The Experts below are selected from a list of 760569 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Robert J. Gegear - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Adaptive Foraging of Pollinators Can Promote Pollination of a Rare Plant Species.
The American naturalist, 2018Co-Authors: Gita Benadi, Robert J. GegearAbstract:Most pollinators have the foraging flexibility to visit a wide variety of Plant Species. Yet few studies of pollinator-mediated processes in Plants have considered the effects of variation in individual foraging patterns on Plant reproductive success. In this study, we use an individual-based model of pollinator foraging economics to predict how visitation rates and pollination success of two coflowering Plant Species change with their frequency (relative abundance). Whereas previous studies suggested that adaptive foraging of pollinators always favors pollination of abundant Plant Species (positive frequency dependence), here we show that under certain conditions the per capita pollination success of a rare Plant Species can exceed that of a more abundant Species. Specifically, when the overall flower density is sufficiently high and pollinators' perception ranges are sufficiently large, animals with limited memory of previously encountered rewards forage in a way that favors pollination of the rarer Plant Species. Moreover, even with perfectly informed foragers, a rare Plant Species benefits more from offering a higher floral reward than a more abundant Species. Our results show that adaptive foraging of individual pollinators can have important implications for Plant community dynamics and the persistence of rare Plant Species.
Isabelle Dajoz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Competition with wind-pollinated Plant Species alters floral traits of insect-pollinated Plant Species.
Scientific reports, 2015Co-Authors: Floriane Flacher, Xavier Raynaud, Amandine Hansart, Eric Motard, Isabelle DajozAbstract:Plant traits related to attractiveness to pollinators (e.g. flowers and nectar) can be sensitive to abiotic or biotic conditions. Soil nutrient availability, as well as interactions among insect-pollinated Plants Species, can induce changes in flower and nectar production. However, further investigations are needed to determine the impact of interactions between insect-pollinated Species and abiotically pollinated Species on such floral traits, especially floral rewards. We carried out a pot experiment in which three insect-pollinated Plant Species were grown in binary mixtures with four wind-pollinated Plant Species, differing in their competitive ability. Along the flowering period, we measured floral traits of the insect-pollinated Species involved in attractiveness to pollinators (i.e. floral display size, flower size, daily and total 1) flower production, 2) nectar volume, 3) amount of sucrose allocated to nectar). Final Plant biomass was measured to quantify competitive interactions. For two out of three insect-pollinated Species, we found that the presence of a wind-pollinated Species can negatively impact floral traits involved in attractiveness to pollinators. This effect was stronger with wind-pollinated Species that induced stronger competitive interactions. These results stress the importance of studying the whole Plant community (and not just the insect-pollinated Plant community) when working on Plant-pollinator interactions.
J.y. Frissel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Why Some Plant Species Are Rare
PloS one, 2014Co-Authors: G. W. Wieger Wamelink, Paul W. Goedhart, J.y. FrisselAbstract:Biodiversity, including Plant Species diversity, is threatened worldwide as a result of anthropogenic pressures such as an increase of pollutants and climate change. Rare Species in particular are on the verge of becoming extinct. It is still unclear as to why some Plant Species are rare and others are not. Are they rare due to: intrinsic reasons, dispersal capacity, the effects of management or abiotic circumstances? Habitat preference of rare Plant Species may play an important role in determining why some Species are rare. Based on an extensive data set of soil parameters we investigated if rarity is due to a narrow habitat preference for abiotic soil parameters. For 23 different abiotic soil parameters, of which the most influential were groundwater-table, soil-pH and nutrient-contents, we estimated Species responses for common and rare Species. Based on the responses per Species we calculated the range of occurrence, the range between the 5 and 95 percentile of the response curve giving the habitat preference. Subsequently, we calculated the average response range for common and rare Species. In addition, we designed a new graphic in order to provide a better means for presentation of the results. The habitat preferences of rare Species for abiotic soil conditions are significantly narrower than for common Species. Twenty of the twenty-three abiotic parameters showed on average significantly narrower habitat preferences for rare Species than for common Species; none of the abiotic parameters showed on average a narrower habitat preference for common Species. The results have major implications for the conservation of rare Plant Species; accordingly management and nature development should be focussed on the maintenance and creation of a broad range of environmental conditions, so that the requirements of rare Species are met. The conservation of (abiotic) gradients within ecosystems is particularly important for preserving rare Species.
