Title: | Ecological convergence in phytochemistry and flower-insect visitor interactions along an Andean elevation gradient |
Author(s): | Carvajal Acosta AN; Formenti L; Godschalx A; Katsanis A; Schapheer C; Mooney K; Villagra C; Rasmann S; |
Address: | "Department of Entomology Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California, Irvine Irvine California USA. Institut fur Okologie und Evolution Universitat Bern Bern Switzerland. Institute of Biology University of Neuchatel Neuchatel Switzerland. Soil Food Web School Corvallis Oregon USA. Instituto de Entomologia Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educacion Santiago Chile" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 2045-7758 (Print) 2045-7758 (Electronic) 2045-7758 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The diversity of specialized molecules produced by plants radiating along ecological gradients is thought to arise from plants' adaptations to local conditions. Therefore, closely related species growing in similar habitats should phylogenetically converge, or diverge, in response to similar climates, or similar interacting animal communities. We here asked whether closely related species in the genus Haplopappus (Asteraceae) growing within the same elevation bands in the Andes, converged to produce similar floral odors. To do so, we combine untargeted analysis of floral volatile organic compounds with insect olfactory bioassay in congeneric Haplopappus (Asteraceae) species growing within the same elevation bands along the Andean elevational gradient. We then asked whether the outcome of biotic interactions (i.e., pollination vs. seed predation) would also converge across species within the same elevation. We found that flower odors grouped according to their elevational band and that the main floral visitor preferred floral heads from low-elevation band species. Furthermore, the cost-benefit ratio of predated versus fertilized seeds was consistent within elevation bands, but increased with elevation, from 6:1 at low to 8:1 at high elevations. In the light of our findings, we propose that climate and insect community changes along elevation molded a common floral odor blend, best adapted for the local conditions. Moreover, we suggest that at low elevation where floral resources are abundant, the per capita cost of attracting seed predators is diluted, while at high elevation, sparse plants incur a higher herbivory cost per capita. Together, our results suggest that phytochemical convergence may be an important factor driving plant-insect interactions and their ecological outcomes along ecological gradients" |
Keywords: | Andean biodiversity ecological gradients macroecology specialized metabolism tephritid flies terpenes volatile organic compounds; |
Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINECarvajal Acosta, Alma Nalleli Formenti, Ludovico Godschalx, Adrienne Katsanis, Angelos Schapheer, Constanza Mooney, Kailen Villagra, Cristian Rasmann, Sergio eng England 2023/08/21 Ecol Evol. 2023 Aug 16; 13(8):e10418. doi: 10.1002/ece3.10418. eCollection 2023 Aug" |