Ecological factors associated with pre-dispersal predation of fig seeds and wasps by fig-specialist lepidopteran larvae

In brood pollination mutualisms, predation of developing fruit can have large negative repercussions for both plant and pollinator population dynamics. The Sonoran Desert rock fig Ficus petiolaris and its highly-coevolved wasp pollinator are subject to frequent attack by lepidopteran larvae that consume fig fruit and the developing seeds and larval pollinators they contain. We used generalized linear mixed models to investigate how the phenology, quantity, and spatial distribution of fig fruits is associated with variation in lepidopteran damage intensity on individual trees at nine geographic locations spanning a 741 km latitudinal transect along Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. We found lepidopteran damage to be strongly positively associated with more synchronous fig crops and larger trees, and only weakly associated with lower local host tree density. These results imply that fruit production that is asynchronous within trees and spread out over time, as observed in several fig species, benefits female and male components of fitness (pollen disperser and seed production, respectively) by reducing pre-dispersal predation by frugivores.     

Phytochrome mediates germination responses to multiple seasonal cues

We identified a new role of phytochrome in mediating germination responses to seasonal cues and thereby identified for the first time a gene involved in maternal environmental effects on germination. We examined the germination responses of a mutant, hy2-1, which is deficient in the phytochrome chromophore. The background genotype, Landsberg erecta (Ler), lacked dormancy in most treatments, while hy2-1 required cold stratification for germination in a manner that resembled a more dormant ecotype, Columbia (Col). Unlike Col, hy2-1 was not induced into dormancy by warm stratification. Therefore, the down-regulation of phytochrome-mediated germination pathways results in sensitivity to cold, but we found no evidence that reduced phytochrome activity enables the warm-induction of dormancy. Cool temperatures during seed maturation induced dormancy. The hy2-1 mutants did not overcome this dormancy, indicating that phytochrome-mediated pathways are required to break cold-induced dormancy. Ler did not respond to post-stratification temperature, but hy2-1 did respond, suggesting phytochrome pathways are involved in germination responses to temperature. In summary, phytochromes mediate dormancy and germination responses to seasonal cues experienced both during seed maturation and after dispersal. Phytochromes therefore appear to be involved in mediating seasonal germination timing, a trait of great ecological importance and one that is under strong natural selection.     

Sex‐dependent thermal history influences cold tolerance,longevity and fecundity in false codling moth Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

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Parental effects in Plantago lanceolata L. III. Measuring parental temperature effects in the field

To determine the evolutionary importance of parental environmental effects in natural populations, we must begin to measure the magnitude of these effects in the field. For this reason, we conducted a combined growth chamber-field experiment to measure parental temperature effects in Plantago lanceolata. We grew in the field offspring of controlled crosses of chamber-grown parents subjected to six temperature treatments. Each treatment was characterized by a unique combination of maternal prezygotic (prior to fertilization), paternal prezygotic, and postzygotic (during fertilization and seed set) temperatures. Offspring were followed for three years to measure the effects of treatment on several life-history traits and population growth rate, our estimate of fitness. Parental treatment influenced germination, growth, and reproduction of newborns, but not survival or reproduction of offspring at least one year old. High postzygotic temperature significantly increased germination and leaf area at 17 weeks by approximately 35% and 2%, respectively. Probability of flowering and spike production in the newborn age class showed significant parental genotype x parental treatment interactions. High postzygotic temperature increased offspring fitness by approximately 50%. The strongest contributors to fitness were germination and probability of flowering and spike production of newborns. A comparison of our data with previously collected data for chambergrown offspring shows that the influence of parental environment on offspring phenotype is weaker but still biologically meaningful in the field. The results provide evidence that parental environment influences offspring fitness in natural populations of P. lanceolata and does so by affecting the life-history traits most strongly contributing to fitness. The data suggest that from the perspective of offspring fitness, natural selection favors parents that flower later in the flowering season in the North Carolina Piedmont when it is warmer. Genotypic-specific differences in response of offspring reproductive traits to parental environment suggest that parental environmental effects can influence the rate of evolutionary change in P. lanceolata.     

