Depressed pollination in habitat fragments causes low fruit set

Cunningham, Saul A.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1121

Cited by 244 publications

(171 citation statements)

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“…Lower fruit and seed set in plants of small habitat fragments have been observed for many species of tropical and temperate vegetation (e.g., Jennersten, 1988;Jennersten, & Nilsson, 1993;Aizen, & Feinsinger, 1994a;Byers, 1995;Oostermeijer, Altenburg, & den Nijs, 1995;Ågren, 1996;Cunningham, 2000;Quesada et al, 2003). Other species either do not show any different response in reproductive output between fragmented and continuous forest or present even higher reproductive output in smaller fragments and open areas than in continuous forest (e.g., Costin, Morgan, & Young, 2001;Dick, 2001;Lopes, & Buzato, 2007;Dunley et al, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Abiotic changes caused by habitat fragmentation may also affect the predation rate on plant reproductive structures owing to changes in the local animal community (Cunningham, 2000). Seed predation is an important ecological interaction that may directly impact plant fertility.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fragment size may affect plant reproductive output also without any change in pollinator frequency or richness (Ghazoul, 2005;Wagenius, & Lyon, 2010). Plant fertility may be affected by habitat fragmentation indirectly through abiotic changes (Kwak, Velterop, & Andel, 1998), for example, in the light intensity and the availability of water and nutrients in the soil (De Jong, & Klinkhamer, 1989;Saunders, Hobbs, & Margules, 1991).Abiotic changes caused by habitat fragmentation may also affect the predation rate on plant reproductive structures owing to changes in the local animal community (Cunningham, 2000). Seed predation is an important ecological interaction that may directly impact plant fertility.…”

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Reproductive success of Cabralea canjerana (Meliaceae) in Atlantic forest fragments, Brazil

Franceschinelli

Carmo

Neto

et al. 2015

RBT

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Abstract:In Brazil, the Atlantic forest remnants have high biological diversity and a high level of endemism, but very little is known about the reproductive success of native species. Cabralea canjerana is a common tree in the Montane Atlantic forest, and its reproduction is highly dependent on pollinators. In order to contribute with the particular knowledge on this species, we collected data in three fragmented and three continuous forest sites, where the effects of fragmentation on both mutualistic (pollination) and antagonistic (seed predation) interactions were analysed. We determined fruit production and weight of 25 trees per site. The number of seeds and the percentage of predated and aborted seeds were also accessed for seven fruits of 10 trees per site. Pollinator visitation frequencies to flowers were recorded in two forest fragments and in two sites of the continuous forest. Our data showed that plants of C. canjerana produced more fruits (z-value=-8.24; p<0.0001) and seeds per fruit (z-value=-6.58; p=0.002) in the continuous than in the fragmented sites. This was likely due to differences in pollination, because the number of pollinator visits was higher in the continuous forest than in the fragments. Seed abortion (z-value=4.08, p<0.001) and predation (z-value=3.72, p=0.0002), on the other hand, were higher in the fragmented than in the continuous sites. Then, mutualistic and antagonistic interactions were affected by fragmentation, decreasing the reproductive success of the study tree. This study was the first to show a decrease in the reproductive output in forest fragments in an Atlantic forest tree species. This decrease may threaten the population structure and viability of C. canjerana in forest fragments. Rev. Biol. Trop. 63 (2): 515-524. Epub 2015 June 01.Key words: Cabralea canjerana, fruit production, habitat fragmentation, plant-pollinator interaction, moth pollination, reproductive success, pre-dispersal seed predation, seed set.Habitat fragmentation may disrupt plantpollinator interactions by changing the abundance and/or the identity of floral visitors (Lovejoy, 1980;Roubik, 1993;Aizen, & Feinsinger, 1994a;Aizen, & Feinsinger, 1994b;Matheson, Buchamann, O'Toole, Westrich, & Williams, 1996;Murcia, 1996;Prach, Pysek, & Smilauer, 1997). Because floral visitors can differ in their ability to transfer pollen, changes in the pollinator assemblages following fragmentation may affect plant reproductive success (Aizen, & Feinsinger, 1994b). Studies conducted during the past few decades show that fragmentation may affect the reproduction of various plant species in different ways. Most of these studies show decreases in the richness and abundance of pollinators and in the number of pollinator visits in response to fragmentation, leading to a decrease in the reproductive output of plants (Aizen, & Feinsinger, 1994a;Kolb, 2008). In contrast, other studies found no changes in the reproductive output of plants in fragmented habitats (e.g., Aldrich & Hamrick, 1998;Dick, 2001;Lopes, & Buzato, 2007;...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reproductive success of Cabralea canjerana (Meliaceae) in Atlantic forest fragments, Brazil

