Positive indirect interactions between neighboring plant species via a lizard pollinator |
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Authors: | Hansen Dennis M Kiesbüy Heine C Jones Carl G Müller Christine B |
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Institution: | Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland. dhansen@uwinst.unizh.ch |
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Abstract: | In natural communities, species are embedded in networks of direct and indirect interactions. Most studies on indirect interactions have focused on how they affect predator-prey or competitive relationships. However, it is equally likely that indirect interactions play an important structuring role in mutualistic relationships in a natural community. We demonstrate experimentally that on a small spatial scale, dense thickets of endemic Pandanus plants have a strong positive trait-mediated indirect effect on the reproduction of the declining endemic Mauritian plant Trochetia blackburniana. This effect is mediated by the endemic gecko Phelsuma cepediana moving between Pandanus thickets, a preferred microhabitat, and nearby T. blackburniana plants, where it feeds on nectar and pollinates the plants. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering plant-animal interactions such as pollination at relatively small spatial scales in both basic ecological studies and applied conservation management. |
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