Mistletoes Facilitate a Desert Herbivore by Improving the Quality of Shade

Chu, Nicholas; Cornwell, Will; Letnic, Mike

doi:10.1007/s10021-020-00590-9

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Consequently, mistletoes provide predictable and reliable resources during droughts when ecosystem productivity such as eucalypt flowering is otherwise low [ 16 ]. Lush, dense foliage of healthy mistletoes are a key browsing resource for arboreal mammals and create microclimates that moderate temperature extremes [ 10 , 18 ], making mistletoe favourable nesting and roosting sites for many bird species [ 9 ]. With predicted increases in the frequencies of prolonged droughts and severe heatwaves under climate change [ 19 , 20 ], more species may depend on live mistletoe to survive such events in coming decades.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mistletoes could moderate drought impacts on birds, but are themselves susceptible to drought-induced dieback

et al. 2022

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Mistletoes are hemiparasitic plants and keystone species in many ecosystems globally. Given predicted increases in drought frequency and intensity, mistletoes may be crucial for moderating drought impacts on community structure. Dependent on host vascular flows, mistletoes can succumb to stress when water availability falls, making them susceptible to mortality during drought. We counted mistletoe across greater than 350 000 km 2 of southeastern Australia and conducted standardized bird surveys between 2016 and 2021, spanning a major drought event in 2018–2019. We aimed to identify predictors of mistletoe abundance and mortality and determine whether mistletoes might moderate drought impacts on woodland birds. Live mistletoe abundance varied with tree species composition, land use and presence of mistletoebirds. Mistletoe mortality was widespread, consistent with high 2018/2019 summer temperatures, low 2019/2020 summer rainfall and the interaction between summer temperatures and rainfall in 2019/2020. The positive association between surviving mistletoes and woodland birds was greatest in the peak drought breeding seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, particularly for small residents and insectivores. Paradoxically, mistletoes could moderate drought impacts on birds, but are themselves vulnerable to drought-induced mortality. An improved understanding of the drivers and dynamics of mistletoe mortality is needed to address potential cascading trophic impacts associated with mistletoe die-off.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mistletoes could moderate drought impacts on birds, but are themselves susceptible to drought-induced dieback

et al. 2022

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“…Second, plant parasites are another key component of the community's facilitation/competition web (Watson, 2001; Watson, 2009). Parasites can have indirect facilitative effects by increasing the quantity and quality of soil litter and nutrients (Ndagurwa et al, 2014; Ndagurwa et al, 2016; Al‐Rowaily et al, 2020), modifying solar irradiance (Mellado & Zamora, 2017; Chu et al, 2021) and soil temperatures and humidity (Maponga et al, 2021) under their host's canopy. Other indirect facilitative effects include reducing the dominance of their preferred host, which can benefit other species (Callaway & Pennings, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Parasites can have indirect facilitative effects by increasing the quantity and quality of soil litter and nutrients (Ndagurwa et al, 2014;Ndagurwa et al, 2016;Al-Rowaily et al, 2020), modifying solar irradiance (Mellado & Zamora, 2017;Chu et al, 2021) and soil temperatures and humidity (Maponga et al, 2021) under their host's canopy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest canopy and mistletoe infestation alter the facilitative effects of Juniperus oxycedrus s.l. on woody seedlings on Mount Lebanon (Lebanon)

Douaihy

Maamary

Yammine

et al. 2022

J Vegetation Science

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Questions:In this study we investigated the direct effect of the shrub Juniperus oxycedrus s.l. on Mediterranean woody species regeneration, and how this interaction can be modified by the juniper habit, the forest canopy and/or infestation of the juniper by the plant parasite Arceuthobium oxycedri. We also aimed at identifying species response groups in relation to their ecological requirements and successional strategies.Location: North of Mount Lebanon, in Horsch Ehden natural reserve, a humid montane Mediterranean forest. Methods:We compared the regeneration of all occurring woody species below and outside 111 Juniperus oxycedrus canopies using the random pair sampling method. We calculated eight relative interaction intensity indexes (RII Juniper ) corresponding to the eight treatment combinations of the three factors: forest canopy (forest/gap), mistletoe infestation (with/without) and juniper habit (spreading/erect). We analyzed the RII values at three different levels: community (all species grouped), species group and species.Results: Overall, the regeneration of the woody community was facilitated by Juniperus oxycedrus. However, the forest cover significantly reduced the facilitative effect of Juniperus oxycedrus when the latter was not infested by Arceuthobium oxycedri. We identified three species response groups (A: highly facilitated; B: slightly facilitated to neutral; and C: neutral) determined by their response to both Juniperus oxycedrus canopy and forest cover. The most facilitated species were shade-tolerant/ drought-intolerant late-successional species. Conclusions:The results suggest the importance of shade tolerance in the complex mechanism of forest regeneration that is also affected by a parasite plant (Arceuthobium oxycedri), which boosts regeneration dynamics under forest cover by reducing shrub canopy cover.

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The associational effects of host plant and mistletoe functional traits on leaf herbivory in mistletoe

Su,

Chen,

Zhang

2024

Oecologia

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Mistletoes Facilitate a Desert Herbivore by Improving the Quality of Shade

Cited by 8 publications

References 48 publications

Mistletoes could moderate drought impacts on birds, but are themselves susceptible to drought-induced dieback

Mistletoes could moderate drought impacts on birds, but are themselves susceptible to drought-induced dieback

Forest canopy and mistletoe infestation alter the facilitative effects of Juniperus oxycedrus s.l. on woody seedlings on Mount Lebanon (Lebanon)

The associational effects of host plant and mistletoe functional traits on leaf herbivory in mistletoe

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