Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics最新文献

{"title":"Niche differentiation and resource-use strategies in two co-occurring sister species of Neotropical shrubs: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius and C. souzae","authors":"Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas ,&nbsp;Román M. Vásquez-Elizondo ,&nbsp;Jorge O. López-Martínez","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125907","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125907","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The coexistence of closely related plant species has long intrigued community ecologists. This is because shared evolutionary history and recent divergence make it highly plausible that sister species share habitats, resource requirements, and biotic interactions, increasing the probability of interspecific competition and, ultimately, the exclusion of the poorest competitor. Paradoxically, empirical research has revealed that the coexistence of close relatives is common. However, the underlying mechanisms of coexistence are often unknown, and cryptic niche separation may sometimes occur on a small scale. Here, we assess niche differentiation and functional strategies in terms of resource acquisition(mainly light) in two sister species of <em>Cnidoscolus</em> in their area of sympatry (Yucatan Peninsula): <em>C. aconitifolius</em> and <em>C. souzae</em>. We found that niche differentiation between <em>C. aconitifolius</em> and <em>C. souzae</em> ranged 23–28 % at the large scale and 39–44 % at the small scale. <em>Cnidoscolus aconitifolius</em> can be found in warmer sites, with greater solar irradiance than <em>C. souzae</em>. Moreover, <em>Cnidoscolus aconitifolius</em> presented lower leaf dry matter and greater plasticity in the leaf-specific area and photosynthetic performance than <em>C. souzae</em>. We therefore suggest that <em>C</em>. <em>aconitifolius</em> presents a relatively greater acquisitive strategy than <em>C. souzae</em>. <em>Cnidoscolus aconitifolius</em> also presented greater performance than <em>C. souzae</em>, and the magnitude of this difference was greater in highly illuminated environments. We suggest that a differential ecological strategy regarding resource acquisition allows some niche partitioning in the light axis and this may at least partially explain the existence of the study species within a larger area of sympatry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125907"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145578528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Resampling epiphytic lichens in coniferous forests of the Southern Alps: Veteran trees promote compositional stability","authors":"Juri Nascimbene ,&nbsp;Michele Di Musciano ,&nbsp;Gabriele Gheza","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125904","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125904","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, by means of resampling epiphytic lichens in a timespan of fifteen years in forest stands of the Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Natural Park (N Italy – Southern Alps), we aim at detecting changes in lichen assemblages by comparing temporal β-diversity patterns between tree individuals of different ages and considering the response pattern of thallus growth forms. Our results indicate that on veteran trees lichen composition seems to be more stable over time. This view is corroborated by lower values of temporal beta-diversity as compared to young trees which are more prone to changes of their lichen biota. In this perspective, dynamics of gains and losses, that translate into compositional changes over time, seem to be more rapid on young than on veteran trees. While the results on the overall dynamics of gains and losses in terms of taxonomic changes are still difficult to interpret, the frequency changes of different thallus growth forms are more explicit in the time frame of our study, indicating a decline in broad-lobed foliose and alectorioid lichens. Overall, our results further support the importance of retaining and increasing the occurrence of veteran trees for long term lichen conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125904"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145473509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Twenty-year effect of sewage-sludge fertilization in a Mediterranean grassland: Impact on species composition, functional groups and interrelation with climate","authors":"Mercedes Valerio ,&nbsp;Ricardo Ibáñez ,&nbsp;Jan Lepš ,&nbsp;Lars Götzenberger","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125906","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125906","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mediterranean semi-natural grasslands are biodiversity hotspots threatened by increased frequency of drought events, soil erosion and desertification. Soil amendment with sewage sludge is considered a sustainable practice to increase soil fertility and avoid erosion, though detailed studies on its long-term effects on vegetation dynamics are still missing. Understanding how fertilization with sewage sludge affects Mediterranean semi-natural grasslands is of multifaceted interest, from