Franceschinelli

Carmo

Neto

et al. 2015

RBT

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“…They concluded that the effects of inbreeding, enhanced by fragmentation, are possible causes for the observed low reproductive vigor. Cunningham (2000), who studied plants of Acacia brachybotrya from fragments of vegetation in Australia, observed a lower number of pollen grains in the anthers of samples from the fragmented populations than those of samples from populations of large reserves. They also observed a decrease in fruitfulness of the populations in fragmented areas.…”

Section: Effect Of Forest Fragmentation On Microsporogenesis In E Unmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of forest fragmentation on microsporogenesis and pollen viability in Eugenia uniflora, a tree native to the Atlantic Forest

Almeida¹,

Faria²,

Silva³

2012

Genet. Mol. Res.

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ABSTRACT. Habitat fragmentation, caused by the expansion of agriculture in natural areas, may be one of the strongest impacts humans have on the ecosystem. These changes can decrease the number of individuals in a population, leading to endogamy. In allogamous species, endogamy can have a negative effect on reproductive capacity. In this study, we analyzed the effects of forest fragmentation on microsporogenesis and pollen viability in Eugenia uniflora L., a tree species native to the Atlantic Forest. We analyzed 4 populations, 3 of which were connected by forest corridors and 1 of which was isolated by agricultural fields on all sides. For microsporogenesis analysis, 9000 meiocytes representing all stages of meiosis were evaluated. To perform the pollen viability test, we evaluated 152,000 pollen grains. Microsporogenesis was stable in plants from populations that were connected by forest corridors (abnormalities, less than 6%), while microsporogenesis in plants from the isolated population showed a higher level of abnormalities (13-29%). Average pollen viability was found to be more than 93% in the non-isolated populations and 82.62% in the isolated population. The χ 2 test showed that, in the isolated population, the meiotic index was significantly lower than that in the non-isolated populations (P = 0.03). The analysis of variance for the percentage of viable pollen grains confirmed the significant difference between the isolated and non-isolated populations. Our data show that forest fragmentation has a direct effect on microsporogenesis and pollen viability in E. uniflora and can directly influence the reproductive capacity of isolated populations of this species.

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“…It is also just as important for those working in conservation. Increasingly, fragmented habitats threaten the survival of many acacias, particularly in the Wheat Belt region of Western Australia (Cunningham 2000a(Cunningham , 2000b, and difficult decisions must be made about where limited resources for conservation and environment restoration should be invested. Population genetic methods provide the best available approach for assessing patterns of genetic diversity within species, and so provide a means to prioritise populations for protection (Crandall et al 2000).…”

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confidence: 99%

Preface to `Biology of Acacia. Advances in Legume Systematics Part 11¿

Stone¹

2003

Aust. Systematic Bot.

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Depressed pollination in habitat fragments causes low fruit set

Cited by 244 publications

References 20 publications

Reproductive success of Cabralea canjerana (Meliaceae) in Atlantic forest fragments, Brazil

Reproductive success of Cabralea canjerana (Meliaceae) in Atlantic forest fragments, Brazil

Effect of forest fragmentation on microsporogenesis and pollen viability in Eugenia uniflora, a tree native to the Atlantic Forest

Preface to `Biology of Acacia. Advances in Legume Systematics Part 11¿

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