The Mistletoebird and Australian Mistletoes: Co-evolution or Coincidence?

Reid, Nick

doi:10.1071/mu9870130

Cited by 18 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Amyema seeds are also bird-dispersed but, in contrast to the wide range of pollen vectors, only three species are considered to be the main dispersal agents, two of them considered mistletoe-fruit specialists (Reid 1986;Yan 1993). The prime disperser of most Amyema species is the mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum), but as this species is a relatively recent arrival to Australasia from Asia, it is considered not to have been the selective force driving flower morphology and phenology (Reid 1987). Rather, the endemic spiny-cheeked honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufigularis) and painted honeyeater (Grantiella picta), both monotypic genera, are believed to be the extant representatives of the coevolved disperser(s).…”

Section: Amyema Ecology and Life Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp., Viscaceae) in the western United States with mistletoes (Amyema spp., Loranthaceae) in Australia—ecological analogs and reciprocal models for ecosystem management

Shaw

Watson²,

Mathiasen³

2004

Aust. J. Bot.

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Whereas the biology, physiology and systematics of mistletoes have been explored in considerable detail, their ecology has received less attention and our understanding is highly fragmentary. A conspicuous exception is the dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp.)—a genus that exclusively parasitises coniferous trees, including many commercially valuable species in the forests of the western United States. Accordingly, these plants have been the subjects of intensive cross-disciplinary research for the past five decades, initially from a control and management perspective but extending into most aspects of their ecology and life history. This review summarises our understanding of dwarf mistletoes, focusing on recent developments in the areas of mistletoe–wildlife interactions, fire, ecosystem ecology and conservation biology. We also compare dwarf mistletoes with Australian mistletoes in the genus Amyema, a diverse suite of species found throughout the continent. Despite fundamental differences in their evolutionary origin and most aspects of their autecology and life history, the genera exhibit many similarities in terms of their ecological role in forests and woodlands, and their influence on stand- and forest-scale dynamics. In particular, both groups provide nesting resources for a range of birds and mammals, and nutritional resources for a diverse assemblage of species. Both also interact with fire, potentially leading to changes in successional dynamics at the stand scale. At an applied level, both groups are widely considered as pests but, as our understanding of these keystone species improves, they have the potential to serve as sensitive ecological indicators for their respective ecosystems. Key research priorities are identified for further research on both groups of mistletoes and more explicit comparative research, with Arceuthobium serving as a valuable template for future work on Amyema and Australian mistletoes in general.

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Section: Amyema Ecology and Life Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp., Viscaceae) in the western United States with mistletoes (Amyema spp., Loranthaceae) in Australia—ecological analogs and reciprocal models for ecosystem management

Shaw

Watson²,

Mathiasen³

2004

Aust. J. Bot.

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“…Many frugivorous birds and mistletoes are mutualists that are likely to have coevolved (Reid 1987;Reid et al 1995;Aukema and Martínez del Rio 2002a, b, c). The fruits are often large, high in sugar concentration and brightly coloured (white, yellow, red or purple) to attract birds (Polhill and Wiens 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Avian consumption and seed germination of the hemiparasitic mistletoe Agelanthus natalitius (Loranthaceae)

et al. 2010

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We documented avian consumers of the mistletoe Agelanthus natalitius in the field and quantified their effects on seed germination in captive studies. Seven bird species were frequently observed to feed on mistletoe fruits in the field, namely Cape Batis (Batis capensis), Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens), Red-fronted Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus pusillus), Red-winged Starling (Onychognathus morio), Dark-capped Bulbul (Pycnonotus tricolor), Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus) and Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus). Of the four bird species used in captive feeding trials (Red-winged Starling, Speckled Mousebird, Village Weaver and Cape White-eye), most of the birds removed the pulp-cover of the mistletoe fruits and left the exposed seeds in potentially germinable condition. Red-winged Starlings ingested but then regurgitated the seeds and wiped their bills on a twig to dislodge the sticky viscin-covered seeds individually. Mistletoe seeds obtained from cages of Red-winged Starlings had the highest germination success of all the seeds obtained from the captive bird study. The handling of mistletoe fruits applied by all species of birds both in the field and in captivity showed that mistletoe dispersal is likely to occur over short distances, although the seeds are likely to be dispersed to safe sites due to directed dispersal on parental host trees. Such autoinfection and local aggregation increase the interaction with already parasitised hosts, which through time may enhance local specialisation on the most frequently parasitised host species. Zusammenfassung Wir haben Vogelkonsumenten der Mistel Agelanthus natalitius im Freiland beobachtet und ihre Effekte auf die Samenkeimung in Studien in Gefangenschaft quantifiziert. Sieben Vogelarten wurden häufig dabei beobachtet, wie sie im Freiland Mistelfrüchte fraßen, nämlich Kapbatis (Batis capensis), Kap-Brillenvogel (Zosterops virens), Feuerstirn-Bartvogel (Pogoniulus pusillus), Rotschwingenstar (Onychognathus morio), Graubülbül (Pycnonotus tricolor), Braunflügel-Mausvogel (Colius striatus) und Textor (Ploceus cucullatus). Von den vier Vogelarten, die für Futterversuche in Gefangenschaft verwendet wurden (Rotschwingenstar, Braunflügel-Mausvogel, Textor und Kap-Brilenvogel), entfernten die meisten Vögel die Fruchthülle der Mistelfrüchte und ließen die freiliegenden Samen in potentiell keimfähigem Zustand zurück. Rotschwingenstare nahmen die Samen auf, würg-ten sie dann wieder hervor und wischten ihren Schnabel an einem Zweig ab, um die klebrigen von einer Viscinschicht umschlossenen Samen einzeln zu entfernen. Mistelsamen, die aus den Käfigen von Rotschwingenstaren geholt wurden, hatten den höchsten Keimungserfolg von allem Samen, die aus der Untersuchung der Vögel in Gefangenschaft gewonnen wurden. Die von allen Vögeln im Freiland und in Gefangenschaft angewendete Behandlung der Mistelfrüchte zeigte, dass die Verbreitung von Misteln wahrscheinlich über kurze Entfernungen geschieht, obwohl es wahrscheinlich ist, dass die Samen aufgrund von gerichteter Verbreitung auf den e...

