Hummingbird-plant interactions in Chile: An ecological review of the available evidence

Avian Research, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 13, P. 100051 - 100051

Published: Jan. 1, 2022

Hummingbird species have closely evolved with the plants they feed on, which is confirmed by their often tight ecological relationships in natural settings. Hummingbird-plant interactions are of interest for research areas such as ecology, evolution, and even agriculture, usually inform on conservation status interacting assemblages, its disappearance may precede population extinction involved interaction. In Chile, there nine hummingbird species, interact a large diverse number angiosperm forest, desert, mountain range environments. The motivation to perform this review systematize available information regarding flowering visited present some basic plant-hummingbird pollination network metrics, basis identify components need further research. A metanetwork revealed low connectance value, niche overlap, strong modularity among species. However, fact that most allopatric distribution across suggests structure results mostly from history colonization rather than organization. Nowadays, main threats Chilean hummingbirds anthropogenic disturbance climate change, disrupt hummingbird-plant interactions, leading unpredictable consequences at community level. Long periods drought reduce resource base hummingbirds, dramatic maintenance bird plant populations.

Language: Английский

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Plant–hummingbird pollination networks exhibit limited rewiring after experimental removal of a locally abundant plant species

Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 92(9), P. 1680 - 1694

Published: May 12, 2023

Mutualistic relationships, such as those between plants and pollinators, may be vulnerable to the local extinctions predicted under global environmental change. However, network theory predicts that plant-pollinator networks can withstand species loss if pollinators switch alternative floral resources (rewiring). Whether rewiring occurs following in natural communities is poorly known because replicated exclusions are difficult implement at appropriate spatial scales. We experimentally removed a hummingbird-pollinated plant, Heliconia tortuosa, from within tropical forest fragments investigate how hummingbirds respond temporary of an abundant resource. Under hypothesis, we expected behavioural flexibility would allow use resources, leading decreased ecological specialization reorganization structure (i.e. pairwise interactions). Alternatively, morphological or constraints-such trait-matching interspecific competition-might limit extent which alter their foraging behaviour. employed Before-After-Control-Impact experimental design quantified plant-hummingbird interactions using two parallel sampling methods: pollen collected individual ('pollen networks', created >300 samples) observations visiting focal ('camera >19,000 observation hours). To assess rewiring, individual, levels examined interaction turnover gain/loss H. tortuosa removal caused some but did not prompt large changes specialization, despite magnitude our manipulation (on average, >100 inflorescences exclusion areas >1 ha). Although sampled through time showed modest increases niche breadth (relative birds experience resource loss), these were reflected species- network-level metrics. Our results suggest that, least over short time-scales, animals necessarily shift after losing food resource-even thought highly opportunistic foragers, hummingbirds. Given contributes theoretical predictions stability, future studies should why might expand diets extinction.

Language: Английский

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White-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis castaneoventris)

Birds of the World, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 17, 2024

Language: Английский

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Forest loss and habitat changes reduce hummingbird functional diversity and the specialization of their interactions with plants in the tropical Andes

Global Ecology and Conservation, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 54, P. e03062 - e03062

Published: June 28, 2024

The expansion of agricultural landscapes is one the main drivers biodiversity loss around world; environmental gradients resulting from these landscape changes, however, allow an assessment how responds to change. Functional diversity and mutualistic interactions between plants animals represent important aspect biodiversity. In particular, hummingbirds stand out for their morphological specialization. Here, we evaluated changes in attributes affect functional hummingbird-plant interaction networks coffee-growing region Colombian Andes. We described with circular plots a diameter 50 m located forests coffee agroecosystems distributed along transformation gradient. found that network specialization positively related forest coverage landscape, while relationship heterogeneity was weak. contrast, no variables where are less specialized modular compared forests. A structural equation model (SEM) showed hummingbird had significant structure, mainly affected by amount landscape. Although direct specialization, SEMs show that, when considering mediating role diversity, R2 coefficient increased. Based on our results, suggest structure ecological were consequence impacts human intervention natural habitats.

Language: Английский

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Unraveling habitat-driven shifts in alpha, beta, and gamma diversity of hummingbirds and their floral resource

PeerJ, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 12, P. e17713 - e17713

Published: July 10, 2024

Background Biodiversity, crucial for understanding ecosystems, encompasses species richness, composition, and distribution. Ecological environmental factors, such as habitat type, resource availability, climate conditions, play pivotal roles in shaping diversity within among communities, categorized into alpha (within habitat), beta (between habitats), gamma (total regional) diversity. Hummingbird communities are influenced by habitat, elevation, seasonality, making them an ideal system studying these diversities, shedding light on mutualistic community dynamics conservation strategies. Methods Over a year-long period, monthly surveys were conducted to record hummingbird their visited flowering plants across four types (oak forest, juniper pine xerophytic shrubland) Tlaxcala, Mexico. Three locations per type selected based status distance from urban areas. True measures used assess alpha, beta, of hummingbirds floral resources. Environmental factors altitude bioclimatic variables explored influence Results For plants, encompassed 34 species, with oak forests exhibiting the highest while shrublands had In contrast, hummingbirds, 11 comprised diversity, having richness Our data reveal high heterogeneity abundance habitats. Notably, certain resources like Loeselia mexicana Bouvardia ternifolia emerge key multiple habitats, Basilinna leucotis , Selasphorus platycercus Calothorax lucifer exhibit varying levels preferences. Beta analyses unveil habitat-specific patterns, turnover predominantly driving dissimilarity composition. Moreover, our study explores relationships between components variables. Climate variables, particular, significant contributors highlighting conditions Conclusions results shed complex hummingbird-flower diverse habitats underscore importance how habitat-driven shifts impact Such insights strategies aimed at preserving delicate ecological that underpin biodiversity communities.

Language: Английский

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