Plant-Animal Interactions: An Evolutionary Approach

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Phylogeny and Evolution".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 3519

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Cx. P. 593, Uberlândia CEP 38400-920, MG, Brazil
Interests: animal behavior; arthropod–plant interactions; behavioral ecology; plant–animal interactions
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Plant-animal interactions are undoubtedly related to the successful diversification of life on Earth. From herbivory to pollination, including seed dispersal and protective mutualisms, some persistent questions in the study of plant-animal interactions remain. For example, does the phytobiome have a direct influence on the outcomes of these interactions? How does trait evolution affect individual fitness and the ecological networks that structure the natural communities in which these organisms interact? Plant-animal interactions play key roles in the maintenance of biological diversity within natural communities, but the costs involved in these interactions are neglected in most published papers. This Special Issue intends to discuss these and many other important questions in plant-animal interactions. We welcome studies using evolutionary approaches covering any aspect of herbivory, pollination, seed dispersal, and also commensalism, facilitation, and natural history of plant-animal interactions.

Prof. Dr. Kleber Del-Claro
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Arthropod-Plant Interactions
  • Herbivory
  • Pollination
  • Dispersal
  • Mutualisms
  • Ecological networks

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 2365 KiB  
Article
Reproductive Success of an Endangered Plant after Invasive Bees Supplant Native Pollinator Services
by Alyson M. DeNittis and Susan E. Meyer
Diversity 2022, 14(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14010001 - 21 Dec 2021
Viewed by 2543
Abstract
Arctomecon humilis (dwarf bear poppy) is an endangered gypsophile restricted to the St. George area in southern Utah, USA. Extirpation of the rare oligolectic bee Perdita meconis and decline of other native pollinators within the last 20 years has been largely attributed to [...] Read more.
Arctomecon humilis (dwarf bear poppy) is an endangered gypsophile restricted to the St. George area in southern Utah, USA. Extirpation of the rare oligolectic bee Perdita meconis and decline of other native pollinators within the last 20 years has been largely attributed to the advent of invasive Africanized honeybees (AHBs), which have become the predominant pollinator for A. humilis. A three-year study was carried out to determine if reliance on AHBs had a negative effect on reproductive output. In the first year, pollen addition experiments were carried out in a small, isolated population to determine if pollinator scarcity or genetic factors affected reproductive output. In the subsequent two years, reproductive output studies were conducted across four populations. In all years, fruit set across study sites was exceptionally high. There was no consistent effect from flower number or interplant distance, which have historically been shown to have a significant impact on reproductive output prior to AHB arrival. The consequences and sustainability of this relatively young relationship between A. humilis and the AHB remain unclear. However, high reproductive success shows that the AHB is currently capable of adequately fulfilling pollinator services for A. humilis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Animal Interactions: An Evolutionary Approach)
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