Basal plant facilitation extends to insect community structure and diversity in the Mojave Desert,...
Transcript of Basal plant facilitation extends to insect community structure and diversity in the Mojave Desert,...
Honours thesis defense
Basal plant facilitation extends to insect community structure in the Mojave Desert, California
Ally Ruttan
Positive Interactions
Often in regions of high abiotic stress
Molenda et al. 2012
(Flores and Jurado 2003; Lortie and Callaway 2009; Arredondo‐Nunez et al. 2009)
Hypothesis
Basal plant facilitation positively influences trophic levels other than plants through the facilitation of insect community structure
+
Predictions
1. Nurse = effect on insect communities
2. Nurse = different key indicator families
3. Nurse act as magnets for pollinators in particular
Study Site – Kelso Dunes
Chaenactis fremontii
Malocothrix glabrataAliciella leptomeria
Eriophyllum wallacei
Results - NMDS
NMDS1
NM
DS
2
Tachinidae
melyridae
Sarcophagidae
Formicidae
Pompilidae
Crabronidae
Halictidae
Glaphyridae
Chrysididae
Rhopalidae
Megachilidae
Andrenidae
Meloidae
Muscidae
Bombyliidae
AsilidaeGeometridae
ApioceridaePteromalidaeSphingidae
Bethylidae
ElateridaeColletidaeMilichiidae
Geocoridae
AcrididaeTephritidae
Tabanidae
Mordellidae
MydidaeMiridaeVespidae
Chloropidae
MelittidaeLauxaniidae
Anthomyiidae
PipunculidaeChalcididaeSphecidaeBradynobaenidae
Apidae
Syrphidae
23
301
67
343
515
24
437
304
531
148
66
391
399
518
360328
21
535
516
440
451
364
269
494
57
78
285
525
259
55
53219
2
58
380
487
473
522
249359
25
294
288
34997
70
119
333
81
332
268
287
436
325
404
63
252
22
37
454
336
82
411
348393
405
169
365175
267
537
61
7585
275
445
181
530255501
344 474540124
490250
262
538274
87
385172
447
54
528
290
233
462
256
524
334
90
357
43
264
62
382
18
381
254
151
207
150
31
214
190
160
276
361126
493251504
427
523
186
331
16112
470
178
4
433
144
10
187
521
223
120
466
242
283
346
313
131
478
277
102253
502
167
429
363
121
496
83
100
52
319
309
32459
111
96
104
372
213
220
335
166
342
458
408
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139145
165
235
132
147
243
299
286
29
529
179
110
215
18434
402
218263
400118
367
461
211
84
236
448
536
39
76
221
321
5216
351
240
241
406
312245
12
142
152425
476
472191
506
115
41
133
354
368
394
526
412
468
450
539
513
48
114
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234
370
106157
489
91
14
200
33
72
134
480
225
246509
164
219
143
155
130
149117
415
441
390
320185
69
171
416
297322
330
209204
337
40
38
99
135140
503
125163
109
519
30392
284
158
226
455
136
101
398
227
28
409
127
122
261520
189
210 410
444
273
15153
527
420
369
159
183
439
20
248
6
278
291182
384
386
280
9
534
180
341
421
29573339
345
3
452
387
60
310
417
228
431
177378198
174
467
199
279298314
11
162
533
371471
229105
49
237453
374
397401
239
27
432230
1548
36483
517
270
89
481
281
50
98
491
469
512265464
168
308296
266
195
418
231499 505
86356
376
305
395
80
340326
44
59
272
56
107257
47224311 282
355
71
508
238
350 511477
188
353498495
383
426
347
13
443
446460
49277
194
317
465 488
94
46
260
192
129
38920627142
388
323300
423
457377486324
484
403375373
123
53217
93161
419
292
5141
42220817
302
128
414
64
42474327
32940788
232366289449
3793067
222
352
OpenShrub
NMDS1
NM
DS1
MRPP = 0.001
NM
DS2
Community composition significantly different between microsite and pan trap colour
Bee abundance
Not different between microsite
Why?
Many bees associated with L. tridentata
Horizontal foraging patterns
Trap method
(Minckley and Cane 2000)
Implications – Seed Dispersal
Enhance annual community
Displacement from parent plant
(O’Dowd and Hay 1980; Rissing 1981)
Implications – Restoration
L. tridentata keystone species
Restoration of degraded systems, mediate desertification
(Castro et al. 2004; Gomez and Aparicio 2004)