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Manipulation of host plant physiology by leaf-galling insects is a multifaceted process. Among fundamental knowledge gaps surrounding this scientifically intriguing phenomenon is the appropriation of plant mineral nutrients and moisture for galling advantage. Small, soluble mineral ions and watery cell contents in dense gall tissues risk disruption during routine sample preparations. In this study, an X-ray microanalysis was applied to investigate gall mineral nutrition. Morphologically diverse leaf galls were sampled from three Australian rainforest tree species. Using cryo-analytical scanning electron microscopy, real-time X-ray analytical maps of cellular mineral nutrients and water were integrated with anatomical images of gall and leaf cross-sectional surfaces. A comparison of host-leaf and gall anatomies bore direct evidence of drastic changes to leaf cells through the galling process. Distinct "wet" and "dry" regions within galls were anatomically and/or chemically differentiated, suggesting specific functionality. "Wet" regions comprising hydrated cells including soft gall-cavity linings where larvae are known to feed contained soluble plant mineral nutrients, while C-rich "dry" tissues largely devoid of mineral nutrients likely contribute structural support. Mapping immobile nutrients such as Mn may provide a means of "matching" specific gall cell types to those in ungalled host-leaf tissues. The findings here provided otherwise inaccessible insights into leaf-gall mineral nutrition.
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Insetos , Minerais , Folhas de Planta , Tumores de Planta , Folhas de Planta/química , Animais , Minerais/análise , Minerais/metabolismo , Tumores de Planta/parasitologia , Insetos/fisiologia , Microanálise por Sonda Eletrônica , Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura , Austrália , Temperatura Baixa , ÁrvoresRESUMO
The emergent properties of the collection of species in a natural community, such as diversity and the distribution of relative abundances, are influenced by both niche-based and neutral (stochastic) processes. This pluralistic view of the natural world reconciles theory with empirical observations better than does either a strictly niche- or neutrality-based perspective. Even so, rules (or rules of thumb) that govern the relative contributions that niche-based and stochastic processes make as communities assemble remain only vaguely formulated and incompletely tested. For example, the translation of non-random (non-neutral) ecological processes, which differentially sort among species within a community, into species-compositional patterns may occur more influentially within some demographic subsets of organisms than within others. In other words, the relative contributions of niche vs. neutral processes may vary among age-, size-, or stage-classes. For example, non-random patterns of mortality that occur among seedlings in a rain forest, or among newly settled juveniles in communities of sessile marine communities, could be more influential than non-random mortality during later stages in determining overall community diversity. We propose two alternative, mutually compatible, hypotheses to account for different levels of influence from mortality among life-cycle stages toward producing non-random patterns in organismal communities. The Turnover Model simply posits that those demographic classes characterized by faster rates of turnover contribute greater influence in the short-term as sufficient mortality gives rise to non-random changes to the community, as well as over the longer-term as multiple individuals of a given fast-turnover demographic class transition into later classes compared to each individual that ratchets from a slow-turnover starting class into a later class. The Turnover Model should apply to most communities of organisms. The Niche Model, which posits that niche-based processes are more influential in some demographic classes relative to others, may alternatively or additionally apply to communities. We also propose several alternative mechanisms, especially relevant to forest trees, that could cause dynamics consistent with the Niche Model. These mechanisms depend on differences among demographic classes in the extent of demographic variation that individual organisms experience through their trait values or neighborhood conditions.
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Florestas , Árvores , Animais , Biodiversidade , Ecossistema , Estágios do Ciclo de Vida , Dinâmica Populacional , Processos EstocásticosRESUMO
A variety of ecological processes influence diversity and species composition in natural communities. Most of these processes, whether abiotic or biotic, differentially filter individuals from birth to death, thereby altering species' relative abundances. Nonrandom outcomes could accrue throughout ontogeny, or the processes that generate them could be particularly influential at certain stages. One long-standing paradigm in tropical forest ecology holds that patterns of relative abundance among mature trees are largely set by processes operating at the earliest life cycle stages. Several studies confirm filtering processes at some stages, but the longevity of large trees makes a rigorous comparison across size classes impossible without long-term demographic data. Here, we use one of the world's longest-running, plot-based forest dynamics projects to compare nonrandom outcomes across stage classes. We considered a cohort of 7,977 individuals in 186 species that were alive in 1971 and monitored in 13 mortality censuses over 42 y to 2013. Nonrandom mortality with respect to species identity occurred more often in the smaller rather than the larger size classes. Furthermore, observed nonrandom mortality in the smaller size classes had a diversifying influence; species richness of the survivors was up to 30% greater than expected in the two smallest size classes, but not greater than expected in the larger size classes. These results highlight the importance of early life cycle stages in tropical forest community dynamics. More generally, they add to an accumulating body of evidence for the importance of early-stage nonrandom outcomes to community structure in marine and terrestrial environments.
