Tropical canopy giants operating within narrow thermal envelopes are exceptionally vulnerable to climate change velocity. This study evaluates the spatiotemporal habitat dynamics of Ficus beddomei, an endangered keystone canopy fig endemic to the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. By coupling macroclimatic Grinnellian parameters, edaphic factors (soil organic carbon and pH), and Eltonian vegetation structural refinement layers, we modeled the species’ niche dynamics across the 21st century under CMIP6 SSP2-4.5. Using 56 spatially thinned presence nodes (from 61 verified coordinates across 30 arc-second cells), MaxEnt modeling demonstrated high predictive performance (AUC > 0.90, TSS ≥ 0.925). Analysis revealed a projected late-century niche-driver transition toward acute dependency on winter precipitation (BIO19 > 50
Fire severity in Mediterranean shrublands is well documented through remote sensing, but direct in situ measurements linking plant structural traits to fire effects remain limited. This study investigates whether Mediterranean shrubland species with different structural traits differ in fuel consumption as a severity measure, and whether temperature residence times at the soil surface relate to post-fire branch diameters. We conducted three experimental burns in Mediterranean shrublands in Valencia province (eastern Spain), measuring soil-surface temperatures, fuel consumption and post-fire terminal branch diameters in five dominant species. Results revealed significant and species-dependent relationships, demonstrating that coexisting species within the same plant community experience different severity levels under identical fire conditions. Resprouting species with longer life spans showed lower severity and fuel consumption, requiring longer residence times at higher temperatures to consume fuel amounts similar to those of shorter-lived seeder species. These findings suggest that structural fuel traits associated with different functional strategies not only help explain fire severity but may also contribute to understanding fire behaviour across plant communities. This study provides novel empirical evidence on the link between plant functional traits and fire severity, contributing to a better understanding of fire effects in Mediterranean ecosystems.
Allelopathy is commonly proposed as a mechanism of plant invasion success, yet many studies test whether non-native species suppress native competitors without examining reciprocal effects. We used a reciprocal design to compare leaf-material-mediated effects of an invasive shrub, Rhamnus cathartica, and a native shrub, Cornus racemosa, on seed germination and seedling growth in a bioassay and on growth in a greenhouse experiment. In the bioassays, C. racemosa leaf amendment reduced Lactuca sativa (model species) germination to 80
Dietary choice of seed-consuming rodents potentially determines the survival and dispersal success of shade-tolerant forest herbs – a group at risk in post-agricultural landscapes of eastern North America. Optimal foraging theory predicts that large, energy-rich seeds will be most attractive and seed consumption will be greater in structurally complex habitats, which provide protection from predators. To assess the effects of seed size, familiarity, and habitat complexity, we set out seeds of six native herb species and six unfamiliar cultivated species at replicated feeding stations in a mixed-mesophytic deciduous forest in southeastern Ohio, USA. Seed removal was monitored daily. The neighborhood of each station was described in terms of microtopography, vegetation cover, woody debris, and leaf litter. Seed number declined at most stations over 1–3 weeks. Automatic wildlife cameras identified Peromyscus leucopus as the only biotic removal agent during the study. Loss of wooden-bead controls implied that seeds were also lost through abiotic processes, although at much lower rates. Cultivated species were removed earlier, faster, and more completely than native species regardless of seed size, indicating rodent preference for unfamiliar species. In native species, small seeds disappeared faster than large seeds consistent with abiotic seed loss. Local environment had little effect on seed removal. We conclude that P. leucopus is behaving as an opportunistic generalist granivore foraging without regard for predators. Low attractiveness of native species potentially allows survival of large-seeded herbs in the post-agricultural landscape. Energy content and microenvironment heterogeneity were not sufficient explanations for seed survival in a naturally complex forest community.
Invasive plants often outperform native species, but mechanisms driving invasion success remain poorly understood because of complex interactions among multiple factors. We conducted a greenhouse competition experiment using a replacement‑series design with a fixed total density of four plants per pot to test how nutrient supply, activated charcoal (a non-specific proxy for removing putative root-derived compounds, although it also affects nutrients and microbes) and planting proportion (25
