Lankesteriana International Journal on Orchidology, Feb 1, 2016
The sole species of Telipogon from the Caribbean was discovered by Donald Dod in the Dominican Re... more The sole species of Telipogon from the Caribbean was discovered by Donald Dod in the Dominican Republic and identified by Leslie Garay as Stellilabium minutiflorum (Kraenzl.) Garay, a species whose type hails from Costa Rica. Dressler (1999) pointed out that S. minutiflorum has been one of the most widely used names in Central America encompassing plants that might be different species, though the lack of good material makes taxonomic determinations difficult. Thus, S. minutiflorum has been the generally accepted name for the Dominican plants, although Nir (2000) noted some differences between the type (Costa Rica, Endres s.n., W) and the Dod collections. After studying specimens myself, and comparing them to the illustration of the Endres collection
Establishment of new populations is contingent on overcoming abiotic and biotic barriers. While t... more Establishment of new populations is contingent on overcoming abiotic and biotic barriers. While this applies to all species, these hurdles are at the forefront of invasion biology where prediction, prevention, eradication, and control strategies depend on an understanding of these processes. Arundina graminifolia and Dendrobium crumenatum are two non-indigenous orchids spreading throughout Puerto Rico. The two species have acquired a native herbivore & seed predator, the orchid-specialist weevil, Stethobaris polita. With recently acquired presence records of the three species, land cover data and BioClim variables, we modeled their potential distributions under current conditions and also those projected under the least and most extreme climate scenarios for 2050 and 2070. We show that D. crumenatum ourishes in urban environments which also provide refugia from S. polita, whereas there is currently limited refugia for A. graminifolia from S. polita attack, as this orchid is sensitive to the same climatic variables as the weevil. Projections into all climate scenarios suggest range retractions for all species, with an equal to or greater proportion of both orchid populations subject to S. polita attack. Thus, we illustrate for island invasions how climate change will likely alter the distribution of acquired biotic interactions.
Apis species are a major component of pollinator faunas in their native and introduced habitats. ... more Apis species are a major component of pollinator faunas in their native and introduced habitats. A widespread concern is that non-native Apis mellifera may have negative effects on native pollinators and on plant reproduction. This is based on the assumptions that natural communities are at capacity, resource competition structures communities, native pollinators are more effective pollinators of native species, yet A. mellifera are superior competitors. The latter two assumptions are often true, but evidence from the Neotropics indicates that tropical communities are not tightly structured, and the foraging flexibilities of native bees maintain their populations. However, the less diverse and disharmonic biotas of islands may limit the buffering capacity of flexible behaviors. While few studies address these assumptions or the ecological and evolutionary consequences of A. mellifera to the flora and fauna of tropical islands, an accumulation of taxon-specific studies are suggesting that such effects run the spectrum from subtle and indirect to obvious and direct. A concerted research effort is needed to address the multitude of issues to develop strategies to ameliorate or enhance honey bee effects, or just let nature take its course.
Summary. Abundance patterns during 6-7 years and orchid visitation were determined for 51 species... more Summary. Abundance patterns during 6-7 years and orchid visitation were determined for 51 species of the 57 local euglossine bees. Male bees were counted at 3 chemical at-tractants presented in the same manner each month. Sites were separated by 75 km but included ...
Long-term or lifetime specifi city in plant-pollinator relationships is likely a consequence of n... more Long-term or lifetime specifi city in plant-pollinator relationships is likely a consequence of natural selection to not only enhance the probability of cross-pollination but also to improve pollinator effi ciency. Dependency on one or few pollinators involves risk whereas multiple species may reduce the probability of extinction via unreliable pollinator service. We analyzed specifi city in terms of factors that may ameliorate risk such as long-term pollinator population stability, abundance and the duration of fl owering. Bee population stability indices from seven continuous years of census data, combined with pollinator and fl owering phenology data for 37 plant species in Panama, revealed pollinator specifi city was not related to pollinator population stability. No relationship existed between the length of a fl owering season and population stability of associated pollinators. Further data from 30 years of euglossine monitoring also revealed no relationship between bee abundance and specifi city. However, a strong relationship was revealed between length of fl owering period and specifi city. A longer fl owering season was associated with lower specifi city and shorter fl owering was associated with higher specifi city, which is as expected if specifi city is the outcome of a sampling problem but not as expected if specifi city is accompanied by risk reduction. Plant-pollinator specifi city involving euglossine bees is evidently not related to bee population stability, abundance, or length of fl owering period, in a manner that we predicted would be associated with reducing the risk of extinction. Variation in population stabilities of euglossines may be insuffi cient to be a factor in the evolution of plant-pollinator specifi city. In the tropics, specifi city may be more associated with plant longevity, selection for effi ciency or eff ectiveness, or fl owering duration-as a sampling phenomenon, than with reducing dependence on unreliable pollinators.