Density effects of flowering phenology and mating potential in Nicotiana alata

Summary We investigated effects of plant density on floral phenology and potential mating in artificial populations of the outcrossing ornamental Nicotiana alata planted at three densities. Path analysis revealed that increasing plant density yielded significantly earlier peak flowering dates, significantly earlier last flowering dates, and significantly lower plant biomass. Direct effects of density on final flower number were not significant. Variation among replicate plots for first date of flowering was larger than variation among densities, indicating that factors other than density influence floral initiation.We did not record actual mating, but determined from phenological data the number and identity of potential mates. Increased density had several effects on potential mating patterns and on potential N_e, effective population number. At high density, fewer focal plants flowered for shorter durations. This led to less overlap in flowering time among plants, decreasing the number of potential parental combinations possible among the progeny. Two outcomes of high density, the lower total number of plants flowering and the lower number of plants flowering at most census dates, tended to reduce potential N_e. In contrast, it was low density, where variance in flower number was greatest, that was most likely to yield the greatest reduction in N_e due to variance in progeny number.At high density the potential for assortative mating among tall plants was much greater and occurred later than among large plants at low density. Much of the potential high density assortative mating occurred late in the phenology of individual plants, when there was likely to be lower fruit set.We discuss how ecological agents that alter flowering phenology can potentially alter the genetics of populations, the level and timing of assortative mating and, if genetic variation for response to such ecological agents exists, the potential selection regime.     

不同来源地同种植物种群间物候期比较研究

通过比较西双版纳植物园内雨树和甜菜豆不同大洲来源种群间的物候期,本研究探讨了两种植物种群间的物候分化现象及其与气候因子的关系。结果发现:(1)两种植物不同来源地种群间物候期相似,但是同步性不高,呈现明显的分化现象,且不同种群间萌叶起始期先后顺序差异显著;(2)不同种群间物候期同步系数与气候因子相关,尤其干季气候因子。因此可以认为:不同的生境气候因子是导致两种植物不同种群间出现物候变异的重要因子,并且这种关系可能会影响不同种群对气候变化的响应。     

Seasonal mortality trends in tree‐feeding insects: a field experiment

Abstract 1. The majority of general life‐history models treat the environment as being invariable through time, even though temporal variation in selective agents could dramatically change the outcomes, e.g. in terms of optimal size and time at maturity. For herbivorous insects, seasonal differences in food quality are reasonably well described, but seasonal dynamics of top‐down selective forces are poorly documented. 2. The present study attempted to quantify seasonal changes in predation risk of folivorous insect larvae in temperate forest habitats. In a series of field experiments, artificial larvae were exposed to predators, and the resulting bird‐inflicted damage was recorded. The trials were repeated regularly throughout the course of two summers. 3. A distinct peak of larval mortality was recorded in mid‐June (the nestling period for most insectivorous passerine birds), after which predation risk declined to a plateau of 20–30% below the peak value. 4. The recorded pattern is interpreted as a consequence of seasonal changes in the number and behaviour of insectivorous birds, and the abundance of alternative food resources for these predators. 5. A quantitative analysis based on field data indicated that considering temporal variation in mortality in life‐history models is crucial for obtaining realistic predictions concerning central life‐history traits, such as final body size in different generations.     

Trophic level asynchrony in rates of phenological change for marine,freshwater and terrestrial environments

Recent changes in the seasonal timing (phenology) of familiar biological events have been one of the most conspicuous signs of climate change. However, the lack of a standardized approach to analysing change has hampered assessment of consistency in such changes among different taxa and trophic levels and across freshwater, terrestrial and marine environments. We present a standardized assessment of 25 532 rates of phenological change for 726 UK terrestrial, freshwater and marine taxa. The majority of spring and summer events have advanced, and more rapidly than previously documented. Such consistency is indicative of shared large scale drivers. Furthermore, average rates of change have accelerated in a way that is consistent with observed warming trends. Less coherent patterns in some groups of organisms point to the agency of more local scale processes and multiple drivers. For the first time we show a broad scale signal of differential phenological change among trophic levels; across environments advances in timing were slowest for secondary consumers, thus heightening the potential risk of temporal mismatch in key trophic interactions. If current patterns and rates of phenological change are indicative of future trends, future climate warming may exacerbate trophic mismatching, further disrupting the functioning, persistence and resilience of many ecosystems and having a major impact on ecosystem services.     

