Leading directions and effective distance of larch offspring dispersal at the upper treeline in the Northern and Polar Urals, Russia

Climate has changed sufficiently over the last 150 years and forced out upper treeline advance at the most studied sites around the world.The rate of advance has been extremely variable–from tens to hundreds meters in altitude.This is because the degree at which tree frontal populations respond to climate change depends on the complex interaction of biological and physical factors.The resulting stand pattern is the consequence of the interaction between dispersal and survival functions.A few publications have addressed the question of how this pattern is generated.In order to understand how the spatial structure of tree stands was formed at the upper limit of their distribution in the Ural Mountains,we assessed the distance and direction of dispersal of offspring from maternal individuals.We found that in frontal Larix sibirica Ledeb.populations,‘effective’dispersal of offspring ranges from 3 to 758 m(with a median of 20–33 m in open forest and 219 m in single-tree tundra in the Polar Urals and 107 m in open forest in the Northern Urals).We revealed that most of the offspring effectively dispersed not only in the direction of the prevailing winds,but also in the opposite direction up the slope,and the distance can reach 500–760 m.The data obtained can be used to develop an individual-based model which is capable of simulating in detail the dynamics of tree stands at the upper limit of their growth and reliably predicting the future position and pattern of treeline ecotone as growth conditions continue to improve in the face of observed climate change.

Relatedness dynamics and sex-biased dispersal in a seasonal cycle of corn mice from intensively managed agroecosystems

The sex-biased dispersal and kinship dynamics are important factors shaping the spatial distribution of individuals and are key parameters affecting a variety of ecological and evolutionary processes.Here,we studied the spatial distribution of related individuals within a population of corn mice Calomys musculinus in a seasonal cycle to infer dispersal patterns.The sampling was carried out from spring 2005 to winter 2006 in field borders of intensively managed agroecosystems.Genotyping data from 346 individuals with 9 microsatellites showed spatial genetic structure was weak for males,but not for females.The results indicate a complex spatial kinship dynamic of related females across all seasons.Which,contrary to our expectations,dispersal distances decrease with the increase of the population abundance.Meanwhile,male dispersal distances were greater when population abundance increased and thus the availability of active females.Males disperse greater distances to mate and sire offspring with distant females as a possible inbreeding avoidance mechanism.This study shows that C.musculinus is capable of much greater scattering distances than previously reported and that dispersal occurs fluidly and without barriers across the agroecosystem.The indirect benefit of dispersal on individual fitness could be related to relaxing the competition in the natal area and increasing the mating rate.Our study highlights the value of combining genetic relatedness,fieldwork observations,and behavioral data to estimate dispersal at a fine geographical scale.

Research progress in avian dispersal behavior

Dispersal,defined as a linear spreading movement of individuals away from others of the population is a fundamental characteristic of organisms in nature.Dispersal is a central concept in ecological,behavioral and evolutionary studies,driven by different forces such as avoidance of inbreeding depression,density-dependent competition and the need to change breeding locations.By effective dispersal,organisms can enlarge their geographic range and adjust the dynamic,sex ratio and genetic compositions of a population.Birds are one of the groups that are studied intensively by human beings.Due to their diurnal habits,diverse life history strategies and complex movement,birds are also ideal models for the study of dispersal behaviors.Certain topics of avian dispersal including sex-biased,asymmetric dispersal caused by differences in body conditions,dispersal processes,habitat selection and long distance dispersal are discussed here.Bird-ringing or marking,radio-telemetry and genetic markers are useful tools widely applied in dispersal studies.There are three major challenges regarding theoretical study and methodology research of dispersal:(1)improvement in research methodology is needed,(2)more in-depth theoretical research is necessary,and(3)application of theoretical research into the conservation efforts for threatened birds and the management of their habitats should be carried out immediately.

Palatability and profitability of co-occurring seeds alter indirect interactions among rodent-dispersed trees

Beyond direct species interactions,seed dispersal is potentially affected by indirect seed–seed interactions among co-occurring nut-bearing trees which are mediated by scatter-hoarding animals as shared seed dispersers.A relevant question in such systems is to what extent different functional traits related to food palatability and profitability affect the kinds of indirect interactions that occur among co-occurring seeds,and the consequences for seed dispersal.We used field experiments to track seed dispersal with individually tagged seeds in both monospecific and mixed seed communities.We measured indirect effects based on 3 seed–seed species pairs from the family Fagaceae with contrasting seed size,tannin level,and dormancy in a subtropical forest in Southwest China.When all else was equal,the presence of adjacently placed seeds with contrasting seed traits created different indirect effects measured through a variety of dispersal-related indicators.Apparent mutualism was reciprocal due to increasing seed dispersal in mixed seed patches with mixed differences in seed tannins and dormancy.However,differences in either seed size or dormancy in co-occurring adjacently placed seeds caused apparent competition with reduced seed removal or seed dispersal(distance)in at least one species.Our study supports the hypothesis that different functional traits related to food palatability and profitability in co-occurring seeds modify foraging decisions of scatter-hoarding animals,and subsequently cause indirect effects on seed dispersal among rodent-dispersed trees.We conclude that such indirect effects mediated by shared seed dispersers may act as an important determinant of seed dispersal for co-fruiting animal-dispersed trees in many natural forests.

Recent introduction of an allodapine bee into Fiji： A new model system for understanding biological invasions by pollinators

Morphology-based studies have suggested a very depauperate bee fauna for islands in the South West Pacific, and recent genetic studies since have indicated an even smaller endemic fauna with many bee species in this region resulting from human-aided dispersal. These introduced species have the potential to both disrupt native pollinator suites as well as augment crop pollination, but for most species the timings of introduction are unknown. We examined the distribution and nesting biology of the long-tongued bee Braunsapis puangensis that was first recorded from Fiji in 2007. This bee has now become widespread in Fiji and both its local abundance and geographical range are likely to increase dramatically. The impacts of this invasion are potentially enormous for agriculture and native ecosystems, but they also provide opportunities for understanding how social insect species adapt to new environments. We outline the major issues associated with this recent invasion and argue that a long-term monitoring study is needed.