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Biodiversidade , Florestas , Clima TropicalRESUMO
The entry of secondary invaders into, or their expansion within, native communities is contingent on the changes wrought by other (primary) invaders. When primary invaders have altered more than one property of the recipient community, standard descriptive and modeling approaches only provide a best guess of the mechanism permitting the secondary invasion. In rainforest on Christmas Island, we conducted a manipulative field experiment to determine the mechanism of invasion success for a community of land snails dominated by non-native species. The invasion of rainforest by the yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) has facilitated these land snails, either by creating enemy-free space and/or increased habitat and resources (in the form of leaf litter) through the removal of the native omnivorous-detritivorous red land crab (Gecarcoidea natalis). We manipulated predator densities (high and low) and leaf litter (high and low) in replicated blocks of four treatment combinations at two sites. Over the course of one wet season (five months), we found that plots with high leaf litter biomass contained significantly more snails than those with low biomass, regardless of whether those plots had high or low predation pressure, at both the site where land crabs have always been abundant, and at the site where they have been absent for many years prior to the experiment. Each site was dominated by small snail species (<2 mm length), and through handling size and predation experiments we demonstrated that red crabs tend not to handle and eat snails of that size. These results suggest that secondary invasion by this community of non-native land snails is facilitated most strongly by habitat and resource augmentation, an indirect consequence of red land crab removal, and that the creation of enemy-free space is not important. By using a full-factorial experimental approach, we have confidently determined-rather than inferred-the mechanism by which primary invaders indirectly facilitate a community of secondary invaders.
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Ecossistema , Espécies Introduzidas , Animais , Formigas , Austrália , Braquiúros , CaramujosRESUMO
The factors that influence population structure and connectivity are unknown for most terrestrial invertebrates but are of particular interest both for understanding the impacts of disturbance and for determining accurate levels of biodiversity and local endemism. The main objective of this study was to determine the historical patterns of genetic differentiation and contemporary gene flow in the terrestrial snail, Austrochloritis kosciuszkoensis (Shea & O. L. Griffiths, 2010). Snails were collected in the Mt Buffalo and Alpine National Parks in Victoria, in a bid to understand how populations of this species are connected both within continuous habitat and between adjacent, yet separate environments. Utilising both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, the degree of population structure was determined within and between sites. Very high levels of genetic divergence were found between the Mt Buffalo and Alpine snails, with no evidence for genetic exchange detected between the two regions, indicating speciation has possibly occurred between the two regions. Our analyses of the combined mtDNA and nDNA (generated from SNPs) data have revealed patterns of genetic diversity that are consistent with a history of long-term isolation and limited connectivity. This history may be related to past cycles of changes to the climate over hundreds of thousands of years, which have, in part, caused the fragmentation of Australian forests. Within both regions, extremely limited gene flow between separate populations suggests that these land snails have very limited dispersal capabilities across existing landscape barriers, especially at Mt Buffalo: here, populations only 5 km apart from each other are genetically differentiated. The distinct genetic divergences and clearly reduced dispersal ability detected in this data explain the likely existence of at least two previously unnamed cryptic Austrochloritis species within a 30-50 km radius, and highlight the need for more concentrated efforts to understand population structure and gene flow in terrestrial invertebrates.
