Breeding systems and pollination modes of understorey shrubs in a medium elevation wet evergreen forest, southern Western Ghats, India

This study on the reproductive biology and pollination modes of 22 species of understorey shrubs in 11 families was conducted in a medium elevation wet evergreen forest in the southern Western Ghats of India from 1994 to 1997. We evaluated whether this assemblage was predominantly outcrossing as in other tropical forests, and whether mating systems are related to pollination mode. We assessed whether species were hermaphrodites, dioecious or monecious. We assessed the breeding systems of each species with hand self pollinations. About 55% of the species produced small white and inconspicuous flowers. The majority of the flowers opened at dawn and was visited by diurnal pollinators. The proportion of dioecious and monoecious species was lower than for other tropical forests. Among the hermaphrodites, the majority had mixed mating systems. Therefore the overall levels of obligate outcrossers (37%) were low compared with other tropical forests. We recognized 7 pollination modes: social bees, solitary bees, diverse insects, flies, sunbird, sphingid moth and Xylocopa sp. Among these the social bees, flies and diverse insects visited more species than the other groups. Species pollinated by flies and diverse insects tended to be significantly more outcrossing than those pollinated by bees and other solitary pollinators

Response of wet forest butterflies to selective logging in Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve: Implications for conservation

The butterfly fauna of an unlogged wet evergreen site in Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve was compared with that of an adjoining 30-year-old selectively logged site. Comparison of the vegetation structure of both sites showed that the canopy was less contiguous and the ground cover was higher in the logged site. Species richness, abundance, and diversity of butterflies were higher in the selectively logged site. Species abundance in both forests types fitted log series distribution, which indicates that only a small portion of the assemblage occur in high abundance. Examination of habitat usage by the butterflies showed that the logged forest harbored a greater number of ubiquitous species along with the wet forest assemblage. Few species like Idea malabarica showed restraint in logged site, while there was a release of few other species in logged site. Implications of these results for butterfly conservation are discussed

Bird, flowers and pollination ecology

The recent paper by Atluri et al.1 provides some interesting information on the pollination ecology of Helectresisora. Information on bird flowers, their visitors and their pollination ecology are few from the sub-continent and this paper is a welcome addition to our knowledge of such systems. However, there are a few major errors in the paper that need to be addressed. The most glaring of these is the identification of the bird pollinator. The authors refer toQuaker babbler (Alcippe poioicephala) as one of the pollinators, but according to Figure 1 d in the article, it appears that the bird is the white-headed babbler (Turdoises affinis). The two are very different birds. T. affinis is bigger with a broader bill that can closely fit an H.isora flower, while A. poioicephala is a small bird and its bill and forehead do not fit the flower as closely as T. affinis. Consequently, pollination efficiency may be different between the two species. Misidentification can have important implications when it comes to conservation and in no case should betaken lightly, especially when the pollinators can be identified by proper use of field guides

The occurrence of Spot Puffin in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, southern Western Ghats

Volume: 95Start Page: 522End Page: 52

The Impact of Anthropogenic Disturbance to the Canopy Microclimate of Tropical Forests in the Southern Western Ghats, India

Anthropogenic disturbances are a pressing driver of forest degradation and are known to affect the microclimate within forests. Most organisms experience the microclimate and hence, associated changes may drive species communities in rainforests. However, such knowledge remains limited in the case of forest canopies, especially in south Asia. We aimed to identify differences in the temperature and light intensity, and beetles and vascular epiphytes in the canopy between old-growth and secondary forests. Using sensors, we recorded two key microclimatic variables, the air temperature, and light intensity, in the crowns of 36 Cullenia exarillata A. Robyns trees. We sampled beetles (morphospecies) and vascular epiphytes (genera) in the crowns. We provide evidence that canopies of secondary forest stands (intensively logged 60 years ago) (1) continue to show higher canopy air temperatures and light intensity, and (2) have higher beetle abundance (individuals), richness (morphospecies), and diversity but lower vascular epiphyte abundance (individuals), richness (genera), and diversity as compared to primary forest stands. We also show that the beetle communities differ (with greater beta diversity in the primary forest), but the vascular epiphyte communities were similar between the two forest types. We hope that this information begins to bridge the gap in understanding the role of microclimate in driving species communities and the ecology of human-modified forests.</jats:p

Pollinators of Sikkim Mandarin Orange Citrus reticulata (Sapindales: Rutaceae)

Sikkim Mandarin Orange is a major cash crop of Sikkim with more than 12,000 farming families dependent upon it directly.  With increasing scientific records of positive contribution of pollinators in crop yield, an understanding of major pollinators of cash crops has become important.  In this paper, we present a comprehensive list of insect pollinators (24 species) for Sikkim Mandarin Orange. </jats:p

Pollination systems of trees in kakachi, a mid-elevation wet evergreen in Western Ghats, India

Tropical wet forests support a diverse assemblage of tree species, which are dependent on an equally wide array of animals for their pollination (Baker et al., 1983; Bawa, 1990). This has resulted in a highly complex set of interactions among them (Gilbert, 1980). Identifying pollination guilds or tree species assemblages with common pollination modes can delineate this complexity to some extent (Ibarra-Manrı´quez and Oyama, 1992). Further, comparisons of pollination modes in the different wet forest sites in the tropics can provide insights into the broad coevolutionary patterns between plants and their animal vectors (Howe, 1984) or perhaps cast light on such issues as the role of pollinators on angiosperm diversification (Bawa, 1995). Broad-scale community-level pollination studies also have wide application in ecosystem restoration (Johnson and Steiner, 2000; Kremen and Rickett, 2000). There is an increasing concern that human alterations of the ecosystem affect pollination systems, especially those that are relatively more specialized and dependent on a few pollinators (Bond, 1994). Specialized systems cannot be identified unless we conduct community-wide surveys of pollination systems. Complete community-level characterization of pollination of any tropical forest site has not been successfully executed so far (Shatz, 1990). This kind of study could not be completed because much of the diversity of the plant species is contributed by the tall canopy trees in tropical forests that have remained inaccessible (Lowman and Nadkarni, 1995)

Data_Sheet_1_The Impact of Anthropogenic Disturbance to the Canopy Microclimate of Tropical Forests in the Southern Western Ghats, India.docx

Anthropogenic disturbances are a pressing driver of forest degradation and are known to affect the microclimate within forests. Most organisms experience the microclimate and hence, associated changes may drive species communities in rainforests. However, such knowledge remains limited in the case of forest canopies, especially in south Asia. We aimed to identify differences in the temperature and light intensity, and beetles and vascular epiphytes in the canopy between old-growth and secondary forests. Using sensors, we recorded two key microclimatic variables, the air temperature, and light intensity, in the crowns of 36 Cullenia exarillata A. Robyns trees. We sampled beetles (morphospecies) and vascular epiphytes (genera) in the crowns. We provide evidence that canopies of secondary forest stands (intensively logged 60 years ago) (1) continue to show higher canopy air temperatures and light intensity, and (2) have higher beetle abundance (individuals), richness (morphospecies), and diversity but lower vascular epiphyte abundance (individuals), richness (genera), and diversity as compared to primary forest stands. We also show that the beetle communities differ (with greater beta diversity in the primary forest), but the vascular epiphyte communities were similar between the two forest types. We hope that this information begins to bridge the gap in understanding the role of microclimate in driving species communities and the ecology of human-modified forests.</p