Determinants of reproductive success: A comparative study of five endangered river corridor plants in fragmented habitats

Winter, Christina; Lehmann, Silke; Diekmann, Martin

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2008.02.002

Cited by 31 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Small Genista populations consisted of merely one or a few patches, and nearby populations or individuals for effective pollen exchange were lacking. The smaller number of seeds in small populations was compensated by an increased seed mass, a trade-off that has been demonstrated in some previous studies (e.g., Greenway and Harder, 2007;Vaughton and Ramsey, 1998;Winter et al, 2008). The overall reproductive success in G. pilosa remained unaffected by population size.…”

Section: Habitat Fragmentation Population Size and Pollination Successmentioning

confidence: 71%

Population size, pollination and reproductive success in two endangered Genista species

Tsaliki

Diekmann

2011

Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants

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Section: Habitat Fragmentation Population Size and Pollination Successmentioning

confidence: 71%

Population size, pollination and reproductive success in two endangered Genista species

Tsaliki

Diekmann

2011

Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants

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“…2006; Leimu et al. 2006; Winter, Lehmann & Diekmann 2008; Schleuning et al. 2009), other recent studies have found no clear association between population size and reproductive output, or even declines in per capita seed set in large populations (Brys, Jacquemyn & Hermy 2008; Spigler & Chang 2008, 2009; Rabasa, Gutierrez & Escudero 2009; Tsaliki & Diekmann 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Despite the many reported instances of declining reproductive output in smaller populations (e.g. Fischer & Matthies 1998;Kery, Matthies & Spillmann 2000;Wolf & Harrison 2001;and reviews by Hobbs & Yates 2003;Johnson et al 2004;Ghazoul 2005;Aguilar et al 2006;Leimu et al 2006;Winter, Lehmann & Diekmann 2008;Schleuning et al 2009), other recent studies have found no clear association between population size and reproductive output, or even declines in per capita seed set in large populations (Brys, Jacquemyn & Hermy 2008;Spigler & Chang 2008Rabasa, Gutierrez & Escudero 2009;Tsaliki & Diekmann 2009). Intraspecific resource competition and, alternatively, pollinator limitation, have been proposed as explanations for limited or declining seed set within large populations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Effects of population size on plant reproduction and pollinator abundance in a specialized pollination system

Klank¹,

Pluess

Ghazoul

2010

Journal of Ecology

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Summary1. Many plant species are currently experiencing negative consequences of habitat fragmentation as a result of reductions in population size and disruptions in pollination services. Plants in specialized pollination systems might be especially vulnerable to changes in plant population size and density resulting from land-use changes.2. Representing such a system, we chose the globeflower Trollius europaeus L. with its pollinating fly Chiastocheta, which also acts as a seed predator at its larval stage, to investigate the effects of small plant population size on reproductive success and pollinator abundance. 3. Reproductive output of T. europaeus declined with increasing plant population size, while Chiastocheta abundance within T. europaeus flowers was independent of plant population size. However, at the local level, Chiastocheta numbers within flowers were inversely correlated to local T. europaeus flower density. We further found that increasing floral densities increased plant reproductive success at the population level. 4. Chiastocheta abundance was the main driver of reproductive output of T. europaeus through its dual role as an obligate pollinator and seed predator: at least some Chiastocheta flies were needed to secure pollination, but a continued increase in Chiastocheta flies within a flower incurred seed predation costs that greatly reduced reproductive success. Thus, high local flower density contributed positively to per capita reproductive output by diluting Chiastocheta abundance within flowers independently of overall population size. 5. Synthesis. Our findings highlight that plant population size is not always the main determinant of reproductive success for populations, but that other factors such as plant density and the specific ecology of a pollinator and its interplay with other population parameters can be more important in determining the fate of a population. Furthermore, the effects of plant population size and floral density on pollinator visitation in T. europaeus vary across scales, with implications for plant fitness. It is therefore important not to focus solely on pure plant population size in determining population viability. Thus, from a conservation perspective, even small and isolated T. europaeus populations may be viable and resistant to pollination-associated vulnerabilities depending on plant density at local (subpopulation) scales.

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“…Most studies addressing the population biology of various plant species investigate specific life-cycle stages or single traits, such as seed production, seedling survival or population size (e.g., [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]). However, to understand the causes of changes in population size, it is necessary to investigate the complete life cycle of a species, as it is only by putting the various life-cycle transitions into the context of the whole life cycle that we can understand the consequences of the differences in single life history traits for the dynamics of a population (e.g., [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Population Dynamics of Two Closely Related Species Differing in Ploidy Level

Černá

Münzbergová

2013

PLoS ONE

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BackgroundMany studies compare the population dynamics of single species within multiple habitat types, while much less is known about the differences in population dynamics in closely related species in the same habitat. Additionally, comparisons of the effect of habitat types and species are largely missing.Methodology and Principal FindingsWe estimated the importance of the habitat type and species for population dynamics of plants. Specifically, we compared the dynamics of two closely related species, the allotetraploid species Anthericum liliago and the diploid species Anthericum ramosum, occurring in the same habitat type. We also compared the dynamics of A. ramosum in two contrasting habitats. We examined three populations per species and habitat type. The results showed that single life history traits as well as the mean population dynamics of A. liliago and A. ramosum from the same habitat type were more similar than the population dynamics of A. ramosum from the two contrasting habitats.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that when transferring knowledge regarding population dynamics between populations, we need to take habitat conditions into account, as these conditions appear to be more important than the species involved (ploidy level). However, the two species differ significantly in their overall population growth rates, indicating that the ploidy level has an effect on species performance. In contrast to what has been suggested by previous studies, we observed a higher population growth rate in the diploid species. This is in agreement with the wider range of habitats occupied by the diploid species.

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Determinants of reproductive success: A comparative study of five endangered river corridor plants in fragmented habitats

Cited by 31 publications

References 40 publications

Population size, pollination and reproductive success in two endangered Genista species

Population size, pollination and reproductive success in two endangered Genista species

Effects of population size on plant reproduction and pollinator abundance in a specialized pollination system

Comparative Population Dynamics of Two Closely Related Species Differing in Ploidy Level

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