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Although birds and mammals play important roles in several mechanisms hypothesized to maintain plant diversity in species-rich habitats, there have been few long-term, community-level tests of their importance. We excluded terrestrial birds and mammals from fourteen 6 x 7.5 m plots in Australian primary tropical rain forest and compared recruitment and survival of tree seedlings annually over the subsequent seven years to that on nearby open plots. We re-censused a subset of the plots after 13 years of vertebrate exclusion to test for longer-term effects. After two years of exclusion, seedling abundance was significantly higher (74%) on exclosure plots and remained so at each subsequent census. Richness was significantly higher on exclosure plots from 1998 to 2003, but in 2009 richness no longer differed, and rarefied species richness was higher in the presence of vertebrates. Shannon's diversity and Pielou's evenness did not differ in any year. Vertebrates marginally increased density-dependent mortality and recruitment limitation, but neither effect was great enough to increase richness or diversity on open plots relative to exclosure plots. Terrestrial vertebrates significantly altered seedling community composition, having particularly strong impacts on members of the Lauraceae. Overall, our results highlight that interactions between terrestrial vertebrates and tropical tree recruitment may not translate into strong community-level effects on diversity, especially over the short-term, despite significant impacts on individual species that result in altered species composition.
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Biodiversidade , Plântula/fisiologia , Árvores/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Clima Tropical , Vertebrados/fisiologia , Animais , Austrália , Comportamento Alimentar/fisiologia , Dinâmica Populacional , Fatores de Tempo , Árvores/fisiologiaRESUMO
In multiply invaded ecosystems, introduced species should interact with each other as well as with native species. Invader-invader interactions may affect the success of further invaders by altering attributes of recipient communities and propagule pressure. The invasional meltdown hypothesis (IMH) posits that positive interactions among invaders initiate positive population-level feedback that intensifies impacts and promotes secondary invasions. IMH remains controversial: few studies show feedback between invaders that amplifies their effects, and none yet demonstrate facilitation of entry and spread of secondary invaders. Our results show that supercolonies of an alien ant, promoted by mutualism with introduced honeydew-secreting scale insects, permitted invasion by an exotic land snail on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Modeling of land snail spread over 750 sites across 135 km2 over seven years showed that the probability of land snail invasion was facilitated 253-fold in ant supercolonies but impeded in intact forest where predaceous native land crabs remained abundant. Land snail occurrence at neighboring sites, a measure of propagule pressure, also promoted land snail spread. Site comparisons and experiments revealed that ant supercolonies, by killing land crabs but not land snails, disrupted biotic resistance and provided enemy-free space. Predation pressure on land snails was lower (28.6%), survival 115 times longer, and abundance 20-fold greater in supercolonies than in intact forest. Whole-ecosystem suppression of supercolonies reversed the probability of land snail invasion by allowing recolonization of land crabs; land snails were much less likely (0.79%) to invade sites where supercolonies were suppressed than where they remained intact. Our results provide strong empirical evidence for IMH by demonstrating that mutualism between invaders reconfigures key interactions in the recipient community. This facilitates entry of secondary invaders and elevates propagule pressure, propagating their spread at the whole-ecosystem level. We show that identification and management of key facilitative interactions in invaded ecosystems can be used to reverse impacts and restore resistance to further invasions.
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Ecossistema , Insetos/fisiologia , Espécies Introduzidas , Caramujos/fisiologia , Animais , Braquiúros/fisiologia , Demografia , Insetos/classificação , Micronésia , Densidade Demográfica , Caramujos/classificaçãoRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW: Mönckeberg arteriosclerosis is a disease of unknown etiology characterized by dystrophic calcifications within the tunica media of small- and medium-sized arteries, leading to reduced arterial compliance. The authors report a case discovered incidentally on dental radiographs. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 78-year-old man with a complex medical history was seen for routine oral health care. Panoramic and bite-wing radiographs revealed a tortuous, linear calcification in the area of the left mandibular first molar anterior to the angle of the mandible and suggestive of a calcified facial artery. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Medical radiologists have used the presence of arterial calcifications to determine the severity and prognosis of such diseases as primary hyperparathyroidism, secondary hyperparathyroidism, coronary artery disease, and diabetes. The presence of Mönckeberg arteriosclerosis on dental radiographs can help oral health care professionals identify patients with undiagnosed systemic disease.
