65 research outputs found
Gustavo Brant Paterno's Quick Files
No full textThe Quick Files feature was discontinued and it’s files were migrated into this Project on March 11, 2022. The file URL’s will still resolve properly, and the Quick Files logs are available in the Project’s Recent Activity
Data and code for: Insect herbivores drive sex allocation in angiosperm flowers
No full textCode and Data for the paper:
Insect herbivores drive sex allocation in angiosperm flowers
Carlos Roberto Fonseca, Martin M. Gossner, Johannes Kollmann, Martin Brändle, Gustavo Brant Paterno
Content of the repository
Data: the folder data contains all data required to reproduce analyses, figures and tables.
Outputs: the folder output contains the figures, tables and temporary files generated.
Code: the folder scripts contains all scripts (.R) that generated results, figures and tables used in the manuscript and in the supporting information.
Supplementary information: the folder doc contains the supplementary information associated to the paper
Insect herbivores drive sex allocation in angiosperm flowers
No full textWhy sex has evolved and is maintained is an open question in evolutionary biology. The Red Queen hypothesis predicts that host lineages subjected to more intense parasite pressure should invest more in sexual reproduction to continuously create novel defences against their rapidly evolving natural enemies. In this comparative study across the angiosperms, we show that hermaphrodite plant species associated with higher species richness of insect herbivores evolved flowers with higher biomass allocation towards the male sex, an indication of their greater outcrossing effort. This pattern remained robust after controlling for key vegetative, reproductive and biogeographical traits, suggesting that long-term herbivory pressure is a key factor driving the selfing-outcrossing gradient of higher plants. Although flower evolution is frequently associated with mutualistic pollinators, our findings support the Red Queen hypothesis and suggest that insect herbivores drive the sexual strategies of flowering plants and their genetic diversity
Tree cover and habitat type mediate taxonomic and phylogenetic anuran diversity in Southeastern Peru
No full textHow effective are oil palm agroforestry systems to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services? A systematic review protocol
No full textAmong the most extensively cultivated crops in the tropics, oil palm is a major concern for
biodiversity conservation in tropical rainforest areas [1]. The suitability of vast forested regions for
oil palm cultivation suggests that this crop will continue to replace tropical forests. In addition, oil
palm is significantly impacted by climate change. As most global production is concentrated in
Southeast Asia, shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns could significantly affect yields and
expansion dynamics [2]. The potential negative impacts of oil palm cultivation include habitat loss,
reduced structural complexity, species decline, human–wildlife conflicts, and changes in species
interactions, all of which can adversely affect ecosystem structure and functioning, such as primary
productivity, nutrient cycling, and food web dynamics [3,4]. Given the rapid expansion of oil palm
cultivation, understanding its multifaceted impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services is critical.
Research has highlighted the potential of agroforestry systems (AFS) that integrate oil palms with
trees to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services, offering a more sustainable agricultural model
[5]. However, the scarcity of studies and insufficient monitoring of key biodiversity components in oil
palm agroforestry systems (AFS) can lead to underestimations of the role biodiversity plays in
supporting ecosystem services. It is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of oil palm agroforestry
systems (AFS) in enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services, while identifying gaps in current
assessments, such as the underrepresentation of certain taxonomic groups, functional traits, or
ecosystem service categories. To guide this evaluation, we use two complementary frameworks: the
Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), developed by GEO BON, which provide standardized, policy-
relevant metrics for monitoring biodiversity change across genetic, species, and ecosystem levels
[6], and the Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP), established by IPBES, which classify the
material and non-material benefits nature provides into 18 categories, expanding on the “ecosystem
services” concept [7]
Data and code for: The maleness of larger angiosperm flowers
No full textData and Code for the article:
The maleness of larger angiosperm flowers
Gustavo Brant Paterno, Carina Lima Silveira, Johannes Kollmann, Mark Westoby,
and Carlos Roberto Fonseca
Content of the repository
1. Data: the folder `data` contais
The raw and processed data files with flower biomass partition (.csv)
The phylogenetic trees used in the study (.tre)
2. Images: the folder `images` contais
Flower drawings used in the manuscript figures.
