Fifty years later, figs and their associated communities

Borges, Renée M.; Compton, Stephen G.; Kjellberg, Finn

doi:10.1016/j.actao.2018.05.006

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Most of the genera retrieved here as potential keystones are in accordance with empirical studies supporting proposals of species in Melastomataceae ( Miconia ) (Carlo et al., 2003; Escribano‐Avila et al., 2018; Snow, 1981; Wheelwright et al., 1984), Moraceae ( Ficus ) (Borges, Compton, & Kjellberg, 2018; Janzen, 1979; Lambert & Marshall, 1991; Snow, 1981; Terborgh, 1986a; Terborgh, 1986b), Urticaceae ( Cecropia ) (Carlo et al., 2003; Diaz‐Martin et al., 2014; Snow, 1981; Stevenson et al., 2015), and Rubiaceae ( Psychotria ) (Snow, 1981; Wheelwright et al., 1984) as keystone plants for Neotropical birds. On the other hand, the role of Byrsonima (Malpighiaceae) and Clusia (Clusiaceae) as keystone plants have been mostly overlooked in the literature (but see Carlo et al., 2003).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Searching for keystone plant resources in fruit‐frugivore interaction networks across the Neotropics

et al. 2020

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Identifying keystone plant resources (KPR) is a contentious issue in ecology and conservation. Despite recent advances provided by mutualistic networks, we still lack studies addressing large-scale identification of keystone plants. We developed a novel quantitative framework for the large-scale identification of KPR that combines centrality and effects of simulated removals on networks properties. We built a database with 38 fruit-frugivore networks comprising 6,180 pairwise interactions from Neotropical forest and non-forest ecosystems ranging from sea level to 2,500 m a.s.l.. Effects of random removal simulations and removal of keystone taxa candidates on nestedness, modularity and niche overlap were assessed. Furthermore, we tested whether changes in network descriptors responded to both latitudinal and elevational gradients. From a total of 373 genera on networks, only species in six genera were ranked as keystone candidates. The simulated removal of species in Miconia (Melastomataceae), Cecropia (Urticaceae) and Byrsonima (Malpighiaceae) led to significant changes in nestedness, modularity and niche overlap, suggesting that these plants play important roles in maintaining the structure of Neotropical fruit-frugivore interaction networks, regardless of latitude or elevation. Our results confirm the keystone role of previously recognized taxa, recognize overlooked ones, providing support for their role at a biogeographical scale, and partially challenge taxa traditionally identified as keystone resources for frugivores. Our study has implications for conservation and restoration of Neotropical ecosystems and provides a new framework for large-scale identification of keystones in other types of ecological networks.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Searching for keystone plant resources in fruit‐frugivore interaction networks across the Neotropics

et al. 2020

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“…Female actively pollinating wasps collects pollen into specialised pockets before leaving their natal figs, and later remove pollen from the pockets and deposit it on the stigmas in another fig containing receptive pistillate flowers(Galil and Eisikowitch 1969;Ramírez 1969). These observations marked the modern evolutionary studies of fig trees (Ficus spp) and their associated animals, making it a model system to investigate the evolution of mutualisms(Borges et al 2018). The fig trees belong to Moraceae family, which includes ca.…”

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Mutualism as a Source of Evolutionary Innovation: Insights from Insect-Plant Interactions

Pereira

Kjellberg

2021

Plant-Animal Interactions

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Mutualism is ubiquitous in nature and probably all species in the world are involved in some form of such ecological interaction. The evolution of mutualisms is often envisioned in a framework where individual selection leads to reciprocal exploitation that results in net benefits to all the interacting parties, i.e. in a framework in which individual selection intrinsically destabilises the mutualistic association. However, mutualisms are stable, and rarely turn into parasitism. At a macroevolutionary scale, mutualisms have been a source of major evolutionary innovations and have benefited all the species involved. Indeed, complementary traits of the partners enable them to colonise new ecological niches. In this chapter we discuss mutualism as a source of evolutionary innovation, using some insect-plant associations as examples. Firstly, we dedicate a topic to theoretical aspects and hypotheses on evolutionary forces stabilizing mutualisms (and their pitfalls). We present some examples of mutualisms that allowed insects and/or plants to expand their ecological niches. Finally, we focus on fig tree -animal interactions that, putatively, allowed this plant lineage to diversify in subtropical and tropical ecosystems and to form a group of keystone species for the functioning of many forest ecosystems. Learning objectives: After completing this chapter, you should understand the following:  To understand the evolution of mutualisms we need to look at natural selection operating at different levels  The general architecture of mutualistic associations  Mutualisms are ecologically and evolutionarily stable  Mutualistic associations may boost species diversification by creating new ecological opportunities (innovations) for the interacting species

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Fifty years later, figs and their associated communities

Cited by 2 publications

References 36 publications

Searching for keystone plant resources in fruit‐frugivore interaction networks across the Neotropics

Searching for keystone plant resources in fruit‐frugivore interaction networks across the Neotropics

Mutualism as a Source of Evolutionary Innovation: Insights from Insect-Plant Interactions

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