Susceptibility to parasitism by the mistletoe Phoradendron quadrangulare (Kunth) Griseb on its host Guazuma ulmifolia Lam may increase with host size
Susceptibility to parasitism by the mistletoe Phoradendron quadrangulare (Kunth) Griseb on its host Guazuma ulmifolia Lam may increase with host size
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DOI：
10.1016/j.fooweb.2023.e00327
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发表时间：
2023-12-06
期刊：
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
Rodriguez，Karla
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Santiago-Rosario，Luis Y.;Espinoza-Espinoza，Nicole;Rodriguez，Karla
寄主-寄生虫相互作用和寄主敏感性是理解槲寄生系统和植物-植物相互作用的营养能量转移、营养运动和宏观生态进化动力学的关键特征。本研究研究了广泛分布的槲寄生（guazuma ulmifolia）的寄主敏感性和大小依赖性相互作用。我们研究了槲寄生负荷与寄主树大小之间的相互作用，同时也探索了寄主树枝大小与槲寄生大小之间的异速生长关系。对67棵树的实地调查显示槲寄生负荷不同，大多数树没有出现p。quadrangulare。被寄生树胸径显著大于未被寄生树胸径。寄主对寄生的敏感性随胸径的增加而增加，表明寄主大小与寄生率呈正相关。此外，槲寄生茎直径受寄主枝直径的影响，这表明较大的寄主树为较大的寄生虫提供了更多的基质和寄生寄生的表面积，可能有助于寄生虫的生存和流行。这项研究还强调了寄主大小对槲寄生存在和表现的重要性，并为保护槲寄生这一经常被低估的关键分类群提供了更广泛的生态进化动态和保护策略。
Host-parasite interactions and host susceptibility are key traits in understanding trophic energy transfer, nutrient movement and general macro-ecoevolutionary dynamics of mistletoe systems and plant-plant interactions. This research investigates host susceptibility and size-dependent interactions of the mistletoePhoradendronquadrangulare, a widely distributed species, onGuazuma ulmifolia. We studied the interplay between mistletoe load and host tree size, while also exploring the allometric relationship between host branch size and mistletoe size. A field surveys on 67 trees revealed varying mistletoe loads, with most trees showing no occurrence ofP. quadrangulare. Parasitized trees had significantly larger diameters at breast height (DBH) than non-parasitized trees. The susceptibility of host trees to mistletoe parasitism increased with increasing DBH, indicating a positive relationship between host size and mistletoe prevalence. Furthermore, mistletoe stem diameter was found to be influenced by the diameter of the host branch suggesting that larger host trees provide more substrate for larger-sized parasites and surface area for mistletoe colonization, potentially contributing to the parasite's survival and prevalence. This study also highlights the importance of host size in mistletoe presence and performance and provides insights into the broader eco-evolutionary dynamics and conservation strategies needed to conserve mistletoes, an often-underappreciated keystone taxa.