How do people select plants for use? Matching the Ecological Apparency Hypothesis with Optimal Foraging Theory

Soldati, Gustavo Taboada; Medeiros, Patrícia Muniz de; Duque-Brasil, Reinaldo; Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino

doi:10.1007/s10668-016-9844-1

Cited by 35 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Although the different gradients can result in this complex functional response of plant species at species level, at community level wood extraction is the main factor influencing species assemblage. Humans extract wood for fuel and construction generally focusing on the most abundant and frequent woody plant species near by their residences (Soldati et al 2017), regardless of their functional group (Specht et al 2015). Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that wood removal reduces tree and shrub density, clearing the vegetation and exposing the soil, with a consequent increase in light incidence and water loss in these portions of vegetation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic human disturbance affects plant trait distribution in a seasonally dry tropical forest

Sfair

Bello

França

et al. 2018

Environ. Res. Lett.

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The effects of human disturbance on biodiversity can be mediated by environmental conditions, such as water availability, climate and nutrients. In general, disturbed, dry or nutrient-depleted soils areas tend to have lower taxonomic diversity. However, little is known about how these environmental conditions affect functional composition and intraspecific variability in tropical dry forests. We studied a seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) under chronic anthropogenic disturbance (CAD) along rainfall and soil nutrient gradients to understand how these factors influence the taxonomic and functional composition. Specifically we evaluated two aspects of CAD, wood extraction and livestock pressure (goat and cattle grazing), along soil fertility and rainfall gradients on shrub and tree traits, considering species turnover and intraspecific variability. In addition, we also tested how the traits of eight populations of the most frequent species are affected by wood extraction, livestock pressure, rainfall and soil fertility. In general, although CAD and environmental gradients affected each trait of the most widespread species differently, the most abundant species also had a greater variation of traits. Considering species turnover, wood extraction is associated with species with a smaller leaf area and lower investment in leaf mass, probably due to the indirect effects of this disturbance type on the vegetation, i.e. the removal of branches and woody debris clears the vegetation, favouring species that minimize water loss. Livestock pressure, on the other hand, affected intraspecific variation: the herbivory caused by goats and cattle promoted individuals which invest more in wood density and leaf mass. In this case, the change of functional composition observed is a direct effect of the disturbance, such as the decrease of palatable plant abundance by goat and cattle herbivory. In synthesis, CAD, rainfall and soil fertility can affect trait distribution at community and species levels, which can have significant implications for the ecosystem functioning of SDTF under increasing levels of disturbance, climate change and soil nutrient depletion.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic human disturbance affects plant trait distribution in a seasonally dry tropical forest

Sfair

Bello

França

et al. 2018

Environ. Res. Lett.

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“…Similar to nonhuman foragers, humans can behave as specialists or generalists (de Albuquerque, Soldati, & Ramos, ). Plant apparency might play a more important role for generalists than for specialists, while the latter are more or less associated with special plant chemicals (Gonçalves et al., ; Soldati et al., ). Regarding human utilization, the phylogenetic structure differed distinctly from random for wide uses (food, medicines, environmental uses, food additives, materials, and weeds; D < 0.886, p random < 0.1), but this was not the case for indirect plant selection by other organisms (forage, vertebrate poisons, invertebrate food, endangered plants, nonvertebrate poisons, hosts of harmful organisms, and bee plants) or for uncommon uses (biomass energy as fuel, gene sources and social uses; D > 0.886, p random > 0.1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Plant apparency, or plant commonness, is an important indicator of the utilization of plant resources (Feeny, ; Guèze et al., ). The plant apparency hypothesis implies that more apparent plants suffer more herbivory and, thus, invest more in quantitative chemical defenses (Feeny, ; Smilanich, Fincher, & Dyer, ; Soldati, de Medeiros, Duque‐Brasil, Coelho, & Albuquerque, ; Strauss, Cacho, Schwartz, Schwartz, & Burns, ). Such chemical weapons may reduce the number of specific enemies but not completely eliminate enemy attack.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The concept of apparency has also been extended to ethnobiology, where humans are treated as foragers or consumers, similar to nonhuman herbivores (Lozano, Araújo, Medeiros, & Albuquerque, ; de Lucena, de Lima Araújo, & de Albuquerque, ). As a variant of the plant apparency hypothesis, the ecological apparency hypothesis implies that humans tend to collect and use apparent plants, similar to insects and other organisms (Phillips & Gentry, ; Ribeiro et al., ; Soldati et al., ). Apparent plants are more likely to be found by parasites, natural enemies, pollinators and humans (Feeny, ; Phillips & Gentry, ; Schlinkert et al., ), while rare plants are difficult to find or become profitless and therefore escape enemies (i.e., the rare species advantage hypothesis) (Bachelot & Kobe, ; Chew & Courtney, ; Parker et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global pattern of plant utilization across different organisms: Does plant apparency or plant phylogeny matter?

