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Reduced plant fitness by pre-dispersal seed predation in the threatened plant species Cirsium decussatum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2018

Alina Stachurska-Swakoń ,
Beata Barabasz-Krasny ,
Anna Klasa  and
Andrzej Palaczyk
Alina Stachurska-Swakoń*
Affiliation:
Jagiellonian University, Institute of Botany, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
Beata Barabasz-Krasny
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University Kraków, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Kraków, Poland
Anna Klasa
Affiliation:
Ojców National Park, 32-047 Ojców 9, Poland
Andrzej Palaczyk
Affiliation:
Museum of the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals PAS, św. Sebastiana 9, 31-049 Kraków, Poland
*
Author for correspondence: Alina Stachurska-Swakoń Email: alina.stachurska-swakon@uj.edu.pl
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Abstract

Seed predation has been suggested to play a crucial role in plant population dynamics and could act as a strong selective force in the evolution of plant traits such as plant phenology, size and number of flowers. The loss of seeds could be particularly threatening for population maintenance of rare plant species. We investigated the influence of seed predators on plant fitness of the rare monocarpic thistle Cirsium decussatum. We tested the following hypotheses: (1) pre-dispersal seed predators reduce the number of dispersed propagules; (2) seed predators select larger inflorescences as oviposition sites; (3) the size of the capitulum is correlated with seed productivity; and (4) seed predators compete for the oviposition sites. We identified ten insect taxa from different taxonomic groups in the capitula of C. decussatum. Terellia longicauda larvae (Diptera: Tephritidae) were the most common. The presence of the flies’ larvae was positively correlated with the predation level in the capitula. Females of T. longicauda selected larger inflorescences for laying eggs that may increase offspring fitness as larger inflorescences promise more food resources. We could not prove the presence of competition between insect species inhabiting the capitula. Our data suggest, however, that T. longicauda, a specialized seminophagous dipteran, is one of the factors that negatively influence the fitness of threatened C. decussatum, lowering significantly the seed pool. Terellia longicauda potentially acts as a strong selective force in the evolution of C. decussatum inflorescence size.

Keywords

Cirsium decussatumco-evolutionendangered plantsfactors limiting plant distributionfruit fliesplant–animal interactionsseed predationseed productivity
Type
Research Paper
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , June 2018 , pp. 123 - 130
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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