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“…Importantly, the patterns of presence of fruit did not coincide across our survey sites (maximum 100 km apart), and yet the presence of bird species was associated with site-specific timing of the presence of fruit. Therefore, although we are not able to discount entirely ecosystem-wide effects such as the detectability of birds (Field et al 2002), spring and winter migration (see review on partial migration by Chan 2001) and surges driven by rainfall that attract locally mobile species (as well as promoting recruitment and fruiting of mistletoes ;Reid 1987;Yan and Reid 1995), the findings of the present study are consistent with those of previous studies that have observed a positive link between increased species richness and density of mistletoes (Turner 1991;Bennetts et al 1996), and manipulative studies comparing the avifauna of two adjacent woodland remnants, one of which had been manually cleared of mistletoe (Watson 2002;Watson and Herring 2012). Reid (1986) reported that mistletoe is one of the few reliable sources of fruit in eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia, and although we only recorded fruiting phenology over 1 year, anecdotal observations (K. Napier, pers.…”

Section: Reliability Of Mistletoe Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Keast 1958;Reid 1987;Turner 1991;Brown et al 1997), many species of mistletoe also have extended flowering and fruiting phenologies that minimise competition with other plant species but which are also important for sustaining populations of their avian pollinators and dispersers. Australian mistletoes continually draw upon the water and nutrient resources of their host and can thus flower and set fruit during dry seasons when little other nectar or fruit is available in the landscape (Paton and Ford 1977;Reid 1986;Watson 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Loranthaceous mistletoes provide birds with important nectar and fruit resources (Kuijt 1969;Calder 1983;Davidar 1985;Reid 1986;Ladley et al 1997;Robertson et al 1999), with at least 50 bird species, including several species of honeyeater, recorded consuming mistletoe nectar or fruit in Australia (Keast 1958;Reid 1987;Turner 1991;Brown et al 1997). With two exceptions, the root-parasitic Western Australian Christmas Tree (Nuytsia floribunda) and Atkinsonia (Atkinsonia ligustrina) (Hawkeswood 1981;Watson 2011), all Australian loranthaceous mistletoes are pollinated by birds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Do bird species richness and community structure vary with mistletoe flowering and fruiting in Western Australia?

Napier

Mather²,

McWhorter

et al. 2014

Emu - Austral Ornithology

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Abstract. Worldwide, mistletoes act as a keystone resource, providing food (nectar, fruit and foliage) and structural (nesting sites) resources to hundreds of fauna species. In Australia, loranthaceous mistletoes depend on birds for pollination and dispersal, and provide important nectar and fruit resources to a large number of nectarivorous and frugivorous species of bird. We investigated whether avian species richness and community structure varies with flowering and fruiting of two common mistletoe species (Loranthaceae : Wireleaf Mistletoe, Amyema preissii; and Box Mistletoe, A. miquelii), conducting monthly surveys of both birds and mistletoes over 1 year at five sites in south-western Western Australia (WA). Flowering and fruiting periods were distinct and differed both among sites and between mistletoe species. Nectar and ripe fruit were available for up to 5 months (Box Mistletoe) or 6-7 months (Wireleaf Mistletoe) at individual sites, but were available every month of the year across all sites. The presence of fruiting, but not flowering, mistletoe was associated with changes in bird community structure. Mistletoebirds (Dicaeum hirundinaceum) were significantly more likely to be recorded during months when ripe mistletoe fruit was present and the overall bird species richness was higher for these survey months. Mistletoes provide important resources, but further investigation is required to assess whether they act as a keystone resource in south-western WA.

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The Mistletoebird and Australian Mistletoes: Co-evolution or Coincidence?

Cited by 18 publications

References 5 publications

Comparison of dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp., Viscaceae) in the western United States with mistletoes (Amyema spp., Loranthaceae) in Australia—ecological analogs and reciprocal models for ecosystem management

Comparison of dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp., Viscaceae) in the western United States with mistletoes (Amyema spp., Loranthaceae) in Australia—ecological analogs and reciprocal models for ecosystem management

Avian consumption and seed germination of the hemiparasitic mistletoe Agelanthus natalitius (Loranthaceae)

Do bird species richness and community structure vary with mistletoe flowering and fruiting in Western Australia?

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