Fruit secondary metabolites shape seed dispersal effectiveness

Nelson, Annika S.; Whitehead, Susan R.

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.005

Cited by 17 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…Therefore, larger fruits would benefit not only birds by providing a higher reward, but also plants by increasing the number of seeds produced and dispersed. We note that we quantified selection on only three phenotypic traits, yet it is known that birds impose selection on others, including color, nutrient content, and secondary metabolites (Ordano et al, 2017; Nelson and Whitehead, 2021; Palacio et al, 2021). Altogether, our results suggest that the number of fruits removed, and total fitness could be more tightly coupled than previously thought, at least in certain populations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the adequacy of fruit removal as a proxy for fitness in studies of bird‐mediated phenotypic selection

Palacio

Cataudela

Montalti

et al. 2023

American J of Botany

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In fleshy-fruited plants, fruit removal is widely used as a proxy for plant reproductive success. Nevertheless, this proxy may not accurately reflect the number of seeds dispersed, an assumed better proxy for total fitness (fruit removal × mean number of seeds dispersed per fruit). Methods: We examined under what circumstances fruit removal can be reliable as a proxy for total fitness when assessing bird-mediated selection on fruit traits. In three populations of the Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea), we used the number of fruits pecked per plant as a surrogate for fruit removal to estimate phenotypic selection on fruit and seed traits, and simulations of the effect of the fruit-seed number trade-off on the number of fruits removed. Results: Fruit removal was a good indicator of fitness, accounting for 55 to 68% of the variability in total fitness, measured as total number of seeds removed. Moreover, multivariate selection analyses on fruit crop size, mean fruit diameter and mean seed number using fruit removal as a fitness proxy yielded similar selection regimes to those using total fitness. Simulations showed that producing more fruits, a lower number of seeds per fruit, and a higher variability in seed number can result in a negative relationship between fruit removal and total fitness. Conclusions: Our results suggest that fruit removal can be reliably used as a proxy for total fitness when (1) there is a weak fruit number-seed number trade-off, (2) fruit crop size and fruit removal correlate positively, and (3) seed number variability does not largely exceed fruit number variability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the adequacy of fruit removal as a proxy for fitness in studies of bird‐mediated phenotypic selection

Palacio

Cataudela

Montalti

et al. 2023

American J of Botany

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“…Nelson found that amide presence did not impact the distance seeds were moved by ants, but did impact whether they were moved at all, with amides reducing the probability that an ant would pick up and move a seed, as well as where seeds were eventually deposited (e.g., within versus outside the ant nest). Plant secondary metabolites are widespread, with diverse impacts on both individual plants as well as on interspecific interactions (Nelson and Whitehead 2021). Thus, the presence of chemicals not directly related to a dispersal mutualism that can nonetheless mediate the outcome of that mutualism is an interesting avenue for future research, especially regarding movement and mutualisms.…”

Section: Article E2063mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Different mutualistic partners of the same system may also vary in how reliant they are on different types of signals. For example, whereas some seed dispersers (e.g., diurnal birds and some mammals) rely primarily on visual cues to locate fruits, others (e.g., ant and mammals) rely more on odors and flavors to locate and decide to consume fruits (Nelson and Whitehead 2021).…”

Section: Talkmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Movement Ecology of Mutualism (CSEE/ESA 2022, OOS17)

Moore

Shaw

Bruninga‐Socolar

et al. 2023

Bulletin Ecologic Soc America

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The study of whole organism movement has developed modern frameworks for understanding individual and population movement across space. Recent thought has begun to push the boundaries of understanding movement beyond individuals and populations to sets of interacting species. Interspecific interactions can influence individual movement either before or after the interaction, and movement can occur individually or jointly. Mutualism is an interspecific interaction where whole organism movement plays a central, but overlooked role (Shaw et al. 2021). Although ecologists typically recognize the importance of movement in the subset of mutualisms where one partner ANNUAL MEETING

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“…Whereas large concentrations of secondary metabolites are expected to make plants better able to withstand biotic and abiotic stressors, for plant growth and reproduction, their synthesis is known to be costly [PIASECKA et al 2015]. Numerous investigations revealed that hundreds of plant chemicals have chemical and ecological defense functions, spawning a new field of study called ecological biochemistry [KUHLISCH, POHNERT 2015;NELSON, WHITEHEAD 2021;SHEAR 2015;STANLEY et al 2016]. PSMs provide a variety of functions, including disease, insect, and herbivore defense, stress response, and modulating organismal relationships [BARAK 2022].…”

Section: Classificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Journal of Water and Land Development

Jusuf,

Elveny,

Azizova

et al. 2022

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Plant secondary metabolites have a variety of functions, including mediating relationships between organisms, responding to environmental challenges, and protecting plants against infections, pests, and herbivores. In a similar way, through controlling plant metabolism, plant microbiomes take part in many of the aforementioned processes indirectly or directly. Researchers have discovered that plants may affect their microbiome by secreting a variety of metabolites, and that the microbiome could likewise affect the metabolome of the host plant. Pesticides are agrochemicals that are employed to safeguard humans and plants from numerous illnesses in urban green zones, public health initiatives, and agricultural fields. The careless use of chemical pesticides is destroying our ecology. As a result, it is necessary to investigate environmentally benign alternatives to pathogen management, such as plant-based metabolites. According to literature, plant metabolites have been shown to have the ability to battle plant pathogens. Phenolics, flavonoids, and alkaloids are a few of the secondary metabolites of plants that have been covered in this study.

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Fruit secondary metabolites shape seed dispersal effectiveness

Cited by 17 publications

References 96 publications

On the adequacy of fruit removal as a proxy for fitness in studies of bird‐mediated phenotypic selection

On the adequacy of fruit removal as a proxy for fitness in studies of bird‐mediated phenotypic selection

The Movement Ecology of Mutualism (CSEE/ESA 2022, OOS17)

Journal of Water and Land Development

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