IntroductionInterest for bee microbiota has recently been rising, alleviating the gap in knowledg... more IntroductionInterest for bee microbiota has recently been rising, alleviating the gap in knowledge in regard to drivers of solitary bee gut microbiota. However, no study has addressed the microbial acquisition routes of tropical solitary bees. For both social and solitary bees, the gut microbiota has several essential roles such as food processing and immune responses. While social bees such as honeybees maintain a constant gut microbiota by direct transmission from individuals of the same hive, solitary bees do not have direct contact between generations. They thus acquire their gut microbiota from the environment and/or the provision of their brood cell. To establish the role of life history in structuring the gut microbiota of solitary bees, we characterized the gut microbiota of Centris decolorata from a beach population in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Females provide the initial brood cell provision for the larvae, while males patrol the nest without any contact with it. We hypothesi...
The First 100 Years of Research on Barro Colorado: Plant and Ecosystem Science, Vol 2, 2024
ABSTRACT. In this chapter, we review key studies of orchids on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) and co... more ABSTRACT. In this chapter, we review key studies of orchids on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) and consider the history of the place from the context of taxonomic status and eco- logical and evolutionary theory. The contributions are varied yet played a key role in our understanding of orchid taxonomy, pollination, evolution of ant-plant interactions, and plant physiological ecology in epiphytic plants. The demography of epiphytic orchids is described in the context of epiphytism and meta-population dynamics. Along with information on reproduction and gene flow from BCI studies, a distinct characterization emerges of the tempo of evolution in orchids and how this has contributed to the extreme diversity of the group.
The El Verde Field Station in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico has been the subject of inten... more The El Verde Field Station in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico has been the subject of intensive ecological research for more than five decades, focusing on ecosystem processes, food webs, and, most recently, forest dynamics, all of which require correct identification and naming of plant species. Here, we present an up-to-date list of the vascular plants recorded for the Field Station and the immediate surrounding area of the El Yunque National Forest. The list has been compiled from fieldwork as well as the revision of hundreds of specimens housed at several herbaria. It includes 633 taxa (530 native and 103 exotic) in 121 families and 394 genera. The total number of taxa represents 63.3% of the ~1000 species registered for the entire El Yunque National Forest. Of the native taxa, 172 are trees and shrubs. Sixty species are endemic to Puerto Rico, and five are restricted to El Yunque National Forest. The list is expected to assist those who work at the station as well as to contribute to the knowledge of the flora of the Luquillo Mountains and Puerto Rico.
... INTRODUCTION The abundance of most tropical insect species changes seasonally (eg, Janzen 197... more ... INTRODUCTION The abundance of most tropical insect species changes seasonally (eg, Janzen 1973, Wolda 1977, 1978b, Denlinger 1980, Wolda and Fisk 1981). ... 1969, Williams and Dodson 1972, Janzen 1974, Ackerman, in press). ...
Biological Journal of The Linnean Society, Nov 1, 1983
Seasonal and geographic relationships, and host pollinator specificities are examined for indicat... more Seasonal and geographic relationships, and host pollinator specificities are examined for indications of interdependency in the orchid-euglossine bee interaction. The orchids are dependent on the bees for pollination, and their flowering seasonality corresponds well with peak activity of ...