perspectives of waste management, ecosystem conservation, and vegetation ecology. We analyzed the vegetation dynamics of a grazing-excluded, semi-natural Mediterranean grassland over 20 years in response to a single sludge fertilization event. We studied the persistence of the effects of fertilization, the long-term temporal trajectory of the community, the response of species with different functional traits and from different functional groups, and the influence of fertilization on the interannual vegetation response to temperature and precipitation. Our findings revealed significant alterations in community species composition lasting over two decades following fertilization. However, fertilization effects seemed to start decreasing in the last years. Fertilization favored annuals with higher Specific Leaf Area. Fertilization also influenced the interannual response of the community to autumn temperature, June and summer drought differently depending on the species functional group and traits; herbaceous perennials with higher Leaf Dry Matter Content and lower leaf area decreased with summer drought, while the influence of summer drought in annuals and woody perennials was reduced. Our work underscores the importance of long-term ecological dynamics to understand the temporal magnitude of fertilization impacts on the species composition and functioning of plant communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125906"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145578689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disentangling the role of fire, soil, and landscape effects on arrested succession in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest","authors":"Pablo Hugo Alves Figueiredo ,&nbsp;Jerônimo Boelsums Barreto Sansevero","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125899","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125899","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although secondary tropical forests may reach similar species richness and vegetation structure as old-growth forests in 50 years, there are situations in which they remain stagnant for decades. These divergent successional pathways vary depending on disturbance event, landscape context, land-use history and soil conditions. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of these factors in the establishment and maintenance of monodominant secondary forests of <em>Moquiniastrum polymorphum</em> (Less.) G. Sancho in abandoned farmlands in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We tested whether 1) fire history was the most significant factor associated with the occurrence of <em>M. polymorphum</em> forests (MPF) in the landscape; and 2) soil conditions and fire history had a determining influence on the vegetation structure, richness, and species composition of MPF. At the landscape scale, we assessed if the occurrence of MPF, comprising land cover changes between 1985 and 2020, was associated with fire events and other biophysical factors in the region. At the local scale, we evaluated the role of soil properties, fire events, and landscape context on the tree species richness, structure and floristic composition. MPF were observed further from the drainage and on slopes more affected by fires. Their coverage increased by 54 % on abandoned farmlands further from cities, where fire events were significantly more frequent. Fire history and soil properties were the factors that best explained the structure, diversity and floristic composition of MPF, while landscape showed relevance only to the floristic composition. We confirm that disturbance and soil conditions drive arrested succession in secondary forests in the southeastern Atlantic Forest. Our findings suggest that fire-soil-vegetation feedback mechanisms can maintain this alternative stable state in secondary tropical forests similarly to what happens in fire-prone ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125899"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145027468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Direction of the cross affects seed siring and progeny fitness in experimental homoploid crosses between two diploid Ficaria taxa","authors":"Michaela Konečná ,&nbsp;Jana Uhlířová ,&nbsp;Lucie Kobrlová,&nbsp;Martin Duchoslav","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125901","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125901","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding reproductive isolation mechanisms is essential for describing the origin of new species. In flowering plants, these mechanisms significantly affect hybridization rates (frequency of hybrid formation in natural populations) and crossing success (seed set and germinability in controlled crosses) and often are associated with asymmetries in hybrid fitness. <em>Ficaria</em> offers a valuable system for studying hybridization and reproductive isolation, as predominantly tetraploid, widespread phylogeographic taxon (lineage) <em>verna</em> (V) is thought to have arisen by hybridization between two parapatric diploid taxa (lineages) <em>calthifolia</em> (C) and <em>fertilis</em> (F) followed by polyploidization. To assess the extent and directionality of reproductive isolation, we