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Arteriosclerose , Calcinose , Esclerose Calcificante da Média de Monckeberg , Idoso , Arteriosclerose/complicações , Arteriosclerose/diagnóstico por imagem , Calcinose/diagnóstico por imagem , Humanos , Masculino , Artéria Maxilar , Esclerose Calcificante da Média de Monckeberg/diagnóstico por imagem , Radiografia Panorâmica , Túnica MédiaRESUMO
Mitochondrial dysfunction is both a cause and target of reactive oxygen species during ischemia-reperfusion, drug, and toxicant injury. After injury, renal proximal tubular cells (RPTC) recover mitochondrial function by increasing the expression of the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, peroxisome-proliferator-activated-receptor-gamma-coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha). The goal of this study was to determine whether 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor agonists increase mitochondrial biogenesis and accelerate the recovery of mitochondrial function. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed the presence of 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, and 5-HT2C receptor mRNA in RPTC. The 5-HT2 receptor agonist 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane hydrochloride (DOI; 3-10 microM) increased PGC-1alpha levels, expression of mitochondrial proteins ATP synthase beta and NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1beta subcomplex 8 (NDUFB8), MitoTracker Red staining intensity, cellular respiration, and ATP levels through a 5-HT receptor and PGC-1alpha-dependent pathway. Similar effects were observed with the 5-HT2 agonist m-chlorophenylpiperazine and were blocked by the 5-HT2 antagonist 8-[3-(4-fluorophenoxy) propyl]-1-phenyl-1,3,8-triazaspiro[4,5]decan-4-one (AMI-193). In addition, DOI accelerated the recovery of mitochondrial function after oxidant-induced injury in RPTC. This is the first report to demonstrate 5-HT receptor-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis, and we suggest that 5-HT-agonists may be effective in the treatment of mitochondrial and cell injury.
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Anfetaminas/farmacologia , Mitocôndrias/efeitos dos fármacos , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Agonistas do Receptor de Serotonina/farmacologia , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Animais , Células Cultivadas , Células Epiteliais/efeitos dos fármacos , Células Epiteliais/metabolismo , Feminino , Proteínas de Choque Térmico , Humanos , Túbulos Renais Proximais/efeitos dos fármacos , Túbulos Renais Proximais/metabolismo , Mitocôndrias Musculares , Consumo de Oxigênio , Piperazinas/farmacologia , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Coelhos , Antagonistas da Serotonina/farmacologia , Compostos de Espiro/farmacologiaRESUMO
Biological invasions can alter direct and indirect interactions between species, generating far-reaching changes in ecological networks that affect key ecological functions. We used model and real fruit assays to show that the invasion and formation of high-density supercolonies by the yellow crazy ant (YCA), Anoplolepis gracilipes, disrupt frugivory by endemic birds on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. The overall handling rates of model fruits by birds were 2.2-2.4-fold lower in ant-invaded than in uninvaded rainforest, and pecking rates by two bird species declined by 2.6- and 4.5-fold, respectively. YCAs directly interfered with frugivory; their experimental exclusion from fruiting displays increased fruit handling threefold to sixfold, compounding indirect effects of ant invasion on resources and habitat structure that influence bird abundances and behaviours. This invasive ant, whose high densities are sustained through mutualism with introduced scale insects, rapidly decreases fruit handling by endemic island birds and may erode a key ecological function, seed dispersal. Because most other invasive ant species form expansive, high-density supercolonies that depend in part on association with hemipteran mutualists, the effects that we report here on avian frugivore-plant associations may emerge across their introduced ranges.