Most angiosperms sustain pollinator visits by offering a reward, such as nectar or pollen, yet th... more Most angiosperms sustain pollinator visits by offering a reward, such as nectar or pollen, yet there are plants that do not offer rewards and instead depend on deception for successful pollen transfer. Unless rewardless plants have an extremely efficient means of deceit or are autogamous, they tend to experience less fruit set than those that offer pollinator rewards. In Puerto Rico, we studied the reproductive biology of a rewardless epiphytic orchid, Pleurothallis ruscifolia (Pleurothallidinae), a widespread Neotropical species. The Pleurothallidinae are primarily myophilous, self-incompatible, and pollinator dependent for fruit set and seed production. However, because our preliminary observations indicated that populations of P. ruscifolia on the island of Puerto Rico exhibited an unusually high fruit set, we hypothesized that our population is autogamous and that reproductive effort and fruiting success are resource limited. We monitored 168 plants in a single population during the 2009 reproductive season to determine the mating system of P. ruscifolia while looking for evidence of reproductive constraints. Fruit set in our population was high (66%) and no floral visitors were seen. Fruit set for our pollinator exclusion experiment was no different than fruit set for open pollinated plants. Most plants produced both chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers, the majority of fruits produced by the latter. Furthermore, reproductive effort and fruiting success were limited by plant size, which is likely the result of resource constraints. We expect that autogamy is prevalent in P. ruscifolia of the West Indies, but outcrossing should be dominant in continental populations. Selection for reproductive assurance in the absence or rarity of an effective pollinator is the likely process leading to this autogamous system.
... (Orchidaceae) Samuel Moya and James D. Ackerman ... Interpopula-tion variation was examined b... more ... (Orchidaceae) Samuel Moya and James D. Ackerman ... Interpopula-tion variation was examined by comparing plants from the Rio Grande population with those of three other localities: Puerto Rico, Mun. Dorado, limestone hills N of hwy 2 between km 25.0 and 26.5, ca. ...
... In animal-pollinated species, pollen grains may lose viability quickly (eg Thomson and Thomso... more ... In animal-pollinated species, pollen grains may lose viability quickly (eg Thomson and Thomson 1992, Wyatt and Broyles 1990), but those of orchid pollinia may survive for long periods (Proctor 1998). ... In: Wyatt R. (ed.) Ecol-ogy and evolution of plant reproduction. ...
A new species of Eurystyles (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae, Cranichideae, Spiranthinae) is proposed, ... more A new species of Eurystyles (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae, Cranichideae, Spiranthinae) is proposed, E. luisortizii Ackerman sp. nov., which is most similar to E. ananassocomos (Rchb.f.) Schltr. from which it differs by a suite of floral traits. This species represents the first confirmed record of the genus for the island of Puerto Rico, bringing the Eurystyles species count for the West Indies to four. Keywords: Cranichideae, Orchidoideae, Puerto Rico flora, Spiranthinae, West Indies orchids
Lankesteriana International Journal on Orchidology, Feb 1, 2016
The sole species of Telipogon from the Caribbean was discovered by Donald Dod in the Dominican Re... more The sole species of Telipogon from the Caribbean was discovered by Donald Dod in the Dominican Republic and identified by Leslie Garay as Stellilabium minutiflorum (Kraenzl.) Garay, a species whose type hails from Costa Rica. Dressler (1999) pointed out that S. minutiflorum has been one of the most widely used names in Central America encompassing plants that might be different species, though the lack of good material makes taxonomic determinations difficult. Thus, S. minutiflorum has been the generally accepted name for the Dominican plants, although Nir (2000) noted some differences between the type (Costa Rica, Endres s.n., W) and the Dod collections. After studying specimens myself, and comparing them to the illustration of the Endres collection
Establishment of new populations is contingent on overcoming abiotic and biotic barriers. While t... more Establishment of new populations is contingent on overcoming abiotic and biotic barriers. While this applies to all species, these hurdles are at the forefront of invasion biology where prediction, prevention, eradication, and control strategies depend on an understanding of these processes. Arundina graminifolia and Dendrobium crumenatum are two non-indigenous orchids spreading throughout Puerto Rico. The two species have acquired a native herbivore & seed predator, the orchid-specialist weevil, Stethobaris polita. With recently acquired presence records of the three species, land cover data and BioClim variables, we modeled their potential distributions under current conditions and also those projected under the least and most extreme climate scenarios for 2050 and 2070. We show that D. crumenatum ourishes in urban environments which also provide refugia from S. polita, whereas there is currently limited refugia for A. graminifolia from S. polita attack, as this orchid is sensitive to the same climatic variables as the weevil. Projections into all climate scenarios suggest range retractions for all species, with an equal to or greater proportion of both orchid populations subject to S. polita attack. Thus, we illustrate for island invasions how climate change will likely alter the distribution of acquired biotic interactions.
