Palms fanning out: a review of the ecological provisioning services provided by<i>Washingtonia filifera</i>and<i>W. robusta</i>in their native and exotic settings

Spennemann, Dirk H. R.

doi:10.1080/17550874.2020.1819465

Cited by 3 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 134 publications

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“…Therefore, a critical contribution of our work to oasis ecology and conservation is gathering hard evidence that the skirt of old leaves hanging from Washingtonia palms grants a refuge for an enormous diversity of arthropods. It has been estimated that over 60 species of small vertebrates use Washingtonia as a habitat (Spennemann, 2020), and some of them are dependent on it (Ortiz & Barrows, 2014). We now expand the suggestion that the “skirt” of dry leaves is an essential habitat for the rich animal community (Spennemann, 2020), including arthropods, and thus, it should be managed to preserve intact.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been estimated that over 60 species of small vertebrates use Washingtonia as a habitat (Spennemann, 2020), and some of them are dependent on it (Ortiz & Barrows, 2014). We now expand the suggestion that the “skirt” of dry leaves is an essential habitat for the rich animal community (Spennemann, 2020), including arthropods, and thus, it should be managed to preserve intact. These findings are magnified by the fact that each oasis possesses a unique arthropod community assemblage, with a low percentage of shared species even between close sites.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Individual palms retain their old leaves, which results in a dense skirt of dried leaves hanging around the trunk. This dry foliage provides shelter for a myriad of species, from birds and small mammals to whole arthropod communities (Ortiz & Barrows, 2014; Spennemann, 2020). For the desert habitat, samples were collected from 8 to 10 specimens of the most abundant and representative plant species within the sampling area (Table 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Metabarcoding reveals seasonal and spatial patterns of arthropod community assemblages in two contrasting habitats: Desert and oasis of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

Klimova

Rodríguez‐Estrella

Meng

et al. 2023

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim: Desert springs or oases are the only permanent mesic environments in highly water-limited arid regions. Oases have immense cultural, evolutionary and ecological importance for people and a high number of endemic and relic species. Nevertheless, they are also highly vulnerable ecosystems, with invasive species, overexploitation and climate change being the primary threats. We used the arthropod communities' spatiotemporal diversity and distribution patterns as a proxy to understand biodiversity dynamics in two geographically close but ecologically contrasting and highly threatened ecosystems: deserts and oases.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Metabarcoding reveals seasonal and spatial patterns of arthropod community assemblages in two contrasting habitats: Desert and oasis of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

Klimova

Rodríguez‐Estrella

Meng

et al. 2023

Diversity and Distributions

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“…The relatively stable microclimatic conditions within skirt cavities may be important for facilitating the survival of small mammals, particularly as temperatures and the frequency of heat waves are projected to increase globally (IPCC, 2021). In this context, the microclimatic conditions within, and the utilization by wildlife of, skirt cavities should be investigated for grass trees and other skirt-forming plants, such as Cyathea (Cyatheaceae, Brock & Burns, 2021), Dasylirion wheeleri (Asparagaceae; Marcot, 2011), species of the Espeletia complex (Mora et al, 2019), and Washingtonia (Spennemann, 2020). However, climate change may limit the capacity of grass trees to buffer extreme temperature events through ecosystem-level impacts.…”

Section: Grass Tree Cavitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although less ubiquitous than tree hollows globally, skirt-forming plants are important components of many ecosystems (Marcot, 2011). Fan palms in the North American genus Washingtonia (Arecaceae) and several southern African members of the genus Aloe, which are found in arid environments, and members of the East African genus Dendrosenecio (Asteraceae) and the Andean Espeletia complex (Asteraceae), which often grow at elevations above the tree line, are probably the best-known examples (Beck, 1986;Bond, 1983;Mora et al, 2019;Spennemann, 2020). Skirt-forming plants can provide important microsites for wildlife (Mora et al, 2019;Spennemann, 2020), but the microclimatic conditions inside the cavities of skirt-forming plants remain little known.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understorey vegetation moderates climate in open forests: The role of the skirt‐forming grass tree Xanthorrhoea semiplana F.Muell