Dai

Zhang

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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The present study is the first to consider human and nonhuman consumers together to reveal several general patterns of plant utilization. We provide evidence that at a global scale, plant apparency and phylogenetic isolation can be important predictors of plant utilization and consumer diversity. Using the number of species or genera or the distribution area of each plant family as the island “area” and the minimum phylogenetic distance to common plant families as the island “distance”, we fitted presence–area relationships and presence–distance relationships with a binomial GLM (generalized linear model) with a logit link. The presence–absence of consumers among each plant family strongly depended on plant apparency (family size and distribution area); the diversity of consumers increased with plant apparency but decreased with phylogenetic isolation. When consumers extended their host breadth, unapparent plants became more likely to be used. Common uses occurred more often on common plants and their relatives, showing higher host phylogenetic clustering than uncommon uses. On the contrary, highly specialized uses might be related to the rarity of plant chemicals and were therefore very species‐specific. In summary, our results provide a global illustration of plant–consumer combinations and reveal several general patterns of plant utilization across humans, insects and microbes. First, plant apparency and plant phylogenetic isolation generally govern plant utilization value, with uncommon and isolated plants suffering fewer parasites. Second, extension of the breadth of utilized hosts helps explain the presence of consumers on unapparent plants. Finally, the phylogenetic clustering structure of host plants is different between common uses and uncommon uses. The strength of such consistent plant utilization patterns across a diverse set of usage types suggests that the persistence and accumulation of consumer diversity and use value for plant species are determined by similar ecological and evolutionary processes.

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“…Although many quantitative traits, such as density, cover, or biomass, can be used to measure community dominance, the use of combinations of multiple variables may be more appropriate (Guo & Rundel, 1997). As the importance value encompasses cover, frequency, abundance, and, occasionally, diversity (Curtis & McIntosh, 1951; Gonmadje et al., 2011; Mori, Boom, de Carvalino, & dos Santos, 1983), it is expected to be a good indicator of dominance or apparency (Brandt, Zimmermann, Hensen, Mariscal Castro, & Rist, 2012; Dahdouh‐Guebas, Koedam, Satyanarayana, & Cannicci, 2011; Dahdouh‐Guebas, Verheyden, De Genst, Hettiarachchi, & Koedam, 2000; Dai, Zhang, Xu, Duffy, & Guo, 2017; Gonçalves, Albuquerque, & de Medeiros, 2016; Guèze et al., 2014; Guo, Li, Liu, & Zhou, 2012; Hu, Su, Li, Li, & Ke, 2015; Smith & Smith, 2001; Soldati, de Medeiros, Duque‐Brasil, Coelho, & Albuquerque, 2017; Thomas, Vandebroek, & Van Damme, 2009). Importance values can be applied to detect dominant species in different communities, especially along ecological gradients (Greig‐Smith, 1983; Henkel, Chambers, & Baker, 2016; Kent, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are dominant plant species more susceptible to leaf‐mining insects? A case study at Saihanwula Nature Reserve, China

Dai

Long

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Dominant species significantly affect interspecific relationships, community structure, and ecosystem function. In the field, dominant species are often identified by their high importance values. Selective foraging on dominant species is a common phenomenon in ecology. Our hypothesis is that dominant plant groups with high importance values are more susceptible to leaf‐mining insects at the regional level. Here, we used the Saihanwula National Nature Reserve as a case study to examine the presence–absence patterns of leaf‐mining insects on different plants in a forest‐grassland ecotone in Northeast China. We identified the following patterns: (1) After phylogenetic correction, plants with high importance values are more likely to host leafminers at the species, genus, or family level. (2) Other factors including phylogenetic isolation, life form, water ecotype, and phytogeographical type of plants have different influences on the relationship between plant dominance and leafminer presence. In summary, the importance value is a valid predictor of the presence of consumers, even when we consider the effects of plant phylogeny and other plant attributes. Dominant plant groups are large and susceptible targets of leaf‐mining insects. The consistent leaf‐mining distribution pattern across different countries, vegetation types, and plant taxa can be explained by the “species‐area relationship” or the “plant apparency hypothesis.”

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How do people select plants for use? Matching the Ecological Apparency Hypothesis with Optimal Foraging Theory

Cited by 35 publications

References 40 publications

Chronic human disturbance affects plant trait distribution in a seasonally dry tropical forest

Chronic human disturbance affects plant trait distribution in a seasonally dry tropical forest

Global pattern of plant utilization across different organisms: Does plant apparency or plant phylogeny matter?

Are dominant plant species more susceptible to leaf‐mining insects? A case study at Saihanwula Nature Reserve, China

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