conducted controlled intra-lineage and pairwise reciprocal crosses between the aforementioned diploids, evaluated reproductive assurance (autonomous apomixis, selfing) and analysed genome size, morphology and fitness of obtained F₁ progeny. No evidence of autonomous apomixis or self-fertilisation was found in the parental diploid lineages or the hybrids. The reciprocal inter-lineage crosses (F–C cross: n = 76; C–F cross: n = 45) produced viable diploid F₁ progeny whose genome size was intermediate between that of the parental lineages. The above implies that all F₁ progeny in reciprocal crosses originated from cross-pollination. No polyploid individuals were observed among the progeny resulting from any cross treatment. Progeny from inter-lineage crosses exhibited greater morphological variation than progeny from intra-lineage crosses. However, inter-lineage hybridisation was asymmetric. When C was the seed parent, the crosses yielded a lower number of seeds with lower germination rates and reduced fertility of established hybrids, in comparison to when F was the seed parent. Yet these hybrids exhibited greater stature and larger flowers than their reciprocals. These asymmetries likely reflect postzygotic cytonuclear incompatibilities between parental lineages. Our research highlights the importance of hybridisation and asymmetric reproductive barriers in shaping the evolution of <em>Ficaria</em> and establishes a basis for further studies on the genomic complexities that lead to polyploidisation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125901"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145266327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forest fires in Caatinga: Risk modeling and priority areas for prevention","authors":"Mariana de Aquino Aragão ,&nbsp;Nilton Cesar Fiedler ,&nbsp;Alexandre Rosa dos Santos ,&nbsp;Tais Rizzo Moreira ,&nbsp;Antonio Henrique Cordeiro Ramalho ,&nbsp;Robert Gomes ,&nbsp;Patrícia Carneiro Souto ,&nbsp;Telma Machado de Oliveira Peluzio ,&nbsp;Jéferson Luiz Ferrari ,&nbsp;Danilo Simões ,&nbsp;Leonardo Duarte Biazatti ,&nbsp;Fernanda Moura Fonseca Lucas","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125903","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125903","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fire occurrences have recently been increasing worldwide. The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome, and although it has been considered independent of fire, it has been gaining prominence in terms of fire occurrences, mainly due to the arid climate and human activities. Thus, the objective of this study was to propose a forest fire risk zoning for the Caatinga Biome considering its environmental and social characteristics, as well as to define priority regions where forest fire prevention is essential for preserving Caatinga biodiversity based on forest fire risk, fire history and vegetation type. The use of <em>Fuzzy</em> Logic associated with the Analytical Hierarchy Process technique enabled accurate risk modeling for the biome with 96.6 % assertiveness, classifying the biome area as high-risk for the occurrence of forest fires. Regarding location, the northern and western portions, with emphasis on the limits with the Cerrado Biome, were the regions where the model indicated a very high risk of fire. Vegetation located on private properties generally has a greater need for protection (92.02 %) due to fragmentation and proximity to agricultural activities. Conservation units and indigenous lands encompassed 7.98 % of the areas where forest fire prevention measures should be adopted, especially for the sustainable use category, such as Environmental Preservation Areas. Piauí, Bahia and Ceará states had the greatest delimited area representation of the greatest need for fire prevention activities and conservation of local biodiversity. These results indicate that monitoring and training measures for farmers should be implemented to prevent ecosystem losses due to forest fires.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125903"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145333190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revisiting wing petal sculpturing and pocket variation in papilionoid legumes","authors":"Cássia Sacramento ,&nbsp;Charles H. Stirton ,&nbsp;Luciano Paganucci de Queiroz ,&nbsp;Gwilym P. Lewis ,&nbsp;Domingos Cardoso","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125905","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125905","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Although floral morphology is diverse, the papilionate flower remains the hallmark trait that characterizes the species-rich subfamily Papilionoideae of the Leguminosae. This flower type exhibits a wide range of features closely related to the attraction and fidelity of pollinators. In addition to particular pollination mechanisms associated with the highly differentiated petals, wing petal sculpturing and pockets found in the papilionate flowers of many papilionoid species aids visiting pollinators. Pockets provide a “snap-button” locking mechanism between the wing and keel petals by holding them together so that they usually move as one unit when a pollinator lands. The sculpturing acts as