting can substantially improve our understanding of emerging threats on biodiversity.

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Comparative Phylogeography of Mexican Rock Fig (Ficus petiolaris) and its Fig Wasp Pollinator: Effects of Abiotic Versus Biotic Factors

Quinteros,

Piatscheck,

Satler

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Numerous studies have tested for geographically congruent spatial genetic structures and population units in codistributed species. Yet, few have elucidated the relative importance of biogeographic influences versus ecological interactions in determining the congruence of genetic structure in coevolving species. Here, we present the first study testing for genetic codifferentiation in a widely distributed and highly-coevolved mutualism, in which symbiont gene dispersal is expected to be positively correlated. In the fig, Ficus petiolaris, and its host-specific Pegoscapus pollinating wasp, we evaluated the extent to which geographical patterns of differentiation in each species are similar and explained by shared sources of vicariance, co-dispersal, or species-dependent factors. In both species, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt was a major source of vicariance differentiating southern and northern phylogroups. Within these phylogroups, however, fig and pollinator showed surprisingly different population genetic structure. In F. petiolaris, the Gulf of California was a strong phylogeographic break in the northern phylogroup. In contrast, within its northern phylogroup, Pegoscapus sp. showed no genetic structure and only weak isolation by distance over a 1500 km range. In the southern phylogroup, exceptional genetic differentiation was observed among populations separated by as little as 300 km. Despite mutual selective pressure between figs and fig wasps, and the role of fig wasps in fig gene flow, we conclude that range-wide patterns of genetic differentiation are primarily influenced by biological features unique to each species rather than by shared sources of vicariance or correlated gene dispersal.

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Changes in temperature alter competitive interactions and overall structure of fig wasp communities

Abstract: Khin Me Me Aung and Huan-Huan Chen contributed equally to the work.

Cited by 3 publications

References 85 publications

Rising temperatures threaten pollinators of fig trees—Keystone resources of tropical forests

Rising temperatures threaten pollinators of fig trees—Keystone resources of tropical forests

Pathways to global-change effects on biodiversity: new opportunities for dynamically forecasting demography and species interactions

Comparative Phylogeography of Mexican Rock Fig (Ficus petiolaris) and its Fig Wasp Pollinator: Effects of Abiotic Versus Biotic Factors

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