How shrub encroachment under climate change could threaten pollination services for alpine wildflowers: A case study using the alpine skypilot, <i>Polemonium viscosum</i>

Kettenbach, Jessica A.; Miller‐Struttmann, Nicole E.; Moffett, Zoë; Galen, Candace

doi:10.1002/ece3.3272

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…shrub species in Australian woodlands were important drivers of arthropod community composition, but did not affect their abundance (Kwok & Eldridge, 2016). However, general consensus is that woody plant encroachment will have adverse effects on the ecological and ecosystem services (Eldridge et al, 2011) provided by arthropods, for example pollination (Kettenbach, Miller-Struttmann, Moffett, & Galen, 2017;Lara-Romero, Garcia, Morente-Lopez, & Iriondo, 2016), and dung decomposition (Blaum et al, 2009). Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), are among the most abundant terrestrial arthropods (Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990), and perform a myriad of ecological functions (Wills & Landis, 2018) and ecosystem services (Del Toro, Ribbons, & Pelini, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Pugnacious ant (Anoplolepis custodiens) confounds ant assemblage responses to bush encroachment

Munyai¹,

Foord²,

Slotow³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Habitat structure is a key determinant of variation in biodiversity. The effects of increased vertical and horizontal vegetation structure can result in marked shifts in animal communities. This is particularly true for ants in response to woody thickening, with predicted negative impacts on ant diversity. We used pitfall traps to study the response of epigeic ants in two co-occurring dominant habitats (closed and open) of an African savanna biome experiencing extensive woody thickening. Although species richness was higher in open habitats, evenness was significantly lower. Thickening explained significant amounts of variation in ant composition, but site-specific characteristics and seasonality were more important. These site-specific characteristics were largely linked to Anoplolepis custodiens, a species that were locally abundant in open habitats with clayey soils, where they often accounted for more than 90% of all ant activity. As A. custodiens also responds positively to disturbance, indiscriminate bush clearing could lead to knock on effects associated with the numerical and behavioural dominance of this species.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Pugnacious ant (Anoplolepis custodiens) confounds ant assemblage responses to bush encroachment

Munyai¹,

Foord²,

Slotow³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…In mountain ecosystems, climate warming is expected to cause differential phenological and altitudinal shifts in plants and anthophilous species, leading to modifications of biotic interactions and potential mismatches between flowering and flower-visiting arthropods [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Knowledge of the actors involved is essential to assess the precise impact of climate change on flowering plant–arthropod interactions and to predict its effects on mountain ecosystems, as well as to hypothesize habitat management strategies or develop effective conservation plans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manual Sampling and Video Observations: An Integrated Approach to Studying Flower-Visiting Arthropods in High-Mountain Environments

Bonelli

Melotto

Minici

et al. 2020

Insects

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Despite the rising interest in biotic interactions in mountain ecosystems, little is known about high-altitude flower-visiting arthropods. In particular, since the research in these environment can be limited or undermined by harsh conditions and logistical difficulties, it is mandatory to develop effective approaches that maximize possibilities to gather high-quality data. Here we compared two different methods, manual sampling and video observations, to investigate the interactions between the high-mountain arthropod community and flowers of Androsace brevis (Primulaceae), a vulnerable endemic alpine species with a short flowering period occurring in early season. We manually sampled flower-visiting arthropods according to the timed-observations method and recorded their activity on video. We assessed differences and effectiveness of the two approaches to estimate flower-visiting arthropod diversity and to identify potential taxa involved in A. brevis pollination. Both methods proved to be effective and comparable in describing the diversity of flower visitors at a high taxonomic level. However, with manual sampling we were able to obtain a fine taxonomic resolution for sampled arthropods and to evaluate which taxa actually carry A. brevis pollen, while video observations were less invasive and allowed us to assess arthropod behavior and to spot rare taxa. By combining the data obtained with these two approaches we could accurately identify flower-visiting arthropods, characterize their behavior, and hypothesize a role of Hymenoptera Apoidea and Diptera Brachycera in A. brevis pollination. Therefore, we propose integrating the two approaches as a powerful instrument to unravel interactions between flowering plants and associated fauna that can provide crucial information for the conservation of vulnerable environments such as high-mountain ecosystems.

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Drought exacerbates negative consequences of high‐intensity cattle grazing in a semiarid grassland

Souther

Loeser

Crews

et al. 2020

Ecological Applications

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Grasslands managed for grazing are the largest land‐use category globally, with a significant proportion of these grasslands occurring in semiarid and arid regions. In such dryland systems, the effect of grazing on native plant diversity has been equivocal, some studies suggesting that grazing reduces native plant diversity, others that grazing increases or has little impact on diversity. One impediment toward generalizing grazing effects on diversity in this region is that high levels of interannual variation in precipitation may obfuscate vegetative response patterns. By analyzing a long‐term data set collected over a 20‐yr period in a semiarid grassland, we explicitly evaluated the role of climate in regulating the effect of cattle grazing on plant communities, finding that climate interacted with grazing intensity to shape grassland communities. Community composition of plots that were intensively grazed varied considerably in response to climatic variation and native species richness was low relative to ungrazed and moderately grazed plots. Following a severe drought in 2002, exotic species richness rapidly increased in the high‐intensity grazing plots. While this pattern was mirrored in the other treatments, exotic species richness increased to a greater extent and was slower to return to pre‐drought levels in the high‐intensity grazing plots. Overall, moderate grazing, even compared to grazing cessation, stabilized grassland communities through time, increased resilience to drought, and maintained the highest levels of native plant diversity and lowest levels of exotic diversity. These findings suggest that grazing, at moderate levels, may support grassland resilience to climate change in semiarid regions. However, grazing that exceeds tolerances, particularly in combination with extreme climatic events, like drought, can alter plant composition over relatively long timescales and possibly increase invasibility by nonnative species.

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How shrub encroachment under climate change could threaten pollination services for alpine wildflowers: A case study using the alpine skypilot, Polemonium viscosum

Cited by 10 publications

References 49 publications

A Pugnacious ant (Anoplolepis custodiens) confounds ant assemblage responses to bush encroachment

A Pugnacious ant (Anoplolepis custodiens) confounds ant assemblage responses to bush encroachment

Manual Sampling and Video Observations: An Integrated Approach to Studying Flower-Visiting Arthropods in High-Mountain Environments

Drought exacerbates negative consequences of high‐intensity cattle grazing in a semiarid grassland

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