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Formigas/fisiologia , Aves/fisiologia , Ecossistema , Comportamento Alimentar/fisiologia , Animais , Teorema de Bayes , Frutas , Hemípteros/fisiologia , Ilhas do Oceano Índico , Dinâmica Populacional , SimbioseRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to (1) compare bone loss detection accuracy with intraoral radiography and registered cone beam computed tomography (CBCT); (2) assess repeatability with both modalities; (3) determine factors affecting defect detection; and (4) determine the effect of buccolingual bone thickness on defect detection. STUDY DESIGN: Six observers viewed intraoral radiographs and CBCT scans before and after the defect to determine defect presence and extent. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC), sensitivity, specificity, logistic regression, odds ratio, intraclass correlation coefficient, and weighted kappa were used. RESULTS: CBCT and intraoral radiography mean ROC area under the curve values were not statistically different (0.90 vs 0.81; Pâ¯=â¯.06). CBCT had higher sensitivity compared with intraoral radiography (0.85 vs 0.63; Pâ¯=â¯.01) but similar specificity (0.91 vs 0.84; Pâ¯=â¯.45). Bone thickness, imaging modality, and observer had significant effects on defect detection (P < .001). Odds ratios for CBCT vs intraoral radiography were 2.29 for diagnostic accuracy and 1.52 for buccolingual bone thickness. There was moderate interobserver agreement for detection of defects and substantial intraobserver agreement for measurement of extent. CONCLUSIONS: CBCT showed equivalent diagnostic efficacy and specificity for defect detection and higher sensitivity compared with intraoral radiography. CBCT increases the odds of accurate defect assessment more than 2-fold compared with intraoral radiography. The odds of bone loss detection increase by approximately 50% per millimeter of buccolingual alveolar bone loss.
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Perda do Osso Alveolar , Tomografia Computadorizada de Feixe Cônico , Mandíbula/diagnóstico por imagem , Humanos , Curva ROC , Radiografia Dentária Digital , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
Peroxisome proliferator activator receptor gamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a transcriptional coactivator known to mediate mitochondrial biogenesis. Whereas PGC-1alpha transcription is regulated by a variety of signaling cascades, the mechanisms of PGC-1alpha degradation have received less investigation. Thus, we investigated the mechanisms responsible for PGC-1alpha degradation in renal proximal tubular cells (RPTC). Amino acid sequence analysis of the PGC-1alpha protein revealed three PEST sequence-rich regions, predictive of proteolysis by calpains and/or the proteasome. Under basal conditions, treatment with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide resulted in rapid degradation of PGC-1alpha (t(1/2)=38 min), which was blocked by the proteasome inhibitor epoxomicin, but not the calpain inhibitor calpeptin. Oxidant exposure resulted in the degradation of both endogenous and adenovirally over-expressed PGC-1alpha, which was inhibited by calpeptin but not epoxomicin. Thapsigargin-induced release of ER Ca(2+) also stimulated calpain-dependent, epoxomicin-independent degradation of PGC-1alpha. Finally, Ca(2+) addition to lysates of RPTC over-expressing PGC-1alpha resulted in calpeptin-sensitive, epoxomicin-insensitive degradation of PGC-1alpha. In summary, we suggest two distinct mechanisms regulate PGC-1alpha: basal PGC-1alpha turnover by proteasome degradation and oxidant- and Ca(2+)-mediated PGC-1alpha degradation through calpain.
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Calpaína/metabolismo , PPAR gama/metabolismo , Transativadores/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Cálcio/farmacologia , Calpaína/antagonistas & inibidores , Células Cultivadas , Técnicas In Vitro , Túbulos Renais Proximais/metabolismo , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Oxidantes/farmacologia , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/metabolismo , Coelhos , Proteínas Recombinantes/química , Proteínas Recombinantes/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Transativadores/química , Transativadores/genéticaRESUMO
Biological invaders can reconfigure ecological networks in communities, which changes community structure, composition, and ecosystem function. We investigated whether impacts caused by the introduced yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes), a pantropical invader rapidly expanding its range, extend to higher-order consumers by comparing counts, behaviors, and nesting success of endemic forest birds in ant-invaded and uninvaded rainforest on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean). Point counts and direct behavioral observations showed that ant invasion altered abundances and behaviors of the bird species we examined: the Island Thrush (Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus), Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica natalis), and Christmas Island White-eye (Zosterops natalis). The thrush, which frequents the forest floor, altered its foraging and reproductive behaviors in ant-invaded forest, where nest-site location changed, and nest success and juvenile counts were lower. Counts of the dove, which forages exclusively on the forest floor, were 9-14 times lower in ant-invaded forest. In contrast, counts and foraging success of the white-eye, a generalist feeder in the understory and canopy, were higher in ant-invaded forest, where mutualism between the ant and honeydew-secreting scale insects increased the abundance of scale-insect prey. These complex outcomes involved the interplay of direct interference by ants and altered resource availability and habitat structure caused indirectly by ant invasion. Ecological meltdown, rapidly unleashed by ant invasion, extended to these endemic forest birds and may affect key ecosystem processes, including seed dispersal.