insect footholds by providing an elaborately structured surface that facilitates grip for pollinating insects while accessing nectar (e.g., bees, bumblebees). We used optical and scanning electron microscopy to review, characterize, and describe the variation of the wing petal sculpturing and pockets across all major clades of the Papilionoideae. We analyzed three to five flowers of 445 genera, most of which belonged to tropical genera that had never been thoroughly described before with respect to sculpturing and pockets. We reinforce that the term “sculpturing” should be used to denote epidermal folds on the petal surface that primarily serve as insect footholds, whereas the term “pocket” should describe invaginations of the petal blade involving all tissue layers, i.e., both epidermal surfaces. Of the total genera analyzed, 177 only presented sculpturing and 46 only pockets, while 85 presented both. Sculpturing can be further classified as lamellate, lunate, and lunate-lamellate. The lamellate type, found in 47 % of the genera with sculpturing, varies in appearance, ranging from discrete grooves to intricate epidermal parallel folds. This type is frequently observed in the NPAAA (non-protein amino acid-accumulating) clade. The lunate type, where the epidermal folds resemble a half-moon, accounts for about 15.5 % of genera exhibiting sculpturing; it is primarily found in the Crotalarieae clade. The lunate-lamellate type, the least frequent at 7.5 % of the genera with sculpturing, was recorded in the Amorpheae and Dalbergieae clades. Pockets display a broad variation in depth, number, shape, and position. We have identified three main types: (i) the elongate pocket is oriented longitudinally on the petal and varies in depth and shape, with folded or entire margins, these may be restricted to one region or occur on various parts of the petal; (ii) the punctate pocket is hole-like and has a well-marked concavity with variation in depth and number; and (iii) the perpendicular pocket is oriented transversely on the petal and is deep. Among the pocket-bearing genera, the elongate shape is the most common (34 %), followed by the punctate (27 %) and perpendicular (4 %). Future research should focus on investigating how often this broad variation in wing p","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125905"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biological flora of Central Europe: Centaurea cyanus L.","authors":"Martina D’Agostino ,&nbsp;Thomas Abeli","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125874","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125874","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Centaurea cyanus</em> L., commonly known as cornflower, is an annual plant of the Asteraceae family, probably native to the Eastern Mediterranean region and historically a common weed of cereal crops. It is placed within the genus <em>Centaurea</em>, although the distinction between the genera <em>Centaurea</em> and <em>Cyanus</em> is controversial. <em>C. cyanus</em> has distinctive blue-violet flowers, erect grey-green stems, and lyrate basal leaves. Although its initial distribution was centred in the Eastern Mediterranean region, <em>C. cyanus</em> has spread to Europe, North America, and Asia as a weed. However, intensive farming practices have caused a significant decline in its populations. It grows in various habitats but most frequently in agricultural habitats with nutrient-rich soils and high light availability. It completes its life cycle between winter and spring, showing two distinct emergence periods: one in autumn and one in spring, depending on environmental conditions. <em>C. cyanus</em> has hermaphroditic flowers that are primarily cross-pollinated but can show pseudo-self-compatibility. The plant is pollinated by various insects including bees (<em>Apis mellifera</em>, <em>Bombus</em> spp<em>.</em>), and hoverflies (Syrphidae), which are attracted to its nectar-rich flowers. Its seeds are dispersed by several agents including wind, ants, and mechanical tillage. Seeds show primary dormancy, with optimal germination temperatures between 10 °C and 15 °C. <em>C. cyanus</em> competes poorly with crops and is susceptible to herbivores and pathogens, which can limit its establishment in agricultural fields. However, its association with mycorrhizal fungi plays a beneficial role in soil remediation, enhancing nutrient uptake and improving soil health. <em>C. cyanus</em> contains many secondary compounds including tocopherols, organic and phenolic acids, and anthocyanins with antioxidant and antibacterial activities. <em>C. cyanus</em> is a species of high ecological and genetic relevance. It displays notable within-population genetic diversity, and substantial differentiation among populations, which underlies its adaptive potential across diverse environments. However, the species still faces threats from climate change, habitat degradation, and agricultural practices. It was used in traditional medicine, and has culinary, cosmetic, and ornamental uses. Its conservation status is currently \"Least Concern” at the European and European Union levels, but its fragmented distribution, increased inbreeding, declining population trend due to agricultural intensification, high