Search

Knowledge on seed ecology is foundational for effective seed‐based restoration including seedling production, direct seed sowing, topsoil transplant, and natural regeneration. Consequently, quantifying available knowledge and biases in seed‐based research allows practitioners to better plan and implement seed‐based restoration programs and identify research priorities. Using a systematic review comprising 45 papers, 401 species, and 2,415 case studies, we provide an overview of seed ecology research in the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland. We identified geographic, taxonomic, and ecological biases, as well as knowledge gaps in seed functions including production, dispersal, dormancy, germination, predation, and stress tolerance. Studies concentrated near large cities resulting in extensive unexplored sites in central Pantanal, in Paraguay, and in Bolivia. Unexpectedly, the most studied species were conducted with dry‐fruited, terrestrial forbs, or shrubs with autochoric or zoochoric dispersal syndromes. Seed banks, stress tolerance, and dispersal were the most studied topics, whereas studies on dormancy and seedling establishment remain rare. We also found disproportionate research interest across the angiosperm tree of life with many examples of underrepresented and overrepresented families. Altogether, persistent knowledge gaps in seed‐based research in the Pantanal hinder upscaling restoration programs and consequently the likelihood of achieving the targets of UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. We propose an integrated agenda consisting of a series of orchestrated actions to overcome such barriers, close biodiversity knowledge shortfalls, and promote successful large‐scale restoration programs in the Pantanal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biotropica is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Premise: Flower damage caused by florivores often has negative consequences for plant reproduction. However, the factors affecting plant–florivore interactions are still poorly understood, especially the role of abiotic factors and interspecific variation in florivory within ecosystems. Thus, the patterns of florivory levels and its consequences for plant communities need to be investigated further. Methods: We assessed the influence of abiotic factors related to climatic seasonality, of phylogenetic relationships among plants, and of functional attributes associated with attractiveness to pollinators on florivory incidence and intensity in the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland. Between December 2020 and November 2021, the percentage of flowers attacked (incidence) and petal area removed (intensity) by florivores were examined in 51 species from 25 families, considering flowering season, the substrate where the plants occur, and flower attributes as potentially determining factors on florivory levels. Results: Phylogeny and environmental factors did not have a significant influence on florivory. The only determinant of interspecific variation in florivory incidence and intensity was flower size, where larger flowers experienced higher florivory levels regardless of season and substrate, while flower arrangement and color were not significant factors. Conclusions: Our study is one of the first to estimate the community‐wide effects of biotic and abiotic factors on both the incidence and the intensity of florivory. The magnitude of this plant–florivore interaction may reduce reproductive success and entail selective pressures on plant attractiveness to pollinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Florivory is an ancient interaction which has rarely been quantified due to a lack of standardized protocols, thus impairing biogeographical and phylogenetic comparisons. We created a global, continuously updated, open‐access database comprising 180 species and 64 families to compare floral damage between tropical and temperate plants, to examine the effects of plant traits on floral damage, and to explore the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of flower–florivore interactions. Flower damage is widespread across angiosperms, but was two‐fold higher in tropical vs temperate species, suggesting stronger fitness impacts in the tropics. Flowers were mostly damaged by chewers, but neither flower color nor symmetry explained differences in florivory. Herbivory and florivory levels were positively correlated within species, even though the richness of the florivore community does not affect florivory levels. We show that florivory impacts plant fitness via multiple pathways and that ignoring this interaction makes it more difficult to obtain a broad understanding of the ecology and evolution of angiosperms. Finally, we propose a standardized protocol for florivory measurements, and identify key research avenues that will help fill persistent knowledge gaps. Florivory is expected to be a central research topic in an epoch characterized by widespread decreases in insect populations that comprise both pollinators and florivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While taxonomic and biogeographical biases are often acknowledged, those for certain biological responses and species traits are routinely overlooked, generating major gaps in knowledge and conservation of biodiversity. Biases in research on birds ‒ an over‐sampled, diverse vertebrate class ‒ may be readily detectable, and wetlands are important species‐rich ecosystems in