Coevolution as an engine of biodiversity and a cornucopia of ecosystem services

Abstract

Coevolutionary processes, which have governed interactions between organisms throughout the history of life, also serve as an engine of ecosystem services for humans. The escalating arms races between plants and herbivores, flowers and pollinators, have generated a cornucopia of foods, raw materials, perfumes, spices, ornamentals, medicines, and drugs. Human history is replete with aesthetic as well as economic inspiration drawn from such plants. Our future may depend on similar inspiration, as we confront novel health, agricultural, and environmental challenges in the face of global change. Summary "Coevolution" was coined to conceptualize escalating arms races between plants and herbivores in evolutionary time, often mediated by natural products. Our current | 63 RAGUSO TA B L E 1 Outline of coevolutionary innovation, ecological diversification, and economic value for the Asparagales, Malpighiales, and Gentianales. Categories featured in Figure 1 are in bold text, with associated letters. Numbered examples are as shown in Figure 1. Note that some plant-pollinator specializations (heterostyly and dioecy) are not strictly coevolutionary, and that presumptively non-coevolutionary adaptations (e.g., toxic nectar) may represent exapted traits derived from coevolutionary origins Biodiversity Biological importance Economic importance Order, Most diverse Family, richness Coevolutionary Innovations Non-Coevolutionary Adaptations H. Foods and Beverages I. Spices, Perfumes, Materials, and Ornamental Plants J. Drugs and Medicines Asparagales Orchidaceae 763 genera 28,000 species A. Obligate Mutualism Yucca-yucca moth pollination [1]; orchid-mycorrhizae seed germination [2] B. Plant-Pollinator specialization arms races extending nectar tubes of orchids [2], iris [3], and tongues of pollinators. Perfume-and oil-based pollination, pollen placement via pollinia (orchids)[4] C.

Effects of Human Disturbances on the Seed Dispersal by Bats Communities on the Andean Chocó

“…The recruitment of seed species characteristic of primary forests in disturbed habitats can be very slow according to successional models for neotropical forests (Hooper et al 2004), so it is possible that due to the short time elapsed since the disturbance in the habitats of SF1 (12-15 years), SF2 (4 years) and P (still in use), much more time is still needed for recruiting of primary forest seeds dispersed by bats; which occurs because the environmental and edaphic conditions are not favorable (Hooper et al 2004;Longworth et al 2014;Mesquita et al 2015) Coevolutionary processes are considered a crucial engine to the maintenance of ecosystem services, because they have governed the ecological relationships between organisms, through all the history of life in earth (Raguso, 2020). Our Network analysis for each habitat was important to understand how human disturbances are affecting the functioning and stability of forest ecosystems in disturbed habitats from the Ecuadorian Andean Chocó.…”

Floral humidity as a signal – not a cue – in a nocturnal pollination system

“…The recent expansion of studies in plant-pollinator interactions reflects increased recognition of their importance to ecosystem services, agricultural food security and biological diversity [1][2][3] . Examining plantpollinator interactions through a neuroethological lens presents unique opportunities to investigate the sender-receiver elements of ecological communication 4,5 , the findings of which have informed current agricultural practices 6 , and improved integrated-pest-management 7 .…”