Understanding responses of tightly coupled ecological interactions of biota vulnerable to climate change: endangered Australian cycads and their pollinators

了解易受气候变化影响的生物群紧密耦合的生态相互作用的反应：濒临灭绝的澳大利亚苏铁及其传粉媒介

• 批准号: DP1095482
• 负责人: Prof Gimme Walter
• 金额: $ 8.36万
• 依托单位: The University of Queensland
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: Discovery Projects
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2010-01-01 至 2014-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/RGS/Web/Grants/DP1095482
• 关键词: Understanding; responses; tightly; coupled; ecological

Australian cycads are iconic plants. Most of the forty Macrozamia species have small, fragmented distributions and fifteen are endangered or vulnerable. They are at risk from harvesting by collectors and pollination failure, because a highly specialised relationship with insect pollinators is crucial to their persistence in nature. Cycads release chemo-attractants by increasing cone temperatures when ambient temperature reaches a threshold, so climate change will affect these systems. An understanding of this temperature-dependent relationship will help predict future fates of cycads and other tightly coupled ecological interactions. Our integrated approach will generate knowledge to help manage vulnerable Australian biodiversity.

澳大利亚苏铁树是标志性植物。四十种Macrozamia 物种中的大多数分布范围小且分散，其中十五种属于濒危或脆弱物种。它们面临着被采集者收获和授粉失败的风险，因为与昆虫传粉媒介的高度专业化关系对于它们在自然界中的持久存在至关重要。当环境温度达到阈值时，苏铁通过增加锥体温度来释放化学引诱剂，因此气候变化将影响这些系统。了解这种温度依赖性关系将有助于预测苏铁和其他紧密耦合的生态相互作用的未来命运。我们的综合方法将产生知识来帮助管理脆弱的澳大利亚生物多样性。