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Response curves for Plant Species and vegetation types
2007Co-Authors: W. Wamelink, Paul W. Goedhart, J.y. Frissel, R.m.a. Wegman, Pieter A. Slim, H.f. Van DobbenAbstract:Responses of Plant Species and phytosociological classes were estimated based on field measured abiotic conditions and vegetation releves. The responses for the phytosociological classes is limited to pH for now, however responses for Plant Species are estimated for 18 different soil conditions, for instance soil pH, spring groundwater table, potassium content of the soil, total nitrogen content of the soil
Gita Benadi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Adaptive Foraging of Pollinators Can Promote Pollination of a Rare Plant Species.
The American naturalist, 2018Co-Authors: Gita Benadi, Robert J. GegearAbstract:Most pollinators have the foraging flexibility to visit a wide variety of Plant Species. Yet few studies of pollinator-mediated processes in Plants have considered the effects of variation in individual foraging patterns on Plant reproductive success. In this study, we use an individual-based model of pollinator foraging economics to predict how visitation rates and pollination success of two coflowering Plant Species change with their frequency (relative abundance). Whereas previous studies suggested that adaptive foraging of pollinators always favors pollination of abundant Plant Species (positive frequency dependence), here we show that under certain conditions the per capita pollination success of a rare Plant Species can exceed that of a more abundant Species. Specifically, when the overall flower density is sufficiently high and pollinators' perception ranges are sufficiently large, animals with limited memory of previously encountered rewards forage in a way that favors pollination of the rarer Plant Species. Moreover, even with perfectly informed foragers, a rare Plant Species benefits more from offering a higher floral reward than a more abundant Species. Our results show that adaptive foraging of individual pollinators can have important implications for Plant community dynamics and the persistence of rare Plant Species.
Kenneth P. Vogel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Plant Species composition and biofuel yields of conservation grasslands
Ecological Applications, 2009Co-Authors: Paul R Adle, Ma A Sanderso, Paul J Weime, Kenneth P. VogelAbstract:Marginal croplands, such as those in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), have been suggested as a source of biomass for biofuel production. However, little is known about the composition of Plant Species on these conservation grasslands or their potential for ethanol production. Our objective was to assess the potential of CRP and other conservation grasslands for biofuel production, describing the relationships of Plant Species richness and tall native C4 prairie grass abundance with Plant chemical composition and the resulting potential ethanol yield. We determined Plant Species composition and diversity at multiple scales with the modified Whittaker plot technique, aboveground biomass, Plant chemical composition, and potential ethanol yield at 34 sites across the major ecological regions of the northeastern USA. Conservation grasslands with higher numbers of Plant Species had lower biomass yields and a lower ethanol yield per unit biomass compared with sites with fewer Species. Thus, biofuel yield ...
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Plant Species composition and biofuel yields of conservation grasslands
Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America, 2009Co-Authors: Paul R. Adler, Matt A. Sanderson, Paul J. Weimer, Kenneth P. VogelAbstract:Marginal croplands, such as those in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), have been suggested as a source of biomass for biofuel production. However, little is known about the composition of Plant Species on these conservation grasslands or their potential for ethanol production. Our objective was to assess the potential of CRP and other conservation grasslands for biofuel production, describing the relationships of Plant Species richness and tall native C4 prairie grass abundance with Plant chemical composition and the resulting potential ethanol yield. We determined Plant Species composition and diversity at multiple scales with the modified Whittaker plot technique, aboveground biomass, Plant chemical composition, and potential ethanol yield at 34 sites across the major ecological regions of the northeastern USA. Conservation grasslands with higher numbers of Plant Species had lower biomass yields and a lower ethanol yield per unit biomass compared with sites with fewer Species. Thus, biofuel yield per unit land area decreased by 77% as Plant Species richness increased from 3 to 12.8 Species per m2. We found that, as tall native C4 prairie grass abundance increased from 1.7% to 81.6%, the number of Plant Species decreased and aboveground biomass per unit land area and ethanol yield per unit biomass increased resulting in a 500% increased biofuel yield per unit land area. Plant Species richness and composition are key determinants of biomass and ethanol yields from conservation grasslands and have implications for low-input high-diversity systems. Designing systems to include a large proportion of Species with undesirable fermentation characteristics could reduce ethanol yields.
