PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Understanding the ecological and evolutionary aspects of mutualistic interactions is essential for predicting species responses to environmental changes. This study aimed to investigate the phenological patterns and reproductive strategies in two closely related fig tree species, Ficus citrifolia and Ficus eximia. We monitored 99 F. citrifolia and 21 F. eximia trees weekly from January 2006 to April 2011 in an area close to the southern edge of the tropical region in Brazil. Our results revealed contrasting phenological patterns between the two species, with F. citrifolia displaying an annual flowering pattern (1.4 episodes per tree per year) and F. eximia a supra-annual pattern (0.5 episodes per tree per year). We also found significant differences in reproductive strategies, with F. eximia producing more pistillate flowers and, consequently, more seeds and pollinating wasps per fig than F. citrifolia, likely as an adaptation to overcome limitations of low population density by maximizing the gene flow. As the shorter-lived organism, the fig wasp was found to influence critical processes associated with the success and stability of mutualism, such as fig development and ripening. Our findings emphasize the importance of understanding the intricate interactions between mutualistic partners and their adaptive responses to environmental conditions in shaping fig tree populations\' reproductive strategies and genetic structure.
摘要：
了解互惠互动的生态和进化方面对于预测物种对环境变化的反应至关重要。本研究旨在调查两个密切相关的无花果树种的物候模式和繁殖策略。无花果和无花果。从2006年1月至2011年4月，我们每周在巴西热带地区南部边缘附近的地区监测99华树和21华树。我们的结果揭示了两种物种之间的物候模式对比，黄花菜表现出年度开花模式（每棵树每年1.4次），黄花菜表现出超年度模式（每棵树每年0.5次）。我们还发现在生殖策略上存在显著差异，F.eximia产生更多的雌蕊花，因此,每个无花果的种子和授粉黄蜂比西叶菜多，可能是通过最大化基因流来克服低人口密度限制的一种适应方法。作为寿命较短的生物，无花果黄蜂被发现影响与互惠的成功和稳定性相关的关键过程，如无花果发育和成熟。我们的发现强调了在塑造无花果树种群的繁殖策略和遗传结构中，了解互惠伴侣之间的复杂相互作用及其对环境条件的适应性反应的重要性。
