Host Range Extension for \u3ci\u3eChlorochlamys Chloroleucaria\u3c/i\u3e (Geometrinae, Geometridae) to Include \u3ci\u3eEriogonum Alatum\u3c/i\u3e (Polygonaceae)

(excerpt) Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria (Guenée) is a common moth of eastern North America, recorded from Nova Scotia south to Cuba and Mexico and as far west as Manitoba, the Black Hills of South Dakota, Wyoming and central Colorado (Boulder and El Paso counties) (Ferguson 1985)

THE ECOLOGY OF MUTUALISM

Elementary ecology texts tell us that organisms interact in three fundamen­ tal ways, generally given the names competition, predation, and mutualism. The third member has gotten short shrift (264), and even its name is not generally agreed on. Terms that may be considered synonyms, in whole or part, are symbiosis, commensalism, cooperation, protocooperation, mutual aid, facilitation, reciprocal altruism, and entraide. We use the term mutual­ism, defined as an interaction between species that is beneficial to both, since it has both historical priority (311) and general currency. Symbiosis is the living together of two organisms in close association, and modifiers are used to specify dependence on the interaction (facultative or obligate) and the range of species that can take part (oligophilic or polyphilic). We make the normal apologies concerning forcing continuous variation and diverse interactions into simple dichotomous classifications, for these and all subsequent definitions

Extrafloral Nectaries on Plants in Communities without Ants: Hawaii

Since the Hawaiian Islands lack native ants, it was hypothesized that extrafloral nectaries, an ant-related mutualistic trait, should be lacking on native species. Presence of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) on plants was determined by direct observation and related to vegetation structure and floral composition. Frequency of plants with EFNs was low by all possible comparisons. However, several endemic species had functional EFNs. The hypotheses to explain these anomalies are (1) phylogenetic inertia or (2) mutualism with some other organism than ants

Extrafloral Nectaries on Plants in Communities without Ants: Hawaii

Since the Hawaiian Islands lack native ants, it was hypothesized that extrafloral nectaries, an ant-related mutualistic trait, should be lacking on native species. Presence of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) on plants was determined by direct observation and related to vegetation structure and floral composition. Frequency of plants with EFNs was low by all possible comparisons. However, several endemic species had functional EFNs. The hypotheses to explain these anomalies are (1) phylogenetic inertia or (2) mutualism with some other organism than ants

Preface from \u3ci\u3eThe Changing Prairie: North American Grasslands\u3c/i\u3e

North American grasslands have figured prominently in our North American heritage. Prairies first provided significant barriers to westward expansion, and then offered both economic and sociological opportunity, as well as heartache, for settlers. Many artists have gained significant inspiration from the beauty as well as the harshness of this region and its biota. And because of ideal climate and soil conditions, these grasslands have provided the agricultural foundation of which much of the economic growth and stability of the United States has historically depended. Yet many see North American prairies as beautiful only when manipulated or exploited: Green croplands or manicured park lawns are attractive; native grasslands are “those ugly weeds.” In the past, plowing virgin prairie could be easily defended on both economic and sociological grounds. And, historically, North American prairies must have seemed threatening in both their wildness and their endlessness. The preservation of remaining North American prairies is now an urgent need. Many existing prairie types can be considered as threatened as or more threatened than tropical forests. No tallgrass prairie was saved in the sense of maintaining widely ranging species that link patches and regions (bison, elk, wolves); only plants remain as a reasonable legacy of this past system. Midgrass prairie has been almost completely plowed. More of western shortgrass prairie remains, but present human activity is exacting great stress on this ecosystem. The California grasslands, historically dominated by perennial bunchgrasses, were nearly fully invaded by annual grasses from the Mediterranean region; exotics nearly replaced native species in about half a century, leading to a significant impact on grassland dynamics. In sum, North American grasslands are a vanishing resource

Getting the Lay of the Land: Introducing North American Native Grasslands

The expected catastrophic extinction of species (already under way in many places) will alter the planet’s biological diversity so profoundly that, at the known rate of extinction, it will take millions of years to recover. Yet few ecologists study extinction. Indeed, very little ecology deals with any processes that last more than a few years, involve more than a handful of species, and cover an area of more than a few hectares. The temporal, spatial and organizational scales of most ecological studies are such that one can read entire issues of major journals and see no hint of impending catastrophe. The problems that ecologists face are so large; how do we contemplate processes that last longer than our research careers and that involve more species than we can count, over areas far too large for conventional experiments? The problems are also complex; understanding ecological processes at these large scales is far more of an intellectual challenge than is the stupefyingly tedious sequence of the human genome. The problems are also more important. With complete certainty, I predict that human genomes will be around in fifty years to sequence; with somewhat less certainty, I predict that there will be ten billion of them, dying from many causes each of which is orders of magnitude more important than the genetic causes the human genome sequencing will uncover. If we do not understand ecological processes better than at present, these ten billion humans will be destroying our planet more rapidly than we are now

Host Range Extension for \u3ci\u3eChlorochlamys chloroleucaria\u3c/i\u3e (Geometrinae, Geometridae) to Include \u3ci\u3eEriogonum alatum\u3c/i\u3e (Polygonaceae)

In 2001 and 2002 we collected specimens of Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria from Eriogonum alatum Torr., winged false buckwheat. Eriogonum alatum occurs at elevations of 5000-10,000 feet on both sides of the Rocky Mountains, from Utah (Welsh et al. 1987) to western Nebraska, southeastern Wyoming (Dorn 1977) to western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle to Arizona (Great Plains Flora Association 1986)

Host Range Extension for \u3ci\u3eChlorochlamys chloroleucaria\u3c/i\u3e (Geometrinae, Geometridae) to Include \u3ci\u3eEriogonum alatum\u3c/i\u3e (Polygonaceae)

In 2001 and 2002 we collected specimens of Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria from Eriogonum alatum Torr., winged false buckwheat. Eriogonum alatum occurs at elevations of 5000-10,000 feet on both sides of the Rocky Mountains, from Utah (Welsh et al. 1987) to western Nebraska, southeastern Wyoming (Dorn 1977) to western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle to Arizona (Great Plains Flora Association 1986)

THE ECOLOGY OF MUTUALISM

Elementary ecology texts tell us that organisms interact in three fundamen­ tal ways, generally given the names competition, predation, and mutualism. The third member has gotten short shrift (264), and even its name is not generally agreed on. Terms that may be considered synonyms, in whole or part, are symbiosis, commensalism, cooperation, protocooperation, mutual aid, facilitation, reciprocal altruism, and entraide. We use the term mutual­ism, defined as an interaction between species that is beneficial to both, since it has both historical priority (311) and general currency. Symbiosis is the living together of two organisms in close association, and modifiers are used to specify dependence on the interaction (facultative or obligate) and the range of species that can take part (oligophilic or polyphilic). We make the normal apologies concerning forcing continuous variation and diverse interactions into simple dichotomous classifications, for these and all subsequent definitions