Cascading Effects of Bird Functional Extinction Reduce Pollination and Plant Density

Anderson, Sandra; Kelly, Dave; Ladley, Jenny J.; Molloy, Sue M.; Terry, Jon

doi:10.1126/science.1199092

Cited by 270 publications

(257 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

251

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Well-known cases include the introduction of snakes in Guam island, which dramatically reduced bird numbers, some of which had an important role as pollinators and dispersers [12], and the introduction around 1870 of mammalian predators in the North Island of New Zealand [13], which also caused the extirpation of some bird species and in turn hampered ecosystem services such as pollination [14], and possibly seed dispersal as well [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term demographic consequences of a seed dispersal disruption

2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The loss or decline of vertebrate frugivores can limit the regeneration of plants that depend on them. However, empirical evidence is showing that this is still very scarce, as functionally equivalent species may contribute to maintain the mutualistic interaction. Here, we investigated the long-term consequences of the extinction of frugivorous lizards on the population persistence of a Mediterranean relict shrub Cneorum tricoccon (Cneoraceae). We examined the demographic parameters among 26 insular and mainland populations, which encompass the entire plant distributional range, comparing populations with lizards with those in which these are extinct, but in which alien mammals currently act as seed dispersers. Plant recruitment was found to be higher on island populations with lizards than on those with mammals, and the longterm effects of the native disperser's loss were found in all vital phases of plant regeneration. The study thus gives evidence of the cascading effects of human-induced changes in ecosystems, showing how the disruption of native ecological processes can lead to species regression and, in the long term, even to local extinctions.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term demographic consequences of a seed dispersal disruption

2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The restoration of pollination in cities will help to repair broken mutualism and rescue plant populations in urban conservation areas (Pauw and Hawkins 2010, Anderson et al 2011, Pauw and Bond 2011. For example, Malachite Sunbirds historically occurred at Rondevlei Nature Reserve located inside the city, but are currently absent with implications for long-tubed plant species such as Brunsvigia orientalis that occur there (Pauw 2004).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urbanization Drives a Reduction in Functional Diversity in a Guild of Nectar-feeding Birds

Pauw¹,

Louw²

2012

E&S

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Urbanization is a widespread and rapidly growing threat to biodiversity, therefore we need a predictive understanding of its effects on species and ecosystem processes. In this paper we study the impact of urbanization on a guild of nectar-feeding birds in a biodiversity hotspot at the Cape of Africa. The guild of four bird species provides important ecosystem services by pollinating 320 plant species in the Cape Floral Region. Functional diversity within the guild is related to differences in bill length. The long-billed Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) plays an irreplaceable role as the exclusive pollinator of plant species with long nectar tubes. We analyzed the composition of the guild in suburban gardens of Cape Town along a gradient of increasing distance from the nearest natural habitat. Urbanization reduces the functional diversity of the nectarivore guild. Malachite Sunbirds did not penetrate more than 1 km into the city, whereas only the short-billed Southern Double-collared Sunbirds (Cinnyris chalybea) occurred throughout the urbanization gradient. The lack of data precludes conclusions regarding the detailed responses of Orange-breasted Sunbirds (Anthobaphes violacea) and Sugarbirds (Promerops cafer), however their absence across the entire gradient is suggestive of high sensitivity. The functional diversity of this guild of pollinators can potentially be restored, but the pros and cons of this conservation action need to be considered

show abstract

“…For example, in forest ecosystems, birds can contribute to maintenance of the tree community by seed dispersal and pollination, and to the reduction of herbivory by predation upon insect herbivores [15][16][17]. However, recent increases in anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems, e.g., urbanization and habitat fragmentation, drive substantial declines in bird species diversity [18,19], which could have impacts on the ecological functions of birds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demonstration of the potential of environmental DNA as a tool for the detection of avian species

Ushio

Murata

Sadõ

et al. 2017

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Birds play unique functional roles in the maintenance of ecosystems, such as pollination and seed dispersal, and thus monitoring bird communities (e.g., monitoring bird species diversity) is a first step towards avoiding undesirable consequences of anthropogenic impacts on bird communities. In the present study, we hypothesized that birds, regardless of their main habitats, must have frequent contact with water and that tissues that contain their DNA that persists in the environment (environmental DNA; eDNA) could be used to detect the presence of avian species. To this end, we applied a set of universal PCR primers (MiBird, a modified version of fish/mammal universal primers) for metabarcoding avian eDNA. We confirmed the versatility of MiBird primers by performing in silico analyses and by amplifying DNAs extracted from bird tissues. Analyses of water samples from zoo cages of birds with known species composition suggested that the use of MiBird primers combined with the Illumina MiSeq platform could successfully detect avian species from water samples. Additionally, analysis of water samples collected from a natural pond detected five avian species common to the sampling areas. The present findings suggest that avian eDNA metabarcoding would be a complementary detection/identification tool in cases where visual detection and identification of bird species is difficult.

show abstract

Cascading Effects of Bird Functional Extinction Reduce Pollination and Plant Density

Cited by 270 publications

References 11 publications

Long-term demographic consequences of a seed dispersal disruption

Long-term demographic consequences of a seed dispersal disruption

Urbanization Drives a Reduction in Functional Diversity in a Guild of Nectar-feeding Birds

Demonstration of the potential of environmental DNA as a tool for the detection of avian species

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About