nitrogen inputs, herbicide use, and decreased pollinator activity warrant attention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 125874"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144189335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Detrimental effects of anthropogenic disturbances on ant-mediated seed dispersal services: A global meta-analysis","authors":"Byanca N.T. Cavalcante ,&nbsp;Diego Centeno-Alvarado ,&nbsp;Fernanda M.P. Oliveira ,&nbsp;José D. Ribeiro-Neto ,&nbsp;Alexander V. Christianini ,&nbsp;Xavier Arnan ,&nbsp;Inara R. Leal","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125876","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125876","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anthropogenic disturbances, particularly the loss of natural and semi-natural habitats, have global impacts on ecosystems, notably affecting vital ecological services like seed dispersal by ants, which are crucial for about 4.5 % of plant species. These effects depend on factors such as biogeographical origins of the biota, plant growth form, plant and seed traits, interacting ant species, and local site characteristics. In this meta-analysis, we investigated the overall trends in the impact of anthropogenic disturbances on ant-mediated seed removal rates and dispersal distances. We also explored how these services are influenced by disturbance type, environmental factors (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and biome), plant and seed traits (e.g., dispersal syndrome, its interaction with plant growth form, and seed size), and disperser species characteristics (e.g., keystone species). We analyzed 76 independent studies, comprising 430 experiments related to seed dispersal services (353 focused on seed removal rates and 77 on seed dispersal distances). Our findings revealed that anthropogenic disturbances negatively impact seed removal rates, although not consistently across all abiotic and biotic contexts, while having no significant effects on seed dispersal distances. The relationship between disturbances and seed removal was influenced by disturbance type, biome, plant and seed traits. Specifically, mining activities decreased seed removal rates, and disturbances in general reduced seed removal by ants in Mediterranean forests, woodlands, deserts and xeric shrublands. Interestingly, myrmecochorous trees were especially vulnerable in seed removal compared to other plant growth forms or dispersal syndromes, suggesting that the impacts of disturbance on ant-mediated seed dispersal could lead to major modifications in the structure of forest ecosystems. Our study highlights the importance of conserving ant-mediated seed dispersal, particularly in myrmecochory hotspots, to protect this critical ecological service.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 125876"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ontogeny unlocks the floral development and evolution of Uleanthus, a florally divergent monospecific genus of Amazonian legume trees","authors":"Catarina S. Carvalho ,&nbsp;Gerhard Prenner ,&nbsp;Simone Pádua Teixeira ,&nbsp;Thiago André ,&nbsp;Annícia Barata ,&nbsp;Charles E. Zartman ,&nbsp;Domingos Cardoso","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Floral ontogeny is one of the most powerful tools in comparative biology for understanding the diversity of flower forms and their evolutionary pathways. The Amazonian monospecific tree genus <em>Uleanthus</em> (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) stands out for its striking hummingbird-pollinated flowers with a bright red calyx and pink to lilac standard petal forming a tubular structure that encloses the reproductive organs. Ontogenetic revelations of <em>Uleanthus erythrinoides</em> may shed light on its controversial phylogenetic placement and help to elucidate broader patterns of floral homology and convergence among morphologically similar yet evolutionarily distant, and morphologically contrasting but phylogenetically close lineages within papilionoid legumes. Flower buds were collected in different developmental stages in the field, and stored in 70 % ethanol to investigate the floral ontogeny using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results were broadly compared with existing material from putatively closely related papilionoid legume genera. Sepals of <em>Uleanthus erythrinoides</em> emerge with a unidirectional sequence. The petals initiate simultaneously; the antesepalous and antepetalous stamens initiate unidirectionally. The carpel initiation is concomitant with the first antesepalous stamen primordia. The apparent resemblance between <em>Uleanthus</em> and other bird-pollinated papilionoid genera does not bear support in floral ontogeny, rather they have evolved convergently. Despite the contrasting floral architecture of <em>Uleanthus</em> and its putative phylogenetically closely related <em>Camoensia</em> from the Genistoid clade, both share similar flower with a showy standard and undifferentiated inner petals that are verified early in the ontogenetic development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 125887"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144501831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}