which to identify biases and research gaps for birds. The Pantanal, one of the world's largest wetlands, is globally relevant for bird conservation. In this wetland, we determined spatial, temporal, taxonomic and biological response‐related biases in ornithological studies to guide future research in this ecosystem and, ultimately, in major global wetlands. Avian research was geographically biased, with 61 studies conducted in the Brazilian Pantanal and only one in Bolivia. Most studies were concentrated near urban centres, with poorly explored areas in the central Pantanal. Research was also over‐represented during the dry season when field conditions are more favourable, but such temporal bias may hamper migration studies. Considering their richness, some families were studied disproportionately more (e.g. Jacanidae) or less (e.g. Tyrannidae). Some species (e.g. Wood Stork Mycteria americana and Yellow‐billed Cardinal Paroaria capitata) were included in > 25% of studies, whereas a relatively low number of threatened bird species were studied. Behaviour was the most studied response, followed by abundance and reproduction, which were considered for > 65% of species studied. We conclude that further research needs to be focused on unexplored areas and periods, less detectable species, and ecological processes (e.g. interspecific interactions). Additionally, our results can provide useful information to better address future work and bird conservation actions in other large wetlands. For example, major gaps detected here constitute a primary roadmap to guide research in under‐sampled regions, such as the Canadian peatlands and Tonlé Sap Lake. Specifically, more studies on waterbirds in highly diverse wetlands from low‐income countries (e.g. Okavango and Sundarban Delta) may help to disentangle the essential functional role provided for these species and to prioritize conservation actions in regions with limited research capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biotropica is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: Understanding how floral traits affect reproduction is key for understanding genetic diversity, speciation, and trait evolution in the face of global changes and pollinator decline. However, there has not yet been a unified framework to characterize the major trade‐offs and axes of floral trait variation. Here, we propose the development of a floral economics spectrum (FES) that incorporates the multiple pathways by which floral traits can be shaped by multiple agents of selection acting on multiple flower functions. For example, while pollinator‐mediated selection has been considered the primary factor affecting flower evolution, selection by nonpollinator agents can reinforce or oppose pollinator selection, and, therefore, affect floral trait variation. In addition to pollinators, the FES should consider nonpollinator biotic agents and floral physiological costs, broadening the drivers of floral traits beyond pollinators. We discuss how coordinated evolution and trade‐offs among floral traits and between floral and vegetative traits may influence the distribution of floral traits across biomes and lineages, thereby influencing organismal evolution and community assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biotropica is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sampling biases permeate ecological research and result in knowledge gaps that have vital consequences for conservation planning. The consequences of knowledge gaps on species identity and distribution (the Wallacean and Linnean shortfalls, respectively) have become apparent recently, but we know little about the extent that research biases and knowledge gaps on traits that influence species' niches (the Hutchinsonian shortfall) affect conservation policy. To examine whether knowledge of species' traits based on seed ecology is geographically, phylogenetically, and ecologically biased, we retrieved research data on seed germination, seed dormancy, seed dispersal, seed banks, seed predation, and seed removal from a database of 847 papers, 1648 species, and 5322 cases. Brazil was selected as a model system for megadiverse, undersampled countries. Kernel density maps showed that research was geographically biased towards highly populated sites, with vast areas remaining historically unexplored. We also show that research was clustered into protected areas. We detected a significant positive phylogenetic bias at genus-level, indicating research concentration in few genera and lower relative bias rates for many herbaceous genera. Unexpectedly, information on seed banking was available for only 74 (3.4%) of threatened species, which suggests that information deficits are highest for species with critical needs for ex situ conservation strategies. Tree, fleshy-fruited, and biotic dispersal species were disproportionately overstudied. Our data indicate that information deficits on seed ecology preclude our ability to effectively restore ecosystems and to safeguard endangered species. We call for a systematic improvement of environmental agenda in which policy makers and scientists target sites, clades, and functional groups historically neglected. Lessons from developed countries and collaborative efforts will be important for megadiverse, underdeveloped countries to achieve the targets of international agreements that depend on seed ecology knowledge aiming to secure biological diversity and ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]