Vertical stratification of plant-animal interactions and their impact on pollination and seed dispersal within a single Neotropical plant species

植物与动物相互作用的垂直分层及其对单一新热带植物物种内授粉和种子传播的影响

• 批准号: 389661053
• 负责人: Professorin Dr. Katrin Heer
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Evolutionsökologie und Naturschutzgenomik
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2016-12-31 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/389661053?language=en
• 关键词: Vertical; stratification; plant; animal; interactions

Plant-animal interactions in tropical rainforests are crucial for pollen and seed dispersal, and thus, for gene flow within plant populations. Recent studies indicate that these interactions are vertically stratified: species assemblages and the frequencies of their interactions differ among forest strata, which in turn might impact pollen and seed dispersal, and thereby gene flow. So far, most studies on pollination and seed dispersal focused on plant species that provide nectar and fruit resources in only one of the strata. In our study, we aim to investigate a plant species that flowers from ground level up to the canopy. We seek to study the animal assemblages involved in pollination and seed dispersal across forest strata as well as the impact of these interactions on pollination and seed dispersal, and thus, on gene flow. If interactions differed between strata, this would strongly support the existence of a vertical stratification of pollinator and/or seed dispersal assemblages independently of the available resources. Marcgravia longifolia is a Neotropical liana species that provides nectar and fruit resources from the forest floor to the canopy for a large number of nectarivorous and frugivorous vertebrate species, and thereby embodies the perfect study species for our purposes. First, we seek to obtain a detailed picture of the assemblages of nectarivores and frugivores that interact with M. longifolia across strata. We will systematically assess visitation rates with video cameras and complement this with focal observation of diurnal frugivores and with mist netting of nectarivorous and frugivorous bats that visit the liana inflorescences at night. Second, we will investigate whether quality and quantity of nectar and fruits vary along the vertical gradient and whether this correlates to shifts in frugivore and nectarivore assemblages. Third, we want to study in detail pollination and seed dispersal interactions and their impact on gene flow. To study seed dispersal, we will determine fruit removal rates across forest strata, approximate dispersal distances by behavioral observations of a subset of frugivores (tamarins and Phyllostomid bats). Further, we will use microsatellite markers to determine outcrossing rates and pollen and seed dispersal distances. Finally we will examine spatial genetic structure within the Marcgravia longifolia population to obtain an overall estimate for intra-population gene flow.

热带雨林中的植物-动物相互作用对于花粉和种子传播至关重要，因此，对于植物种群内的基因流动至关重要。最近的研究表明，这些相互作用是垂直分层的：物种组合及其相互作用的频率在森林层之间存在差异，这反过来又可能影响花粉和种子的传播，从而影响基因流。到目前为止，大多数关于授粉和种子传播的研究都集中在仅在其中一个层中提供花蜜和果实资源的植物物种上。在我们的研究中，我们的目标是调查一种从地面到树冠开花的植物物种。我们试图研究的动物组合参与授粉和种子传播的森林地层，以及这些相互作用对授粉和种子传播的影响，从而对基因流。如果层之间的相互作用不同，这将有力地支持存在一个垂直分层的传粉者和/或种子传播组合独立的可用资源。Marcgravia longifolia是一种新热带藤本植物，为大量的食蜜和食果脊椎动物物种提供从森林地面到树冠的花蜜和果实资源，从而体现了我们的目的的完美研究物种。首先，我们试图获得一个详细的图片组合的花蜜和frugivores相互作用的M。长叶横截地层。我们将用摄像机系统地评估访问率，并通过对昼夜食果动物的重点观察和夜间访问藤本植物花序的食蜜蝙蝠和食果蝙蝠的雾网来补充这一点。其次，我们将调查是否质量和数量的花蜜和水果变化沿着垂直梯度，这是否与水果和花蜜的组合转移。第三，我们想详细研究授粉和种子传播的相互作用及其对基因流的影响。为了研究种子传播，我们将确定整个森林层的水果去除率，通过对食果动物（绢毛猴和Phyllostomid蝙蝠）的一个子集的行为观察近似传播距离。此外，我们将使用微卫星标记来确定异交率和花粉和种子传播距离。最后，我们将研究的Marcgravia longifolia人口内的空间遗传结构，以获得人口内的基因流的总体估计。