The importance of threatened host plants for arthropod diversity: the fauna associated with dendroid Euphorbia plants endemic to the Canary and Madeira archipelagos

Hernández-Teixidor, David; Santos, Irene; Suárez, Daniel; Oromı́, Pedro

doi:10.1007/s10841-020-00261-z

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Lastly, the relationship between arthropod diversity and endangered host plants has been explored in other Mediterranean fine-scale hotspots [87], and several reports on this topic are available for Atacama [88]. However, much more field work on the coast is needed for disentangling those relationships, especially in El Niño years.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Fine-Scale Hotspot at the Edge: Epigean Arthropods from the Atacama Coast (Paposo-Taltal, Antofagasta Region, Chile)

Pizarro-Araya

Alfaro

Ojanguren‐Affilastro

et al. 2021

Insects

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The Atacama Desert at its margins harbors a unique biodiversity that is still very poorly known, especially in coastal fog oases spanning from Perú towards the Atacama coast. An outstanding species-rich fog oasis is the latitudinal fringe Paposo-Taltal, that is considered an iconic site of the Lomas formation. This contribution is the first to reveal the knowledge on arthropods of this emblematic coastal section. We used pitfall traps to study the taxonomic composition, richness, and abundance of terrestrial arthropods in 17 sample sites along a 100 km section of the coast between 24.5 and 25.5 southern latitude, in a variety of characteristic habitats. From a total of 9154 individuals, we were able to identify 173 arthropod species grouped into 118 genera and 57 families. The most diverse group were insects, with 146 species grouped in 97 genera and 43 families, while arachnids were represented by 27 species grouped into 21 genera and 14 families. Current conservation challenges on a global scale are driving the creation and evaluation of potential conservation sites in regions with few protected areas, such as the margins of the Atacama Desert. Better taxonomic, distributional, and population knowledge is urgently needed to perform concrete conservation actions in a biodiversity hotspot at a desert edge.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Fine-Scale Hotspot at the Edge: Epigean Arthropods from the Atacama Coast (Paposo-Taltal, Antofagasta Region, Chile)

Pizarro-Araya

Alfaro

Ojanguren‐Affilastro

et al. 2021

Insects

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“…These factors explain the lower vulnerability of Euphorbia ecosystems to fire, thanks to their high richness in succulents and their poverty in dry grasses (Eiserhardt et al, 2017). Conversely, Euphorbia ecosystems commonly located in dry areas are now threatened with extinction (Hernández-Teixidor et al, 2020;Al-Qthanin & Al-Yasi, 2021). The threat situation for this type of plant that is adapted to hostile environments requires a quick and strategic response for their conservation (Pennington et al, 2018;Al-Namazi et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive review of morphological adaptations and conservation strategies of cactiform succulents: A case study of Euphorbia species in arid ecosystems

Taha,

Ettaqy,

Mderssa

et al. 2023

Biosys. divers.

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Cactiform succulents, belonging to the Euphorbia genus, are distinctive species found in the arid and semi-arid ecosystems of Macaronesia and the Arabian Peninsula. Resembling cacti in appearance, they exhibit unique morphological characteristics, such as succulent, green-stemmed structures with ribs, accompanied by a pair of stipular spines. These plants have evolved to thrive in well-draining substrates, including both surface and rocky soils, potentially as an adaptive strategy to combat edaphic drought conditions. Although initially associated solely with arid and desert environments, it is important to note that these cactiform succulents are not exclusively specialized for prolonged dry periods. Rather, they demonstrate morphological adaptations that help them endure arid conditions. The primary objective of this review is to provide an up-to-date synthesis of knowledge concerning cactiform succulents within the Euphorbia genus. It aims to underscore their capacity to flourish in both arid and semi-arid zones, while underscoring the pressing conservation challenges that threaten these plants with degradation and potential extinction. The prevailing climatic conditions, marked by extended and recurrent droughts exacerbated by escalating temperatures, climate fluctuations, and escalating human impact, collectively pose a formidable obstacle to conserving these cactiform succulents and their respective ecosystems. All these threats jeopardize these invaluable natural resources, which hold multifaceted significance spanning environmental, socio-economic, and medicinal domains.

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“…Globally, rare and endemic plant species are vital parts of many ecosystems by preserving functionality and niche differentiation (Flather and Sieg 2007, Dee et al 2019). These unique plants provide nutrition to a variety of animals (Schowalter 2016), increase insect diversity (Hernández‐Teixidor et al 2020), and provide distinct contributions to the functional diversity within an ecosystem (Flather and Sieg 2007, Jain et al 2014). A plant is defined as rare when its abundance or frequency is low (Lyons et al 2005), and a plant is endemic when the species has a small geographical range (Broennimann et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An insect‐pollinated species in a wind‐pollinated genus: case study of the endemic plant, Laramie chickensage Artemisia simplex

Crawford

Handley

Tronstad

2022

Nordic Journal of Botany

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Artemisia simplex (Laramie chickensage) is an imperiled, endemic plant in southeastern Wyoming, USA. To fill critical information gaps, we measured its seed viability and pollination mechanisms, measures that are lacking for many rare and endemic plants yet critical for the perpetuation of species. Artemisia simplex cover varied among sites and occupied 5.5% (range: 1.3-14.6%) of the area on average. This unique plant typically produced viable seeds under ambient conditions but did not self-pollinate. Characteristics of the flower and pollen suggest that A. simplex is primarily animalpollinated, and we found that both wind and animals transported pollen to the plant, but wind alone produced fewer seeds. Members of the sagebrush genus are widely known to be wind-pollinated; however, we demonstrated that this species of sagebrush is largely animal-pollinated. Plant conservation and management plans must consider the mode of pollen transfer, especially when considering the decline of insect pollinators. Pollination provides information about the persistence of plant populations through sexual reproduction, which produces the genetic variation needed for healthy populations.

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The importance of threatened host plants for arthropod diversity: the fauna associated with dendroid Euphorbia plants endemic to the Canary and Madeira archipelagos

Cited by 4 publications

References 28 publications

A Fine-Scale Hotspot at the Edge: Epigean Arthropods from the Atacama Coast (Paposo-Taltal, Antofagasta Region, Chile)

A Fine-Scale Hotspot at the Edge: Epigean Arthropods from the Atacama Coast (Paposo-Taltal, Antofagasta Region, Chile)

Comprehensive review of morphological adaptations and conservation strategies of cactiform succulents: A case study of Euphorbia species in arid ecosystems

An insect‐pollinated species in a wind‐pollinated genus: case study of the endemic plant, Laramie chickensage Artemisia simplex

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