Pollination and seed dispersal interactions could be threatened by climate change cascade effects
Year: 2019
Type: other
Abstract: Climate change is triggering ecological responses all over the world as a result of frequent, prolonged droughts. It could also affect ecological interactions, particularly pollination and seed dispersal, which play a key role in plant reproduction. We used a tripartite interaction of the southern South America temperate rainforests (Valdivian rainforest ecosystem type), composed by a keystone mistletoe ( Tristerix corymbosus , Loranthaceae), its pollinator (the hummingbird Sephanoides sephaniodes ) and its disperser (the relict marsupial Dromiciops gliroides ) animals to gain insight into this issue. We studied flower and fruit production, and visitation rates during average (2012) and dry (2015) austral summers. Drought in our study area affected precipitation and soil water availability, as it was the most severe drought event registered in 50 years, being precipitation 12 standard deviations below the historic average. Although pollinator visits did not significantly differ in these summers, during the dry summer flower and fruit production experienced an important decline, as did seed disperser visits. Also, mistletoe mortality increased from 12% in 2012 to 23% in 2015 as result of water shortage of host plants. This empirical evidence suggests that the cascade effects of climate change may indirectly be hindering ecological interactions in the Valdivian temperate rainforest ecosystem we studied. Long-term research is essential to provide the knowledge necessary to understand how key ecological processes may be affected in a changing world.
Language: English
Topic: Plant and animal studies
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Life on land, Climate action
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W3015659316