Mistletoe seed dispersal by a marsupial

Amico, Guillermo C.; Aizen, Marcelo A.

doi:10.1038/35050170

Cited by 141 publications

(127 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Diurnal recordings indicate that T. aphyllus is almost exclusively dispersed by the mimid Mimus thenca (Mimidae, Molina 1782) in central Chile (Martínez del Río et al 1996, Medel 2000. This observation differs from an equivalent mistletoe-disperser system present in the temperate forests of southern South America (Argentina and Chile), which is composed by the hemiparasitic mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus and the relict marsupial Dromiciops gliroides (Amico & Aizen 2000, Fontúrbel et al 2012. As D. gliroides is not present at lower latitudes but replaced by the marsupial Thylamys elegans (Didelphidae, Waterhouse 1839), it is likely that this nocturnal species is involved in the seed dispersal process of the leafless mistletoe in central Chile.…”

Section: New Insights On the Mistletoementioning

confidence: 59%

New insights on the mistletoe Tristerix aphyllus (Loranthaceae): interaction with diurnal and nocturnal frugivorous species

et al. 2014

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RESUMENSe estudiaron los visitantes de las infrutescencias de Tristerix aphyllus, un muérdago parásito de cactáceas. La mayoría de los visitantes fueron aves diurnas (cinco especies), especialmente el dispersor legítimo Mimus thenca. También se registraron dos especies de pequeños mamíferos nocturnos, llamando la atención el marsupial Thylamys elegans, cuyo rol como dispersor es aún desconocido.

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Section: New Insights On the Mistletoementioning

confidence: 59%

New insights on the mistletoe Tristerix aphyllus (Loranthaceae): interaction with diurnal and nocturnal frugivorous species

et al. 2014

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“…Mistletoe seedlings can only establish on thin, sun-exposed branches with only specific bird species, such as Dicaeum hirundinaceum (mistletoebirds), considered able to disperse seeds to these sites. That generalist birds, marsupials 17 , explosive seed release 18 and the wind 19 also effectively disperse mistletoe seeds weakens this argument. Myrmecochory (ant-dispersal) has been suggested as a mechanism for directed dispersal to ant nests (localised sites of high nutrients in nutrient-poor shrublands), but some evidence suggests otherwise.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Dispersal of semi-fleshy fruits to rock crevices by a rock-restricted rodent

White¹,

Midgley²

2017

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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ARTICLE INCLUDES: Supplementary material × Data set FUNDING:National Research Foundation (South Africa) Seed dispersal allows successive generations of plants to be mobile in space and time. Heeria argentea's unusual fruit and its ubiquity in extremely rocky habitats, suggests that this tree requires a specialist disperser. We therefore investigated the dispersal ecology of H. argentea and Hartogiella schinoides. We found M. namaquensis rapidly removed H. argentea and H. schinoides fruits, moving them short distances within and between rock outcrops, and consumed only the pericarps. Birds were observed consuming H. schinoides, but not H. argentea fruits, suggesting M. namaquensis is its sole, specialist disperser. Most H. argentea seeds (65%) with removed pericarps germinated successfully, while intact fruits did not. We show rock outcrops represent fire refugia, allowing H. argentea trees to grow to large sizes, with small stems and a co-occurring, wind-dispersed tree, Widdringtonia nodiflora found away from these sites. This rodent-tree mutualism is perhaps the clearest global example of directed dispersal and shows that these endemic trees are highly adapted for survival in the southwestern Cape habitat and are not tropical relicts. Significance:• The fruits of rock-restricted Cape trees are directly dispersed by rock rats to rock outcrops. This is the first description of rodent dispersal of fleshy fruits in South Africa.• This species-specific interaction allows for rapid germination of seeds and protection from frequent fires for adults. This rodent-tree mutualism is perhaps the clearest global example of directed seed dispersal.

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“…The mistletoe, hemi-parasitic evergreen shrub, shows great variance with respect to host, 452 different host species in 96 genera of 44 families (Barney et al 1998), and habitat diversity (Zuber 2004;Umucalilar 2007). It is propagated exclusively by seed, which is carried distantly with the aid of birds (Amico & Aizen 2000;de Buen & Ornelas 2001;Soto-Gamboa & Bozinovic 2002).…”

Section: Plant Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional relationships between hemi-parasitic mistletoe and some of its deciduous hosts in different habitats

2010

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Parasitism of plants by other plants provides an exceptional opportunity for investigating correlative nutritional relationships. Because of lacking a usual plant-root sytem capable of active uptake, the best correlation for predicting the concentrations of elements in parasitic plants is often those in the host plants. This study, therefore, mainly focuses on determination of i) mineral nutrient partitioning between hemi-parasitic white berry mistletoe (Viscum album L. subsp. album) and four of its deciduous hosts growing in different habitats namely wetland and semi-arid and ii) effects of these habitat types on nutrient absorption. During the research, leaf samples of both hemi-parasites and their host plants were chemically analysed, mistletoes on each host plants were counted and the results were considered statistically. Concentrations of some elements (N, P, K, Na, S, Cu, Zn) were higher in mistletoe whereas some others (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and B) were higher in the hosts (p < 0.05). Habitat type was also determined to be effective in host-parasite systems. Revealing information about nutritional interactions between multi-host hemi-parasites and their host plants is a useful tool to understand their functions in ecosystems, population-community dynamics and their co-evolution process.

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Mistletoe seed dispersal by a marsupial

Cited by 141 publications

References 6 publications

New insights on the mistletoe Tristerix aphyllus (Loranthaceae): interaction with diurnal and nocturnal frugivorous species

New insights on the mistletoe Tristerix aphyllus (Loranthaceae): interaction with diurnal and nocturnal frugivorous species

Dispersal of semi-fleshy fruits to rock crevices by a rock-restricted rodent

Nutritional relationships between hemi-parasitic mistletoe and some of its deciduous hosts in different habitats

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