3. Outputs: the folder `outputs` contais
The figures, tables and temporary files generated.
4. R: the folder `R` contais
Scripts (.R) to generate all figures and tables used in the manuscript and in the supporting information.
***
When using the __data available__ in this repository, please cite the original publication.
Contact [email protected] for any further information
Tree island area in oil palm agroforests directly and indirectly drives evaporative fraction
No full textEvapotranspiration (ET) – the combined water flux from soil and vegetation to the atmosphere – is a key component of water cycling and climate regulation, and strongly affected by land-use changes. The evaporative fraction (EF), representing the proportion of available energy allocated to ET, is often preferred over ET as a target variable in studies involving repeated measurements under varying weather conditions. In Sumatra’s lowlands in Indonesia, (evapo)transpiration of dominant land-use types including oil palm monocultures is well studied; however, there is a lack of studies assessing ET (or EF) across diverse mosaic landscapes and types of land-use such as oil palm agroforests. Across 52 experimental plots – forest restoration patches known as “tree islands” – in an oil palm landscape (EFForTS-BEE), we tested whether the experimental treatments ‘planted tree diversity’ and ‘tree island area’ influence ET and EF as derived from UAV (uncrewed aerial vehicle)-based thermography and subsequent energy balance modeling. A random partition linear model showed that planted tree diversity (1, 2, 3, or 6 species) did not affect plot-level ET or EF, whereas tree island area (25, 100, 400, or 1600 m2) had a positive effect, with EF increasing by 17 % from the smallest to the largest tree islands. A structural equation model revealed that the effect of tree island area on EF was mediated by both direct and indirect pathways. Specifically, a strong direct effect of island area on EF (Std.Beta = 0.44, p < 0.001) was complemented by an indirect pathway through increased observed woody plant diversity and stand structural complexity. Stand structural complexity had a positive effect on EF (Std.Beta = 0.20, p < 0.05), while neither the vegetation index GNDVI nor tree height variability had significant effects. The observed tree-island-area effect can be explained by a decrease of EF along an edge gradient detected inside the larger tree islands. Our findings suggest that larger tree islands enhance ET and EF through structural and biodiversity-related mechanisms. This underscores the importance of tree islands in human-modified landscapes, not only as biodiversity refugia but also as functional elements that support climate regulation
Spectral characterization of plant diversity in a biodiversity‐enriched oil palm plantation
No full textAbstract Assessing plant diversity using remote sensing, including airborne imaging spectroscopy, shows promise for large‐scale biodiversity monitoring in landscape restoration and conservation. Enriching plantations with native trees is a key restoration strategy to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions in agricultural lands. In this study, we tested how well imaging spectroscopy characterizes plant diversity in 37 experimental plots of varying sizes and planted diversity levels in a biodiversity‐enriched oil palm plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia. Six years after establishing the plots, we acquired airborne imaging spectroscopy data comprising 160 spectral bands (400–1000 nm, at ~3.7 nm bandwidth) at 0.3 m spatial resolution. We calculated spectral diversity as the variance among image pixels and partitioned spectral diversity into alpha and beta diversity components. After controlling for differences in sampling area through rarefaction, we found no significant relationship between spectral and plant alpha diversity. Further, the relationships between the local contribution of spectral beta diversity and plant beta diversity revealed no significant trends. Spectral variability within plots was substantially higher than among plots (spectral alpha diversity ~82%–87%, spectral beta diversity ~11%–18%). These discrepancies are likely due to the structural dominance of oil palm crowns, which absorbed most of the light, while most of the plant diversity occurring below the oil palm canopy was not detectable by airborne spectroscopy. Our study highlights that remote sensing of plant diversity in ecosystems with strong vertical stratification and high understory diversity, such as agroforests, would benefit from combining data from passive with data from active sensors, such as LiDAR, to capture structural diversity.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft https://doi.org/10.13039/50110000165
Broad‐ and small‐scale environmental gradients drive variation in chemical, but not morphological, leaf traits of vascular epiphytes
No full textVariation in leaf functional traits along environmental gradients can reveal how vascular epiphytes respond to broad- and small-scale environmental gradients. Along elevational gradients, both temperature and precipitation likely play an important role as drivers of leaf trait variation, but these traits may also respond to small-scale changes in light, temperature and humidity along the vertical environmental gradient within forest canopies. However, the relative importance of broad- and small-scale environmental gradients as drivers of variation in leaf functional traits of vascular epiphytes is poorly understood.