The phenology of Guyanese timber species: a compilation of a century of observations

Flowering and fruiting of timber trees have been recorded in Guyana for over a century. Although the data are dispersed over a large number of non-consecutive years, from 1887 until 1989, they give a very good estimate of the probability of a species being in flower or fruit in a certain month. Flowering seems correlated with peak sunshine, while fruiting is related to maximum rainfall.     

植物物候对气候变化的响应

植物物候的变化可以直观地反映某些气候变化,尤其是气候变暖.植物生长节律的变化引起植物与环境关系的改变.生态系统的物质循环（如水和碳的循环）等过程将随物候而改变.不同种类植物物候对气候变化的响应的差异,会使植物间和动植物间的竞争与依赖关系也发生深刻的变化.目前欧洲、美洲、亚洲等许多地区均有关于春季植物物候提前,秋季物候推迟,使植物的生长季延长,从而提示气候变暖的趋势.植物物候的模拟模型构成生态系统生产力模型的重要部分.     

Radiation-constrained boundaries cause nonuniform responses of the carbon uptake phenology to climatic warming in the Northern Hemisphere

Climatic warming has lengthened the photosynthetically active season in recent decades, thus affecting the functioning and biogeochemistry of ecosystems, the global carbon cycle and climate. Temperature response of carbon uptake phenology varies spatially and temporally, even within species, and daily total intensity of radiation may play a role. We empirically modelled the thresholds of temperature and radiation under which daily carbon uptake is constrained in the temperate and cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere, which include temperate forests, boreal forests, alpine and tundra biomes. The two-dimensionality of the temperature-radiation constraint was reduced to one single variable, θ, which represents the angle in a polar coordinate system for the temperature-radiation observations during the start and end of the growing season. We found that radiation will constrain the trend towards longer growing seasons with future warming but differently during the start and end of season and depending on the biome type and region. We revealed that radiation is a major factor limiting photosynthetic activity that constrains the phenology response to temperature during the end-of-season. In contrast, the start of the carbon uptake is overall highly sensitive to temperature but not constrained by radiation at the hemispheric scale. This study thus revealed that while at the end-of-season the phenology response to warming is constrained at the hemispheric scale, at the start-of-season the advance of spring onset may continue, even if it is at a slower pace.     

A comparative study of satellite and ground-based phenology

Long time series of ground-based plant phenology, as well as more than two decades of satellite-derived phenological metrics, are currently available to assess the impacts of climate variability and trends on terrestrial vegetation. Traditional plant phenology provides very accurate information on individual plant species, but with limited spatial coverage. Satellite phenology allows monitoring of terrestrial vegetation on a global scale and provides an integrative view at the landscape level. Linking the strengths of both methodologies has high potential value for climate impact studies. We compared a multispecies index from ground-observed spring phases with two types (maximum slope and threshold approach) of satellite-derived start-of-season (SOS) metrics. We focus on Switzerland from 1982 to 2001 and show that temporal and spatial variability of the multispecies index correspond well with the satellite-derived metrics. All phenological metrics correlate with temperature anomalies as expected. The slope approach proved to deviate strongly from the temporal development of the ground observations as well as from the threshold-defined SOS satellite measure. The slope spring indicator is considered to indicate a different stage in vegetation development and is therefore less suited as a SOS parameter for comparative studies in relation to ground-observed phenology. Satellite-derived metrics are, however, very susceptible to snow cover, and it is suggested that this snow cover should be better accounted for by the use of newer satellite sensors.     

Flowering plant phenology and weather in Alberta,Canada

Plant phenology can be used for biomonitoring climate change. The flowering of certain temperate zone plant species occurs in response to accumulated heat. Networks of observers presently provide data on the timing of the growth of native and crop plants to Agro-meteorological Departments in Europe and the United States. In Alberta, a phenological survey which began in 1987 records flowering times for 15 native plants, with about 200 volunteers contributing observations annually. Six years of data have been summarized and correlated with temperature measurements. The Alberta phenological data can provide a key to sound decision-making in two ways: by providing proxy data on key variables to which vegetation responds, and by providing a model for transforming simple weather data into biologically meaningful zones.     

