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

Lucero, Francisco; Botto‐Mahan, Carezza; Medel, Rodrigo; Fontúrbel, Francisco E.

doi:10.4067/s0717-66432014000200010

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…, , Lucero et al. ). We used Bushnell Trophy Cam 2011 cameras set in video mode to capture short videos (15 s) in order to determine whether there was contact between the hummingbird and the flower's reproductive structure, and whether there was fruit consumption by the marsupial.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To determine visitation rates of the pollinator (S. sephaniodes) and the seed disperser (D. gliroides), we used camera-traps as this approach has proven to be effective for this purpose (Font urbel et al 2014, Lucero et al 2014. We used Bushnell Trophy Cam 2011 cameras set in video mode to capture short videos (15 s) in order to determine whether there was contact between the hummingbird and the flower's reproductive structure, and whether there was fruit consumption by the marsupial.…”

Section: Climate and Interaction Data Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The cascade impacts of climate change could threaten key ecological interactions

et al. 2018

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Climate change is triggering ecological responses all over the world as a result of frequent, prolonged droughts. It could also affect ecological interactions, particularly pollination and seed dispersal, which play a key role in plant reproduction. We used a tripartite interaction with a mistletoe, its pollinator and its disperser animals to gain insight into this issue. We studied flower and fruit production, and visitation rates during average (2012) and dry (2015) austral summers. Drought in our study area affected precipitation and soil water availability. Although pollinator visits did not significantly differ in these summers, during the dry summer flower and fruit production experienced an important decline, as did seed disperser visits. Also, mistletoe mortality increased from 12% in 2012 to 23% in 2015. This empirical evidence suggests that the cascade effects of climate change may indirectly be hindering ecological interactions in the Valdivian temperate rainforest ecosystem we studied. Long‐term research is essential to provide the knowledge necessary to understand how key ecological processes may be affected in a changing world.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Climate and Interaction Data Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The cascade impacts of climate change could threaten key ecological interactions

et al. 2018

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“…Camera traps are a cost‐effective approach to study plant–animal interactions, providing accurate results with minimum observer interference (Lucero et al. ). Each camera was operated for 48 h at each focal plant, making a total cumulative effort of 3360 camera‐hours.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To quantify mutualists' activity, we placed infrared camera traps (Bushnell Trophy Cam 2011, Overland Parks, Kansas, USA) set in video mode (15 s length, 640 9 480 pixel resolution, trigger with 1-min delay) at each focal plant. Camera traps are a cost-effective approach to study plantanimal interactions, providing accurate results with minimum observer interference (Lucero et al 2014). Each camera was operated for 48 h at each focal plant, making a total cumulative effort of 3360 camera-hours.…”

Section: Visitation Rates and Habitat Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Increased resource availability prevents the disruption of key ecological interactions in disturbed habitats

2017

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Abstract. Anthropogenic disturbance can modify habitat structure and resource availability, potentially disrupting ecological interactions. This issue may be critical for pollination and seed dispersal, which determine natural regeneration. The mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus is almost exclusively pollinated by a hummingbird (Sephanoides sephaniodes) and dispersed by a marsupial (Dromiciops gliroides). We examined the extent to which human-induced habitat change and resource availability influence the interaction rate of this plant-pollinator-seed disperser system, along a forest transformation gradient (from native forest to exotic plantations). We estimated visitation rates of S. sephaniodes and D. gliroides on 70 T. corymbosus mistletoes using camera traps. We related visitation rates to habitat structural features and resource availability (flowers and fruits of the mistletoe and the neighborhood) using spatially explicit models. Sephanoides sephaniodes and D. gliroides visitation rates responded positively to shrub and bamboo cover, moss abundance, and mistletoe spatial arrangement. Pollination and seed dispersal interactions were sensitive to the flower and fleshy-fruit neighborhoods, being variable across months. Further, D. gliroides showed a non-random spatial association with fleshy-fruited plants. A larger sunlight incidence on disturbed habitats may prevent the disruption of key ecological interactions by increasing resource availability. This effect would result from the presence of shade-intolerant plants, which are benefited by sunlight exposure. Patches of disturbed habitat may enhance landscape heterogeneity, providing complementary resources to the native remnants.

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“…The holoparasitic mistletoe Tristerix aphyllus (Loranthaceae) is endemic to (semi) arid Chile and infects columnar cacti from the Eulychnia and Echinopsis genera (Mauseth et al, 1984;Martínez del Rio et al, 1996;Medel et al, 2002). It is the only Tristerix species lacking leaves, which is an adaptation to arid environments (Mauseth et al, 1984;Medel et al, 2002;Lucero et al, 2014). This phloem-tapping mistletoe relies on the host for water, nitrogen, minerals and carbon assimilation (Mauseth et al, 1984).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mistletoe infection changes arthropod community on its cactus host through indirect effects

Guerra

Escobedo

Gutiérrez

et al. 2021

Insect Conserv Diversity

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Parasitic plants and herbivores show similarities in their interactions with host plants. Herbivore‐induced resistance/susceptibility in plants can scale up to the arthropod community. Similar evidence regarding parasitic plants is scarce. We evaluated the indirect effects initiated by the mistletoe Tristerix aphyllus on the arthropod community of the cactus Echinopsis chiloensis in the Chilean coastal desert. Field observations suggested that a stem‐borer beetle bores more brood chambers in mistletoe‐parasitised cacti than in non‐parasitised cacti, and that arthropods colonise these chambers. We compared tissue toughness, chamber density and morphology in mistletoe‐parasitised and non‐parasitised cacti. We also compared richness, total abundance, abundance per taxa, diversity and composition of the colonising arthropod community. Parasitised cacti showed a 14% reduction in tissue toughness. Chamber density in parasitised cacti was four times greater and chambers were larger: 35% more volume, an entrance‐opening area 30% greater, and twice the area of the maximum‐width section. Arthropod species richness and diversity were higher in chambers of parasitised cacti. Arthropod community composition was different in chambers of parasitised and non‐parasitised cacti. Thus, spiders and moths were more abundant in parasitised cacti, and pseudoscorpions, scolopendras, ants and flies were exclusively present there, while non‐parasitised cacti had no exclusive taxa. Mistletoe infection results in a richer, more diverse and distinct arthropod community on its cactus host, which occurs through induced susceptibility to stem‐borers whose brood chambers are colonised by arthropods. Tristerix aphyllus could be a key‐stone species in these arid ecosystems, where arthropod diversity is relatively low.

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

Cited by 8 publications

References 9 publications

The cascade impacts of climate change could threaten key ecological interactions

The cascade impacts of climate change could threaten key ecological interactions

Increased resource availability prevents the disruption of key ecological interactions in disturbed habitats

Mistletoe infection changes arthropod community on its cactus host through indirect effects

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