Composición y oferta floral en comunidades emergentes del bosque esclerófilo-templado y su relación con el ensamble de visitantes florales.
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Date
2024
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Universidad de Concepción
Abstract
En la zona centro-sur de Chile, las recurrentes perturbaciones antropogénicas, como la fragmentación del hábitat, incendios forestales y la introducción de especies exóticas, han moldeado un paisaje en el que surgen comunidades emergentes. Estas comunidades, compuestas por especies de plantas nativas e introducidas, generan nuevas ofertas florales que podrían alterar las redes de interacción entre plantas y el ensamble de insectos florícolas, lo que las convierte en un sistema novedoso de estudio en biología floral y ecología de interacciones. Este estudio se propuso analizar el impacto de las plantas introducidas sobre la diversidad funcional de los rasgos florales y la composición de insectos visitantes en comunidades emergentes en rodales de bosque esclerófilo costero y templado peri-urbanos de Concepción, Chile. Hipotetizamos que: i) debido a la presencia de especies de plantas introducidas, habrá ciertos morfotipos florales predomiantes en estas comunidades; ii) la variación en la proporción de especies introducidas en los vecindarios florales determinaría tanto la composición de los rasgos florales (morfotipo, sexo y simetría floral) y a su vez, iii) la diversidad de familias de insectos visitantes. La metodología incluyó la caracterización de los rasgos florales de 78 familias de plantas y el análisis de la composición de insectos colectados mediante trampas "Pam Traps". Se aplicaron análisis multivariados como PERMANOVA de dos vías, PCA y modelos no lineales, para evaluar la relación entre la proporción de especies introducidas, la diversidad floral, y la composición de insectos. Los resultados revelaron la predominancia de flores con forma de plato y discretas, que constituyen estrategias generalistas y de reproducción anemófila respectivamente, también diferencias significativas en la simetría y el sexo floral entre especies nativas e introducidas, sugiriendo que el origen geográfico influye en estos rasgos. Se observó que las especies introducidas mostraron una menor dispersión en la variabilidad de sus rasgos florales, mientras que las nativas presentaron una mayor variabilidad. Además, la familia Apidae se asoció preferentemente con vecindarios florales dominados por especies introducidas, mientras que otros insectos mostraron una distribución más equilibrada entre los diferentes vecindarios florales. Destacamos la importancia de las comunidades emergentes en la mantención de las interacciones planta-polinizador y en la estructura y diversidad de insectos en estas. Las especies de plantas introducidas podrían estar jugando un papel clave en la adaptabilidad y resiliencia de estas comunidades, lo que resalta la necesidad de futuras investigaciones que consideren también la influencia de factores abióticos sobre estos patrones y las interacciones específicas en estos ecosistemas fragmentados y perturbados. Este estudio aporta información significativa para el conocimiento sobre cómo las especies introducidas influyen en comunidades emergentes y las interacciones entre plantas e insectos, ofreciendo perspectivas novedosas para la formulación de estrategias de conservación y manejo de estos ecosistemas.
In central-southern Chile, recurring anthropogenic disturbances, such as habitat fragmentation, wildfires, and the introduction of exotic species, have shaped a landscape where emergent communities arise. These communities, composed of native and introduced plant species, create novel floral resources that can alter interaction networks between plants and floral-visiting insects, making them a new system for studying floral biology and interaction ecology. This study aimed to analyze the impact of introduced plants on the functional diversity of floral traits and the composition of floral-visiting insects in emergent communities within peri-urban coastal sclerophyllous and temperate forests in Concepción, Chile. We hypothesized that: i) due to the presence of introduced plant species, certain floral morphotypes would predominate in these communities; and ii) variation in the proportion of introduced species in floral neighborhoods would influence both the composition of floral traits (morphotype, sex, and floral symmetry) and iii) the diversity of visiting insect families. The methodology included the characterization of floral traits across 78 plant families and the analysis of insect composition collected using Pam Traps. Multivariate analyses, such as two-way PERMANOVA, PCA, and non-linear models, were applied to evaluate the relationship between the proportion of introduced species, floral diversity, and insect composition. The results revealed the predominance of bowl-shaped and inconspicuous flowers, which represent generalist and anemophilous reproductive strategies, respectively. Significant differences were found in floral symmetry and sex between native and introduced species, suggesting that geographic origin influences these traits. Introduced species exhibited less variability in their floral traits, while native species showed greater variability. Additionally, the Apidae family was preferentially associated with floral neighborhoods dominated by introduced species, whereas other insects displayed a more balanced distribution across the various floral neighborhoods. This study underscores the importance of emergent communities in maintaining plant-pollinator interactions and the structure and diversity of insect communities. Introduced plant species may play a key role in the adaptability and resilience of these communities, highlighting the need for future research that also considers the influence of abiotic factors on these patterns and specific interactions in these fragmented and disturbed ecosystems. This study provides significant insights into how introduced species influence emergent communities and plant-insect interactions, offering novel perspectives for the formulation of conservation strategies and management of these ecosystems.
In central-southern Chile, recurring anthropogenic disturbances, such as habitat fragmentation, wildfires, and the introduction of exotic species, have shaped a landscape where emergent communities arise. These communities, composed of native and introduced plant species, create novel floral resources that can alter interaction networks between plants and floral-visiting insects, making them a new system for studying floral biology and interaction ecology. This study aimed to analyze the impact of introduced plants on the functional diversity of floral traits and the composition of floral-visiting insects in emergent communities within peri-urban coastal sclerophyllous and temperate forests in Concepción, Chile. We hypothesized that: i) due to the presence of introduced plant species, certain floral morphotypes would predominate in these communities; and ii) variation in the proportion of introduced species in floral neighborhoods would influence both the composition of floral traits (morphotype, sex, and floral symmetry) and iii) the diversity of visiting insect families. The methodology included the characterization of floral traits across 78 plant families and the analysis of insect composition collected using Pam Traps. Multivariate analyses, such as two-way PERMANOVA, PCA, and non-linear models, were applied to evaluate the relationship between the proportion of introduced species, floral diversity, and insect composition. The results revealed the predominance of bowl-shaped and inconspicuous flowers, which represent generalist and anemophilous reproductive strategies, respectively. Significant differences were found in floral symmetry and sex between native and introduced species, suggesting that geographic origin influences these traits. Introduced species exhibited less variability in their floral traits, while native species showed greater variability. Additionally, the Apidae family was preferentially associated with floral neighborhoods dominated by introduced species, whereas other insects displayed a more balanced distribution across the various floral neighborhoods. This study underscores the importance of emergent communities in maintaining plant-pollinator interactions and the structure and diversity of insect communities. Introduced plant species may play a key role in the adaptability and resilience of these communities, highlighting the need for future research that also considers the influence of abiotic factors on these patterns and specific interactions in these fragmented and disturbed ecosystems. This study provides significant insights into how introduced species influence emergent communities and plant-insect interactions, offering novel perspectives for the formulation of conservation strategies and management of these ecosystems.
Description
Tesis presentada para optar al grado de Magíster en Ciencias con mención Botánica
Keywords
Flora forestal, Insectos, Plantas exóticas, Variación (Botánica)