The fitness benefits of germinating later than neighbors

Premise of the Study

Phenology, the seasonal timing of development, can alter biotic interactions. Emergence from dormant or quiescent stages often occurs earlier when neighbors are present, which may reduce the neighbors' competitive effects. Delayed emergence in response to neighbors also has been observed, but the potential benefits of such delays are unclear. Further, emergence time may respond to neighbors experienced by parents, which may predict future competition in offspring.

Methods

In the annual plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae), we quantified seed germination responses to neighbors in parental and offspring (seed) environments. To examine how observed changes in germination affect interactions with neighbors, we performed an outdoor experiment using neighbors of different sizes to represent different germination times.

Key Results

Seeds were more likely to germinate if their parent had neighbors, but they were less likely to germinate if they themselves experienced a neighbor cue (canopy). As seeds lost dormancy over time, they gained the ability to germinate under a canopy, which suggests that they germinate later in the presence of neighbors. Neighbors of both sizes reduced growth, survival to reproduction, fecundity, and total fitness, but large neighbors increased seedling survival. Smaller neighbors provided no such benefit and had stronger negative effects.

Conclusions

Delayed germination in response to neighbors can reduce negative interactions and promote positive ones if it occurs late enough to expose seedlings to larger neighbors. By altering relative phenologies and, in turn, the outcomes of biotic interactions, phenological responses to environmental change may influence species interactions and community dynamics.     

Sampling Effects on Food Availability Estimates: Phenological Method,Sample Size,and Species Composition1

It is currently recognized that the method used to collect phenology data can affect the resulting pattern. However, to date, the underlying influences have not been examined. To examine potential methodological biases, we investigated the effects of phenological method, sample size, and species composition on phenological patterns using data collected to estimate food availability for three primate species in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. Two phenological methods were compared: selected tree observations and systematic transect monitoring. By generating bootstrapped subsamples derived from the transect tree data set, we simulated two selected tree data sets and subsequently compared the observed and bootstrapped values. Although the observed values fell within the bootstrapped confidence inrervals, suggesting no significant effects of sampling protocol or sample size, additional lines of evidence suggest otherwise. Observed samples composed of different plant species, whether based on species attributes such as life-form or categories such as food versus nonfood plants, consistently produced different phenological patterns. Wide confidence intervals of the bootstrapped samples indicate high individual variation in reproductive activity within the species sampled. Finally, we compared how well the selected tree and the transect methods represented food items used by all three primate species studied and found that transect methods sampled a wider diversity of food items, including rare foods, and a higher percentage of main primate food items than selected tree methods.     

Utilization of aerobiological,phenological and phytogeographical data in allergology

Summary The practical aim of our research work was to point out the advantages of a deeper knowledge of botanical data in allergology. Aerobiological monitoring is not enough for an analysis of the formation and development of pollen rain. The following emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary studies in the approach to the pollinosis problem: — A phytogeographical study in the area investigated has made it possible a) to ascertain the correlation between aerobiological and phytogeographical data and to understand the reasons of some of the discordances, b) to select an allergen panel for testing including pollens of species peculiar to that particular region; a more accurate appreciation of the distribution of different allergenic pollen source areas in the light of local meteorological conditions, will be an excellent guideline for the interpretation and prediction of symptoms in allergic patients. — A phenological checking of the flowering period on location for allergenic species in the area next to the sampling station has made it possible to assess the flowering interval and peak for each species and to attribute the responsibility for the pollen and symptom peaks to a particular species within the same family at a specific moment. The above data are the basis and sometimes the only support available for the interpretation of aerobiological data.     

