Sobre el género &lt;em&gt;Sternbergia&lt;/em&gt; (Amaryllidaceae) en Iraq

Youssef, Sami; Mahmood, Ahmed; Véla, Errol

doi:10.3989/ajbm.2451

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Each fruit contains 5–200 seeds (27.6 ± 20.9

\bar{X} \pm S D

), each equipped with a large elaiosome to form a large (109.6 ± 40.5 mg) diaspore. The species distribution covers the eastern Mediterranean region (Livneh & Heller, 1986; Mathew, 1983, 1984; Shmida & Fragman‐Sapir, 2015 Youssef, Mahmood, & Vela, 2017). Within the study region, S. clusiana is found in ca.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced dispersal at nonexpanding range margins: A matter of disperser identity

Zvi

Seifan

Giladi

2020

Ecology and Evolution

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The evolution of dispersal at range margins received much attention recently, especially in the context of dynamic range shifts, such as those following climate change. However, much less attention has been devoted to study variation in and selection on dispersal at nonexpanding range margins, where populations are often small and isolated, and empirical test is dearly missing. To fill this gap, we tested whether dispersal of an ant‐dispersed perennial plant (Sternbergia clusiana) is quantitatively and/or qualitatively reduced toward a nonexpanding range margin. We evaluated plant investment in dispersal structures (elaiosome), seed removal rates, and the relative abundance, activity, and behavior of low‐ and high‐quality seed‐dispersing ants in six sites ranging from mesic Mediterranean site to arid site (>600 to <100 mm of annual rainfall, respectively), which marks the southern range margin of the species. In a set of cafeteria and baiting experiments, we found that overall seed removal rates, the contribution of high‐quality dispersers, maximum dispersal distance and dispersal‐conducive ant behavior decreased toward range margins. These findings agree with a lower investment in reward by range margin plant populations, as reflected by lower elaiosome/seed ratio, but not by variation in the reward chemistry. More than variation in traits controlled by the plants, the variation in ant–seed interactions could be attributed to reduced presence and activity of the more efficient seed‐dispersing ants in the marginal populations. Specifically, we found a mismatch between local distribution of potentially effective seed dispersers and that of the plant, even though those dispersers were observed in the study site. Interestingly, although the observed variation in the outcome of ant–seed interactions supported the prediction of reduced dispersal at nonexpanding range margins with small and isolated populations, the underlying mechanism seems to be incidental difference in the seed‐dispersing ant community rather than a plant‐mediated response to selection.

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“…Each fruit contains 5–200 seeds (27.6 ± 20.9

\bar{X} \pm S D

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced dispersal at nonexpanding range margins: A matter of disperser identity

Zvi

Seifan

Giladi

2020

Ecology and Evolution

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“…The species distribution ranges from Eastern Turkey and Western Iran in the north to Jordan and Israel in the south (Mathew 1984; Youssef et al 2017). Within our study region, the species is found in about ~60 sites distributed along a steep precipitation gradient ranging from Mediterranean climate in the north (>600 mm annually) to arid climate in the Negev highlands (<100 mm), where S. clusiana reaches its southern range limit.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investment in reward by ant-dispersed plants consistently selects for better partners along a geographic gradient

et al. 2019

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Seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory) is an asymmetric, presumably mutualistic interaction, where a few ant species benefit many plants. Myrmecochorous plants express specialized adaptations, most notably a large elaiosome, which promote interactions with efficient seed dispersers while decreasing interactions with poor dispersers, resulting in de facto partner choice. However, because variation in plants’ investment in reward and ant response to them may vary spatially and temporally, it is unclear whether such specialization is consistent along geographic gradients; especially towards myrmecochory’s range margin. To answer this question on context-dependent partner choice, we first estimated variation in reward investment by co-occurring myrmecochores along a steep environmental gradient in a Mediterranean region. Second, we tested whether variation in plant investment in reward was positively and consistently correlated with the quality of dispersal plant received along the same gradient. Using in situ cafeteria experiments, we simultaneously presented diaspores of locally co-occurring myrmecochorous species to ants of two guilds representing high- and low-quality dispersers. We then recorded ant-seed behaviour, seed preference and seed removal rates for each ant guild. We found both overall and within-site high variation among plant species in the total and relative investment in elaiosomes. Both ant guilds removed substantial proportion of the seeds. However, scavenging ants (high-quality dispersers) clearly preferred diaspores with larger elaiosomes, whereas granivorous ants (low-quality dispersers) exhibited no preference. Furthermore, both the variation in plant traits and the corresponding response of different ant guilds were consistent along the studied geographic gradient. This consistency holds even when granivores, which removed seeds in a non-selective fashion and provided apparently low-quality seed dispersal services, were, at least numerically, the dominant ant guild. This dominance and the consistency of the partner choice shed light on the functionality of elaiosomes at the margins of myrmecochory’s distribution.

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“…The strong lack in taxonomists and/or naturalists or they lack of autonomy on the field cannot allow filling the gaps of floristic data on unexplored area such as lot of the local mountains (Barzan area, Barwarya Bala, and Nerwayé areas near Turkish border). However, some important advances have been made in the past decade insight of new contribution to the Flora of Iraq For example, divers botanical field surveys carried out and reported several new taxa and new records for Iraq (National Report on Biodiversity in Iraq, 2010;Ahmad, 2013;Véla, et al, 2013;Shahbaz, et al, 2015;Youssef, et al, 2015;Ahmad, 2016;Youssef, et al, 2017). Meanwhile, a lot of taxa remain to be discovered, which is not surprising in view of its geographical situation as a part of IranoAnatolian hotspot of biodiversity.…”

Section: A Flowers Field Surveys As a Proxy Toward The New Floristicmentioning

confidence: 99%