A geographical perspective on the relationship between <i>Impatiens</i> spur lengths and bill lengths of sunbirds in Afrotropical mountains

Hořák, David; Janeček, Štěpán

doi:10.1002/ece3.7258

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…These flowers reportedly offer nectar, especially to the often‐narrow guild of long‐billed specialist nectar‐feeding birds (Maruyama et al, 2014; Rebelo, 1987; Stiles, 1981). Indeed, trait‐matching to ecological roles played by certain bird species to their mutualistic partner plant species have been reported and is well‐known (Herrera, 1984; Horak & Janecek, 2021; Jordano, 1987). For example, pollinator sunbirds have evolved long bills that can maximise the extraction of nectar from hollow and nectar‐rich flowering species (Geerts & Pauw, 2009; Horak & Janecek, 2021; Janeček et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These flowers reportedly offer nectar, especially to the often-narrow guild of long-billed specialist nectar-feeding birds (Maruyama et al, 2014;Rebelo, 1987;Stiles, 1981). Indeed, trait-matching to ecological roles played by certain bird species to their mutualistic partner plant species have been reported and is well-known (Herrera, 1984;Horak & and thus, they offer important refuge for birds during extreme climatic conditions such as drought.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The critical role of coastal protected areas in buffering impacts of extreme climatic conditions on bird diversity and their ecosystem services' provisioning in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Mokotjomela,

Vukeya,

Pamla

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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In this study, we documented the diversity of bird species in the Eastern Cape coastal nature reserves (i.e., Hluleka, Dwesa, Silaka and Mkhambati nature reserves), and determined the potential role of each bird species in habitat maintenance using two functional traits (i.e., body mass and feeding mode) as the function's proxy. We applied the timed species count approach during bird observations, coupled with drive‐by surveys to maximise spatial coverage of each nature reserve over four years. To evaluate functional diversity, bird species were classified based on functional traits such as the adult body, and their potential ecological role derived from their feeding mode and habitat associations. Over 864 h, we accumulated 818 bird records containing 178 different bird species that were classified into 58 families with 32 species occurring in all nature reserves. Shannon–Wiener Diversity Indices showed very high overall species diversity across the nature reserves (H > 3.5) with no differences detected across sites. Although no significant correlations between vegetation changes measured through Normalised Difference vegetation Index (NDVI) in each nature reserve and the number of bird records, forest bird species were dominant (42.1%; N = 178) throughout years of observation and diversity remained high (H > 3.5). Bird species abundance only increased significantly across all nature reserves during 2018–2019. All four nature reserves had a similar distribution of bird functional traits with both high functional richness (FRic = 1), and divergence (FDiv = 0.8) and moderate evenness (FEve = 0.4). Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) demonstrated a positive correlation between bird sizes and functions with large birds mainly associated with predators and carrion. Small birds and medium birds had a similar composition of species in terms of functionality being seed dispersers across the nature reserves. A significant effect that insectivores and carrions displayed in MCA plots, suggest the availability of indirect pollination services. Despite extreme drought conditions across the country in 2019, NDVI levels remained largely consistent over time in these four reserves; and thus, they offer important refuge for birds during extreme climatic conditions such as drought.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The critical role of coastal protected areas in buffering impacts of extreme climatic conditions on bird diversity and their ecosystem services' provisioning in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Mokotjomela,

Vukeya,

Pamla

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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“…As a result, Impatiens species are typically confined to stream margins, waterside boulders, and wet and/or montane forests (Fischer, 2004). The species are pollinated by insects, including bees and butterflies, but with at least ten species which are adapted in multiple ways to being pollinated by sunbirds (Bartoš et al 2012; Bartoš and Janeček 2014; Hořák and Janeček 2021). Studies of flower structures in relation to insect pollination currently lag behind those for bird pollinated species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new, Critically Endangered species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from the coastal plain of the Republic of Congo

Cheek

2022

Preprint

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Impatiens moutsambotei is described from a herbarium specimen collected at a waterfall in forest on the coastal plain, below the Mayombe Mts of the Republic of Congo. Sharing many distinctive characters with Impatiens floretii of the Doudou Mts of Gabon, it is abundantly distinguished inter alia by the leaf-blades which are lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, not ovate, their bases acute, not obtuse or broadly rounded to truncate; the reduced, peduncular bracts bearing long, filiform setae, and not entire; the proximal (upper) of the lateral united petals are entire, not bifid; the spur is curved at the base and overlaps the lower sepal, not curved through its length to describe a semi-circle and held below the lower sepal. Both species are placed in the Impatiens macroptera species aggregate. Impatiens moutsambotei is known from a single site, where it was collected nearly 30 years ago and not seen since. The new species is assessed as Critically Endangered due to threats of habitat clearance from mining and road widening, and may be already be extinct.

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“…The majority of species in Africa are perennials, very few being seasonal annuals (Grey-Wilson 1981). The species are pollinated by insects, including moths (Grey-Wilson 1981), bees and butterflies, but with at least ten species which are adapted in multiple ways to being pollinated by sunbirds (Bartoš et al 2012;Bartoš & Janeček 2014;Hořák & Janeček 2021). Studies of flower structures in relation to insect pollination currently lag behind those for bird pollinated species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impatiens banen and Impatiens etugei (Balsaminaceae), new threatened species from lowland of the Cross-Sanaga Interval, Cameroon

et al. 2022

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SummaryWe describe two range-restricted new species to science from the genus Impatiens (Balsaminaceae), both threatened, from lowland of the Cross-Sanaga Interval of western Cameroon. The first, Impatiens banen, appears to be restricted to an open seepage microhabitat on granitic inselbergs in the lowland-submontane forest zone of the Ebo Forest in Littoral Region and is provisionally assessed using the 2012 IUCN standard as Vulnerable. Sharing characters with Impatiens burtonii and I. mannii, it differs from both, and appears to be unique in Cameroon inter alia 1) in the bicolored united lateral petals, the upper petals being white, while the lower petals are an intense pink-purple, 2) the hairy, filamentous spur, purple with a white apex, is curved along its length, almost describing a circle. Inselberg-specific species are unusual in Impatiens.The second species, Impatiens etugei, of the I. macroptera aggregate, is restricted to rocks in the Mutel River of the Kom Wum Forest Reserve of North West Region and is assessed as Critically Endangered. Having similarities with I. mackeyana and I. letouzeyi, it differs from other species in the aggregate inter alia by having opposite leaves (vs always alternate), flower exterior white (vs pink or pink-purple), and in the dorsal petal having a pair of lateral projections (vs projections absent).

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A geographical perspective on the relationship between Impatiens spur lengths and bill lengths of sunbirds in Afrotropical mountains

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cited by 8 publications

References 59 publications

The critical role of coastal protected areas in buffering impacts of extreme climatic conditions on bird diversity and their ecosystem services' provisioning in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

The critical role of coastal protected areas in buffering impacts of extreme climatic conditions on bird diversity and their ecosystem services' provisioning in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

A new, Critically Endangered species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from the coastal plain of the Republic of Congo

Impatiens banen and Impatiens etugei (Balsaminaceae), new threatened species from lowland of the Cross-Sanaga Interval, Cameroon

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