Three‐dimensional change in temperature sensitivity of northern vegetation phenology

Understanding how the temperature sensitivity of phenology changes with three spatial dimensions (altitude, latitude, and longitude) is critical for the prediction of future phenological synchronization. Here we investigate the spatial pattern of temperature sensitivity of spring and autumn phenology with altitude, latitude, and longitude during 1982–2016 across mid‐ and high‐latitude Northern Hemisphere (north of 30°N). We find distinct spatial patterns of temperature sensitivity of spring phenology (hereafter “spring S_T”) among altitudinal, latitudinal, and longitudinal gradient. Spring S_T decreased with altitude mostly over eastern Europe, whereas the opposite occurs in eastern North America and the north China plain. Spring S_T decreased with latitude mainly in the boreal regions of North America, temperate Eurasia, and the arid/semi‐arid regions of Central Asia. This distribution may be related to the increased temperature variance, decreased precipitation, and radiation with latitude. Compared to spring S_T, the spatial pattern of temperature sensitivity of autumn phenology (hereafter “autumn S_T”) is more heterogeneous, only showing a clear spatial pattern of autumn S_T along the latitudinal gradient. Our results highlight the three‐dimensional view to understand the phenological response to climate change and provide new metrics for evaluating phenological models. Accordingly, establishing a dense, high‐quality three‐dimensional observation system of phenology data is necessary for enhancing our ability to both predict phenological changes under changing climatic conditions and to facilitate sustainable management of ecosystems.     

高寒矮生嵩草草甸主要植物物候特征对养分和水分添加的响应

植物物候特征对环境条件的季节和年际变化具有较强的指示作用, 因此研究植物物候特征对环境条件变化的响应, 对理解植物和环境之间的相互作用关系、植物的适应机制和生存策略, 以及应对全球变化都具有重要的意义。该研究基于2009-2011年高寒矮生嵩草(Kobresia humilis)草甸养分水分控制实验的植物物候观测数据资料, 采用巢式方差分析、物候指数和聚类分析方法, 开展了高寒矮生嵩草草甸主要植物物候特征对养分和水分添加的响应研究。结果表明: (1)养分添加处理之间植物返青期和枯黄期均无显著差异, 但养分添加中氮磷处理对主要物种作用较明显, 使莎草科、禾本科、杂类草主要代表植物的返青期和枯黄期推迟。(2)增雪处理效应明显, 主要优势物种无论是何种养分添加, 在增雪处理后均表现出花期物候提前的趋势(p < 0.01), 同时增雪处理使杂类草植物返青期显著提前(p < 0.05)。增水处理对植物的作用效果并不一致, 其中垂穗披碱草(Elymus nutans)和双柱头藨草(Scirpus distigmaticus)的枯黄期显著推迟(p < 0.05), 而杂类草枯黄期提前。(3)养分添加后, 不同物种的物候特征表现出显著差异(p < 0.01), 例如雪白委陵菜(Potentilla nivea)枯黄期显著推迟(p < 0.05), 而双柱头藨草的枯黄期显著提前(p < 0.05), 但物种对养分添加响应的差异以植物类群为单位, 禾本科植物表现为返青期推迟, 而莎草科植物表现为返青期提前。(4)矮生嵩草草甸主要植物营养生长期与果后营养期持续天数之间呈负相关关系, 主要植物物候特征经聚类分析可以分为3个类群, 3个类群经氮磷钾、钾和氮钾三个养分添加处理后植物物候特征变化较大。研究表明, 高寒矮生嵩草草甸植物物候特征在物种水平响应和水分添加后的响应表现出较大差异, 而对养分添加的响应不显著。     

Large‐scale longitudinal climate gradient across the Palearctic region affects passerine feather moult extent

Large‐scale spatial gradients of environmental conditions shape organisms, populations and ecosystems. Even though environmental gradients are a key research theme in macro‐ecology and biogeography, the effects of large‐scale, east–west, environmental gradients are largely overlooked compared with north–south gradients. Our study focused on feather moult, an important and energy demanding process in birds. By comparing Western and Eastern Palearctic populations of 21 species, we found that juvenile passerines in the Western and Eastern Palearctic differ in the number of feathers moulted as part of their post‐juvenile moult. This difference is most likely the result of a large‐scale climatic gradient in cold season duration and consequent differences in the time available for moulting. Eastern populations were characterized by a limited extent of feather moult that was additionally affected by migration distance and body mass. The longer migration distance in the Eastern Palearctic caused a generally less extensive moult while high body mass was correlated with a low difference in moult extent between the Western and Eastern Palearctic regions. These results highlight the importance of linking annual cycle processes at the organismal level to the specific environmental conditions within the distribution range of each species.