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Formigas/fisiologia , Aves/fisiologia , Ecossistema , Comportamento de Retorno ao Território Vital , Animais , Comportamento Alimentar/fisiologia , Ilhas do Oceano Índico , Modelos Teóricos , Observação , Densidade Demográfica , Dinâmica Populacional , Comportamento Sexual Animal/fisiologiaRESUMO
Linked Article: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3966.
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Gossia, a small genus of physiologically novel rainforest trees restricted to the Western Pacific and belonging to a key neotropical Southern Hemisphere family, the Myrtaceae, is characterized by high foliar manganese (Mn) concentrations. This field study provides a quantitative in planta snapshot detailing cellular localization of foliar Mn and other mineral nutrients in sympatric Gossia grayi N. Snow & Guymer and Gossia shepherdii N. Snow & Guymer endemic to far northeastern Australia, and previously not examined. Elements localized in the cells of fresh hydrated leaf tissues were quantified via in vivo cryo-scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectroscopy, a non-invasive method that effectively immobilizes cell contents. Leaf anatomical differences were found between species, along with foliar Mn spatial distribution patterns. Localized cellular Mn concentrations exceeding 600 mmol kg-1 were detected in G. shepherdii, whose Mn accumulation across different mesophyll cell types was heterogeneous compared with G. grayi. In both species there was little evidence to support previous findings on other Gossia species of carboxylate association with excess Mn. The analytical X-ray data strongly implicated chloride as a counter-ion to Mn in the two species examined here. The key findings align with the hypothesis that Mn disposal in the mesophyll is a generic trait in Gossia. This research has forged an emerging view of Gossia as being characterized by unusual cellular metal and mineral accumulation patterns that vary at the species level. It contributes to current limited knowledge about generic plant metallophyty, highlighting that assimilating a broader perspective of the phenomenon demands evaluation of individual taxa through field studies.
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Folhas de Planta/metabolismo , Floresta Úmida , Árvores/metabolismo , Manganês/metabolismo , Myrtaceae/metabolismo , Myrtaceae/fisiologiaRESUMO
Gossia (Myrtaceae) is a highly restricted tree genus most speciose in New Caledonia and eastern Australia. The latter group accumulates above-normal foliar manganese (Mn) concentrations, with some individuals exhibiting the rare Mn-hyperaccumulative trait. Whether foliar metals contribute to chemical defence has been addressed via numerous feeding experiments and very few field studies. This investigation exploited specifically different insect activities on the foliage of sympatric Gossia grayi (N.Snow & Guymer) and Gossia shepherdii (F.Muell.) N.Snow & Guymer, endemic to north-eastern Australia, to test for direct and indirect effects of foliar Mn enrichment on plant-insect interactions. Leaf organic and inorganic chemistries, specific weight, surface damage, gall infestation and occupancy were quantified. Discovery that both species are Mn hyperaccumulators augments the world listing by 5-7%. Highly elevated gall-Mn concentrations coupled with negligible gall parasitisation suggested chemical fortification and adaptation by the host insect - a Cecidomyiidae fly. Linear mixed modelling (LMM) showed differences in leaf Mn, phenolics, toughness and surface damage across tree species and leaf age. There was no direct relationship between leaf Mn and insect impact. However, LMM did resolve indirect effects, i.e. between insect impact and certain foliar elements, consistent with nutritional dynamics in a physiologically novel plant system where Mn is vastly overaccumulated.
