Resource manipulation reveals flexible allocation rules to growth and reproduction in a Mediterranean evergreen oak

Aims In plants,resource allocation to growth and reproduction may depart from trade-off expectations if(i)investment in growth and reproduction relies on different resource pools,(ii)allocation to reproduction is dependent upon reaching some growth threshold or(iii)reproduction is developmentally linked to growth,both functions relying on the same resource pool.We examined the effects of enhanced resource level on patterns of resource allocation to growth and reproduction in holm oak(Quercus ilex sbsp.ballota),a Mediterranean evergreen tree.Methods In the experimental year(2003),we manipulated the amount of soil nutrients in autumn(to increase nutrient uptake during shoot elongation in the following spring)and soil water in summer(to increase water uptake during acorn growth).Indicators of growth and male and female reproduction were estimated in the preexperimental(2002),experimental(2003)and post-experimental(2004)years.Important Findings Fertilized trees produced significantly longer shoots,but the number of female flowers per shoot was not affected by treatments.The production of male catkins was also enhanced by fertilization.Irrigation did not affect the production of female flowers or abortion rates.Growth and female reproduction showed no consistent relationship in untreated trees,but resource addition elicited a growth-female reproduction trade-off in the experimental year.The sign of this significant relationship changed in the post-experimental year,indicating the existence of lagged effects of resource manipulation on acorn production.Overall,patterns of allocation to growth and reproduction varied as a function of sex,resource availability and year,a result consistent with extreme allocational plasticity in holm oak.

Extensive pollen immigration and no evidence of disrupted mating patterns or reproduction in a highly fragmented holm oak stand

Aims Forest fragmentation and reduced tree population densities can poten-tially have negative impacts on mating patterns,offspring genetic diversity and reproductive performance.the aim of the present study is to test these hypotheses comparing an extremely fragmented,low tree density(~0.02 trees/ha)holm oak(Quercus ilex l.)stand from Central spain with a nearby high tree density stand(~50 trees/ha).Methods We genotyped adult trees and seeds from the low-density stand(436 seeds from 15 families)and the high-density stand(404 seeds from 11 families)using nine microsatellite markers.With these data,we performed paternity analyses,determined pollen flow,mating patterns and pollen pool structure,and estimated progeny genetic diversity in both stands.We also studied seed set and production and performed a pollen supplementation experiment to determine whether reduced tree density has limited foreign pollen availability.Important Findings We have found extensive pollen immigration(>75%)into the low tree density stand and monte Carlo simulations revealed that pollen moves larger distances than expected from null models of random dispersal.mating patterns and differentiation of pollen pools were similar in the high-density stand and the low-density stand but we found higher inter-annual differentiation of pollen pools in the for-mer.Progeny genetic diversity and self-fertilization rates did not dif-fer between the low-density stand and the high-density stand.seed set rates were significantly lower in the low-density stand than in the high-density stand and experimental cross-pollen supplementation evidenced that foreign pollen availability is indeed a limiting factor in the former.However,seed crops did not differ between the low-density stand and the high-density stand,indicating that limitation of foreign pollen is not likely to be of great concern in terms of reduced seed production and potential recruitment.Poor forest regeneration due to other ecological and human factors is probably a more important threat for the persistence of fragmented and low tree density stands than reduced pollen flow and only extremely small and isolated tree populations would be expected to suffer severe loss of genetic diversity in the long term.

Distribution and space use of seed-dispersing rodents in central Pyrenees:implications for genetic diversity,conservation and plant recruitment

The function and conservation of many forest ecosystems depend on the distribution and diversity of the community of rodents that consume and disperse seeds.The habitat preferences and interactions are especially relevant in alpine systems where such granivorous rodents reach the southernmost limit of their distribution and are especially sensitive to global warming.We analyzed the community of granivorous rodents in the Pyrenees,one of the southernmost mountain ranges of Europe.Rodent species were identified by DNA with particular attention to the Apodemus species,which are prominent seed-dispersing rodents in Europe.We confirmed for the first time the presence of the yellow-necked mouse,Apodemus flavicollis,in central Pyrenees,a typical Eurosiberian species that reaches its southernmost distribution limit in this area.We also found the wood mouse,Apodemus sylvaticus,a related species more tolerant to Mediterranean environments.Both rodents were spatially segregated by altitude.A.sylvaticus was rare at high altitudes,which might cause the genetic differentiation between populations of the different valleys reported here.We also found other seed consumers like dormice,Elyomis quercinus,and voles,Myodes glareolus,with marked habitat preferences.We suggest that population isolation among valleys may increase the genetic diversity of rodents,like A.sylvaticus.We also highlight the potential threat that global warming may represent for species linked to high-altitude refuges at the southern edge of its distribution,like Apodemus flavicollis.Finally,we discuss how this threat may have a dimension in the conservation of alpine forests dispersed by these rodent populations.

Role of seed size, phenology, oogenesis and host distribution in the specificity and genetic structure of seed weevils (Curculio spp.) in mixed forests

Synchrony between seed growth and oogenesis is suggested to largely shape trophic breadth of seed-feeding insects and ultimately to contribute to their co-existence by means of resource partitioning or in the time when infestation occurs.Here we investigated:(i)the role of seed phenology and sexual maturation of females in the host specificity of seed-feeding weevils(Curculio spp.)predating in hazel and oak mixed forests;and(ii)the consequences that trophic breadth and host distribution have in the genetic structure of the weevil populations.DNA analyses were used to establish unequivocally host specificity and to determine the population genetic structure.We identified 4 species with different specificity,namely Curculio nucum females matured earlier and infested a unique host(hazelnuts,Corylus avellana)while 3 species(Curculio venosus,Curculio glandium and Curculio elephas)predated upon the acorns of the 2 oaks(Quercus ilex and Quercus pubescens).The high specificity of C.nucum coupled with a more discontinuous distribution of hazel trees resulted in a significant genetic structure among sites.In addition,the presence of an excess of local rare haplotypes indicated that C.nucum populations went through genetic expansion after recent bottlenecks.Conversely,these effects were not observed in the more generalist Curculio glandium predating upon oaks.Ultimately,co-existence of weevil species in this multi-host-parasite system is influenced by both resource and time partitioning.To what extent the restriction in gene flow among C.nucum populations may have negative consequences for their persistence in a time of increasing disturbances(e.g.drought in Mediterranean areas)deserves further research.