Biology subjects

Jacquemyn, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Jacquemyn, H..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity and association networks in African tropical rainforest trees

Tropical rainforests represent one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth. High productivity is sustained by efficient and rapid cycling of nutrients through decomposing organic matter, which is for a large part made possible by symbiotic associations between plants and mycorrhizal fungi. In this association, an individual plant typically associates simultaneously with multiple fungi and the fungus associates with multiple plants, creating complex networks between fungi and plants. However, there are still very few studies that have investigated mycorrhizal fungal composition and diversity in tropical rainforest trees, particularly in Africa, and assessed the structure of the network of associations between fungi and rainforest trees. In this study, we collected root and rhizosphere soil samples from Ise Forest Reserve (Southwest Nigeria), and employed a metabarcoding approach to identify the dominant arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal taxa associating with ten co-occurring tree species and to assess variation in AM communities. Network analysis was used to elucidate the architecture of the network of associations between fungi and tree species. A total of 194 AM fungal Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) belonging to six families were identified, with 68% of all OTUs belonging to Glomeraceae. While AM fungal diversity did not differ between tree species, AM fungal community composition did. Network analyses showed that the network of associations was not significantly nested and showed a relatively low level of specialization (H2 = 0.43) and modularity (M = 0.44). We conclude that, although there were some differences in AM fungal community composition, the studied tree species associate with a large number of AM fungi. Similarly, most AM fungi had a large host breadth and connected most tree species to each other, thereby potentially working as interaction network hubs. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=104 SRC="FIGDIR/small/578868v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (45K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@4573ecorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1bd9974org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@a598ccorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d27b76_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Root-associated Fungi in Orchidaceae: Diversity, Phylogeny, Ecology, and Outstanding Questions

Mycorrhizal fungi form ubiquitous symbiotic associations with almost all land plants and are of key interest to evolutionary biologists and ecologists because this ancient symbiosis was essential for the colonization of land by plants - a major turning point in the evolutionary history of the earth - and the subsequent development and functioning of the terrestrial ecosystems. Within the orchid family (Orchidaceae), plants establish unique interactions with specific orchid mycorrhizal fungi. These fungal symbionts are essential for the development of orchids as they provide carbon and soil nutrients to germinating orchid seeds and the nutritional supply continues for adult orchids to different degrees. Fueled by the development of DNA sequencing techniques, the diversity of mycorrhizal and other root-associated fungi in orchid roots has been extensively reported in evolutionary and ecophysiological studies. However, the full taxonomic range of orchid-associated fungi remains to be investigated in a broad phylogenetic framework, hampering a further understanding of the evolution and ecological adaptation of orchid mycorrhizal interactions. In this study, we used the most complete DNA dataset to date to map the phylogenetic distribution and ecological lifestyles of root-associated fungi in Orchidaceae by phylogenetic reconstructions at the fungal order level. We found that a broad taxonomic range of fungi (clustered into 1898 operational taxonomic units) resided in orchid roots, belonging to at least 150 families in 28 orders in Basidiomycota and Ascomycota. These fungi were assigned to diverse ecological lifestyles including typical orchid mycorrhizal fungi ( rhizoctonia), ectomycorrhizal fungi, wood- or litter-decaying saprotrophic fungi, and other endophytes/pathogens/saprotrophs. This overview reveals that among the four different mycorrhizal types, the orchid mycorrhizal symbiosis probably involves the highest diversity of fungal taxa. We hope that our newly reconstructed phylogenetic framework of orchid-associated fungi and the assessment of their potential mycorrhizal status will benefit future ecological and evolutionary studies on orchid-fungal interactions.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

A wireless, user-friendly, and unattended robotic flower system to assess pollinator foraging behaviour

O_LIUnderstanding the complex interactions between external and internal factors that influence pollinator foraging behaviour is essential for developing effective conservation strategies. However, collecting large datasets that incorporate data from various sources has been challenging. C_LIO_LITo address this issue, we present a wireless and cost-effective robotic flower equipped with Internet of Things (IoT) technology that automatically offers nectar to visiting insects while monitoring visitation time and duration. The robotic flower is easy to manipulate and settings such as nectar refill rates can be remotely altered, making it ideal for field settings. The system transmits data completely wirelessly and autonomously, is mobile and easy to clean. C_LIO_LIThe prototype settings allow for approximately two weeks of uninterrupted data collection for each battery charge. As a proof-of-concept application, a foraging-preference dual choice experiment with bumblebees was performed. On average, more than 14 000 flower visits were registered daily with a setup consisting of 16 robotic flowers. The data show a gradual preference shift from the pre-trained, lower quality food source towards the higher quality source. C_LIO_LIThe robotic flower provides accurate and reliable data on insect behaviour, dramatically reducing the price and/or labour costs. Although primarily designed for (bumble)bees, the system could be easily adapted for other flower-visiting insects. The robotic flower is user-friendly and can be easily adapted to address a wide range of research questions in pollination ecology, conservation biology, biocontrol and ecotoxicology, and allows for detailed studies on how nectar traits, flower colour and shape and pollutants would affect foraging behaviour. C_LI

animal behavior and cognition↗