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An unprecedented rate of global environmental change is predicted for the next century. The response to this change by ecosystems around the world is highly uncertain. To address this uncertainty, it is critical to understand the potential drivers and mechanisms of change in order to develop more reliable predictions. Australia's Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) has brought together some of the longest running (10-60years) continuous environmental monitoring programs in the southern hemisphere. Here, we compare climatic variables recorded at five LTERN plot network sites during their period of operation and place them into the context of long-term climatic trends. Then, using our unique Australian long-term datasets (total 117 survey years across four biomes), we synthesize results from a series of case studies to test two hypotheses: 1) extreme weather events for each plot network have increased over the last decade, and; 2) trends in biodiversity will be associated with recent climate change, either directly or indirectly through climate-mediated disturbance (wildfire) responses. We examined the biodiversity responses to environmental change for evidence of non-linear behavior. In line with hypothesis 1), an increase in extreme climate events occurred within the last decade for each plot network. For hypothesis 2), climate, wildfire, or both were correlated with biodiversity responses at each plot network, but there was no evidence of non-linear change. However, the influence of climate or fire was context-specific. Biodiversity responded to recent climate change either directly or indirectly as a consequence of changes in fire regimes or climate-mediated fire responses. A national long-term monitoring framework allowed us to find contrasting species abundance or community responses to climate and disturbance across four of the major biomes of Australia, highlighting the need to establish and resource long-term monitoring programs across representative ecosystem types, which are likely to show context-specific responses.
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Positive interactions between exotic species may increase ecosystem-level impacts and potentially facilitate the entry and spread of other exotic species. Invader-facilitated invasion success-"secondary invasion"-is a key conceptual aspect of the well-known invasional meltdown hypothesis, but remains poorly defined and empirically underexplored. Drawing from heuristic models and published empirical studies, we explore this form of "secondary invasion" and discuss the phenomenon within the recognized conceptual framework of the determinants of invasion success. The term "secondary invasion" has been used haphazardly in the literature to refer to multiple invasion phenomena, most of which have other more accepted titles. Our usage of the term secondary invasion is akin to "invader-facilitated invasion," which we define as the phenomenon in which the invasion success of one exotic species is contingent on the presence, influence, and impacts of one or more other exotic species. We present case studies of secondary invasion whereby primary invaders facilitate the entry or establishment of exotic species into communities where they were previously excluded from becoming invasive. Our synthesis, discussion, and conceptual framework of this type of secondary invasion provides a useful reference to better explain how invasive species can alter key properties of recipient ecosystems that can ultimately determine the invasion success of other species. This study increases our appreciation for complex interactions following invasion and highlights the impacts of invasive species themselves as possible determinants of invasion success. We anticipate that highlighting "secondary invasion" in this way will enable studies reporting similar phenomena to be identified and linked through consistent terminology.
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Litter processing by macroinvertebrates typically involves suites of species that act together to determine rates of breakdown and decomposition. However, tropical oceanic islands and coastal fringes on continents are often dominated by one or a few species of omnivorous land crabs that consume leaf litter. We used an exclusion experiment, together with other leaf removal and litter decomposition studies, to assess the role of a single dominant species, the red crab (Gecarcoidea natalis), in litter dynamics in rain forest on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. In the presence of red crabs, litter cover and biomass varied seasonally, from almost complete cover and high biomass at the end of the dry season to almost total absence of litter at the end of each wet season. When crabs were excluded from both the shaded understory and light gaps in rain forest, litter increased rapidly to almost complete cover, which was then maintained year round. Leaf tether experiments, and measures of litter input and standing crops, indicated that red crabs monopolize litter processing, removing between 39 and 87% of the annual leaf fall from the forest floor. Rates of litter turnover were over twice as high in the presence of land crabs: the decomposition constant, k, was 2.6 in the understory exclusion plots, but rose to 6.0 in the presence of crabs. Red crabs occur at biomass densities (114 g m-2) far greater than those reported elsewhere for entire litter faunas. They significantly reduced the abundance of other litter invertebrates, but we did not detect any change in the relative frequencies of the major invertebrate groups (mites, collembolans, pulmonate snails, ants, psocopterans, and spiders). Wherever omnivorous land crabs are abundant, their activities may be paramount in litter decomposition and in regulating the rate of nutrient cycling. In monopolizing litter processing, they may also be important physical "ecosystem engineers", translocating organic matter and nutrients into the soil and reducing available habitat for other animals.