On the structure of species-function participation in multilayer ecological networks.

Understanding how biotic interactions shape ecosystems and impact their functioning, resilience and biodiversity has been a sustained research priority in ecology. Yet, traditional assessments of ecological complexity typically focus on species-species interactions that mediate a particular function (e.g.

Vertebrates can be more important pollinators than invertebrates on islands: the case of L.

On islands, flowering plants tend to be more generalist in their pollination needs, as insects (the main pollinators of flowering plants) are underrepresented in these ecosystems compared to the mainland. In addition, some vertebrate species that are typically insectivorous or granivorous on the mainland are forced to broaden their diet and consume other resources such as nectar or pollen on the islands. The shrub , with its large and colourful flowers, attracts different groups of potential pollinators.

Assessing the Role of Lizards as Potential Pollinators of an Insular Plant Community and Its Intraspecific Variation.

The role of lizards as potential pollinators on islands has been documented for either one or a few plants in different parts of the world, but it has never been assessed for an entire plant community. Here, we quantified interaction rate by lizards and evaluated intraspecific differences in the use of flowers on Cabrera Gran (Cabrera archipelago, Balearic Islands) by means of visual observations, automated cameras and the analysis of pollen grain samples. Overall, we recorded interactions of the Balearic wall lizard () with flowers of 44 plant species, 72.

Interpopulation Plasticity in a Darkling Beetle Life-History along a Whole Oceanic Island Altitudinal Gradient.

Insects show remarkable phenotypic plasticity in response to changing environmental conditions. The abiotic factors that determine their phenotypes often vary in time and space, and oceanic islands harbour ideal environments for testing predictions on this matter. The ubiquitous beetle Wollaston, 1864 (Tenebrionidae) is distributed over the entire altitudinal gradient of the island El Hierro (Canary archipelago), from 0 to 1501 m above sea level.

Selective forces on the maintenance of outcrossing in an almost exclusively cleistogamous violet species.

Premise: Cleistogamous species constitute interesting study systems to resolve the longstanding question of how outcrossing is maintained given that seed production is ensured through selfing. In this work, we investigate the selective forces that allow the persistence of producing self-pollinated cleistogamous (CL) and chasmogamous (CH) flowers in Viola jaubertiana Marès & Vigin.

Methods: We monitored three populations at different elevation for two years, and studied the flowering phenology and the relative contribution of each flower morph to parental fitness.

Small size does not restrain frugivory and seed dispersal across the evolutionary radiation of Galápagos lava lizards.

Frugivory in lizards is often assumed to be constrained by body size; only large individuals are considered capable of consuming fruits, with the potential of acting as seed dispersers. However, only one previous study has tested the correlation of frugivory with body and head size at an archipelago scale across closely related species. All nine lava lizards ( spp.

Divergence in floral trait preferences between nonflower-specialized birds and insects on the Galápagos.

Premise Of The Study: The characteristic scarcity of insects on remote oceanic islands has driven nonflower-specialized vertebrates to broaden their trophic niches and explore floral resources. From our previous studies in the Galápagos, we know that native insectivorous and frugivorous birds visit a wide range of entomophilous flowers and can also act as effective pollinators. Here, we tested whether opportunistic Galápagos birds show any preference for specific floral traits, and if so, this preference differs from that of insects.

Potential role of lava lizards as pollinators across the Galápagos Islands.

Lizards have been reported as important pollinators on several oceanic islands. Here we evaluate the potential role of Galápagos lava lizards (Microlophus spp.) as pollinators across their radiation.

Pollination effectiveness of opportunistic Galápagos birds compared to that of insects: From fruit set to seedling emergence.

Premise Of The Study: Relying on floral traits to assess pollination systems has been shown to underestimate the ecological service that novel mutualisms can provide. Although vertebrates with opportunistic food habits are common on islands, usually feeding upon flowers of entomophilous species (ES), little is known about how effective they are as pollinators. In a previous study, we had reported that native insectivorous and frugivorous Galápagos birds commonly visit ES flowers, without assessing whether they act as pollinators.

Parasitic fauna of a yellow-legged gull colony in the island of Escombreras (South-eastern Mediterranean) in close proximity to a landfill site: potential effects on cohabiting species.

We identified the ectoparasites and helminth fauna of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis michahellis), breeding near to a solid waste landfill, and compared infection levels with those of other yellow-legged gull colonies. Moreover, we analysed correlations between parasites and sex and body condition of yellow-legged gulls, co-infections and the helminth community structure in order to propose the role of this species as reservoir of certain parasites. We also discuss the potential transmission of parasites between the yellow-legged gull and the endangered Audouin's gull, because interactions between these two species, such as kleptoparasitism and predation, occur frequently around colonies.