Kok,

Bruns,

Guerin

et al. 2023

Austral Ecology

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Microsites are created by abiotic and biotic features of the landscape and may provide essential habitats for the persistence of biota. Forest canopies and understorey plants may moderate wind and solar radiation to create microclimatic conditions that differ considerably from regional climates. Skirt‐forming plants, where senescent leaves create hut‐like cavities around the stem, create microsites that are sheltered from ambient conditions and extreme weather events, constituting potential refuges for wildlife. We investigate day and night temperatures and humidity for four locations (grass tree cavities, soil, 20 cm above‐ground, 1 m above‐ground) in a South Australian forest with relatively open canopy of stringybark eucalypts (Eucalyptus baxteri, E. obliqua) and an understorey of skirt‐forming grass trees (Xanthorrhoea semiplana) at 5, 10, 20, and 40 m from the forest edge. We also measured the percentage of canopy and understorey covers. Generally, temperature and humidity differed significantly between more sheltered (grass tree cavities, soil) and open‐air microsites, with the former being cooler during the day and warmer and more humid during the night. Furthermore, our results suggest that canopy cover tends to decrease, and understorey cover tends to increase, the temperature of microsites. Distance to the edge was not significantly related to temperature for any microsite, suggesting that the edge effect did not extend beyond 10 m from the edge. Overall, grass trees influenced microclimatic conditions by forming a dense understorey and providing cavities that are relatively insulated. The capacity of grass tree cavities to buffer external conditions increased linearly with ambient temperatures, by 0.46°C per degree increase in maximum and 0.25°C per degree decrease in minimum temperatures, potentially offsetting climate warming and enabling persistence of fauna within their thermal limits. These climate moderation properties will make grass trees increasingly important refuges as extreme weather events become more common under anthropogenic climate change.

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Characterisation of palms and ornamentals in the EU: a tool for crop‐based survey of Union quarantine pests

Mustapic,

Ivic,

Delbianco

2024

EFS3

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This technical report was prepared in the context of EFSA's mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114), at the request of the European Commission. Its purpose is to support the Member States in the planning and preparation of crop-based surveys of regulated pests in line with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. In particular, the report includes the list of palms and ornamental species reported as hosts of regulated pests within the scope of grant GP/EFSA/PLANTS/2022/10 'Development of crop-based survey tools for plant pests of fruit trees, conifers, and palms and ornamentals in the EU'. A list of pests associated with palms and ornamentals is provided. In addition, the occurrence, phenology, main uses, management, distribution and climate suitability of palms and ornamentals in the EU is elaborated. Finally, the regulatory requirements and data on trade and import for palms and ornamentals are reported. In total, 111 palm tree species are reported as hosts of at least one of the regulated pests. Among them, only three are native to the EU, four are nonnative but locally abundant in the EU, while 104 palm species are considered to be very rare or absent in the EU. With the exception of the date palm, all palm species present in the EU are used for ornamental purposes. The ornamental crop group comprises 36 plant species, of which three are native to the EU, 14 are non-native but locally abundant in the EU, and 19 are considered to be absent or very rare in the EU. Ornamentals are often cultivated in production systems ranging from low shelters or tunnels to high-technology greenhouses or glasshouses. The most common ornamental plants in the EU that are grown as potted plants, seedlings, bulbs, corms or cut flowers include chrysanthemums, carnations, dahlias, pelargonium, gerbera and violas. Ornamentals are cultivated in all Member States; the Netherlands being by far the biggest producer.

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Palms fanning out: a review of the ecological provisioning services provided byWashingtonia filiferaandW. robustain their native and exotic settings

Cited by 3 publications

References 134 publications

Metabarcoding reveals seasonal and spatial patterns of arthropod community assemblages in two contrasting habitats: Desert and oasis of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

Metabarcoding reveals seasonal and spatial patterns of arthropod community assemblages in two contrasting habitats: Desert and oasis of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

Understorey vegetation moderates climate in open forests: The role of the skirt‐forming grass tree Xanthorrhoea semiplana F.Muell

Characterisation of palms and ornamentals in the EU: a tool for crop‐based survey of Union quarantine pests

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