Here, we examined variation in morphological and chemical leaf traits of 102 vascular epiphyte species spanning two environmental gradients along Cofre de Perote mountain in Mexico: (i) a broad-scale environmental gradient approximated by elevation as well as by species' lower and upper elevational limits, and (ii) small-scale environmental gradients using the relative height of attachment of an epiphyte on a host tree as a proxy for variation in environmental conditions within the forest canopy. We also assessed whether variation in morphological and chemical leaf traits along these gradients was consistent across photosynthetic pathways (CAM and C3).
Broad- and small-scale environmental gradients explained more variation in chemical traits (marginal R2: 11%–89%) than in morphological traits (marginal R2: 2%–31%). For example, leaf carbon isotope signatures (δ13C), which reflects water-use efficiency, varied systematically across both environmental gradients, suggesting a decrease in water-use efficiency with increasing lower and upper elevational limits and an increase in water-use efficiency with relative height of attachment. The influence of lower and upper elevational limits on trait variation differed between photosynthetic pathways, except for leaf dry matter content and leaf nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio. Contrary to our expectations, broad- and small-scale environmental gradients explained minimal variation in morphological leaf traits, suggesting that environmental conditions do not constrain morphological leaf trait values of vascular epiphytes.
Our findings suggest that assessing multiple drivers of leaf trait variation among photosynthetic pathways is key for disentangling the mechanisms underlying responses of vascular epiphytes to environmental conditions
Combining planting trees and natural regeneration promotes long-term structural complexity in oil palm landscapes
No full textVegetation structural complexity has been identified as a vital factor for forest ecosystem function, stability, and resilience. However, agricultural land with much reduced structural complexity has largely replaced natural forests in the tropics. Therefore, restoring structural complexity in large-scale plantation monocultures by introducing agroforestry systems may counteract the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functions. However, we still have limited knowledge of how the structural complexity of agroforests develops under different restoration treatments. We established a large-scale biodiversity enrichment experiment in a conventional monoculture oil palm plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia. In this experiment, agroforests were implemented by planting clusters of native trees (“tree islands”) within the oil palm plantation, systematically varying initially planted tree richness ranging from 0–6 (0 corresponding to natural regeneration only) and plot area (25–1600 m2). We tested the effect of the experimental treatments on nine years of the development of local structural complexity using a stand structural complexity index (SSCI) derived from terrestrial laser scanning. We found that tree planting and natural regeneration treatments promoted structural complexity by creating denser and more complex vegetation structures. Plots with a tree planting treatment tended to show greater structural complexity than plots with natural regeneration only. However, during the study period, oil palms still dominated heights, and the temporal change in structural complexity among plots with or without a tree planting treatment did not differ. As for plot area, our results indicate that structural complexity looking from the center of plots did not necessarily depend on the area during the study period, and even small tree islands can increase local structural complexity in a monoculture oil palm plantation. Initially planted tree richness did not significantly affect the development of structural complexity. Nine years after establishment, not planted trees but regenerated woody plants strongly positively affected vegetation density and structural complexity. Our findings highlight that sustaining vegetation density below oil palm canopies is a key strategy to increase the structural complexity of oil palm landscapes
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