Apis species are a major component of pollinator faunas in their native and introduced habitats. ... more Apis species are a major component of pollinator faunas in their native and introduced habitats. A widespread concern is that non-native Apis mellifera may have negative effects on native pollinators and on plant reproduction. This is based on the assumptions that natural communities are at capacity, resource competition structures communities, native pollinators are more effective pollinators of native species, yet A. mellifera are superior competitors. The latter two assumptions are often true, but evidence from the Neotropics indicates that tropical communities are not tightly structured, and the foraging flexibilities of native bees maintain their populations. However, the less diverse and disharmonic biotas of islands may limit the buffering capacity of flexible behaviors. While few studies address these assumptions or the ecological and evolutionary consequences of A. mellifera to the flora and fauna of tropical islands, an accumulation of taxon-specific studies are suggesting that such effects run the spectrum from subtle and indirect to obvious and direct. A concerted research effort is needed to address the multitude of issues to develop strategies to ameliorate or enhance honey bee effects, or just let nature take its course.
Summary. Abundance patterns during 6-7 years and orchid visitation were determined for 51 species... more Summary. Abundance patterns during 6-7 years and orchid visitation were determined for 51 species of the 57 local euglossine bees. Male bees were counted at 3 chemical at-tractants presented in the same manner each month. Sites were separated by 75 km but included ...
Long-term or lifetime specifi city in plant-pollinator relationships is likely a consequence of n... more Long-term or lifetime specifi city in plant-pollinator relationships is likely a consequence of natural selection to not only enhance the probability of cross-pollination but also to improve pollinator effi ciency. Dependency on one or few pollinators involves risk whereas multiple species may reduce the probability of extinction via unreliable pollinator service. We analyzed specifi city in terms of factors that may ameliorate risk such as long-term pollinator population stability, abundance and the duration of fl owering. Bee population stability indices from seven continuous years of census data, combined with pollinator and fl owering phenology data for 37 plant species in Panama, revealed pollinator specifi city was not related to pollinator population stability. No relationship existed between the length of a fl owering season and population stability of associated pollinators. Further data from 30 years of euglossine monitoring also revealed no relationship between bee abundance and specifi city. However, a strong relationship was revealed between length of fl owering period and specifi city. A longer fl owering season was associated with lower specifi city and shorter fl owering was associated with higher specifi city, which is as expected if specifi city is the outcome of a sampling problem but not as expected if specifi city is accompanied by risk reduction. Plant-pollinator specifi city involving euglossine bees is evidently not related to bee population stability, abundance, or length of fl owering period, in a manner that we predicted would be associated with reducing the risk of extinction. Variation in population stabilities of euglossines may be insuffi cient to be a factor in the evolution of plant-pollinator specifi city. In the tropics, specifi city may be more associated with plant longevity, selection for effi ciency or eff ectiveness, or fl owering duration-as a sampling phenomenon, than with reducing dependence on unreliable pollinators.
IntroductionInterest for bee microbiota has recently been rising, alleviating the gap in knowledg... more IntroductionInterest for bee microbiota has recently been rising, alleviating the gap in knowledge in regard to drivers of solitary bee gut microbiota. However, no study has addressed the microbial acquisition routes of tropical solitary bees. For both social and solitary bees, the gut microbiota has several essential roles such as food processing and immune responses. While social bees such as honeybees maintain a constant gut microbiota by direct transmission from individuals of the same hive, solitary bees do not have direct contact between generations. They thus acquire their gut microbiota from the environment and/or the provision of their brood cell. To establish the role of life history in structuring the gut microbiota of solitary bees, we characterized the gut microbiota of Centris decolorata from a beach population in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Females provide the initial brood cell provision for the larvae, while males patrol the nest without any contact with it. We hypothesi...
The First 100 Years of Research on Barro Colorado: Plant and Ecosystem Science, Vol 2, 2024
ABSTRACT. In this chapter, we review key studies of orchids on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) and co... more ABSTRACT. In this chapter, we review key studies of orchids on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) and consider the history of the place from the context of taxonomic status and eco- logical and evolutionary theory. The contributions are varied yet played a key role in our understanding of orchid taxonomy, pollination, evolution of ant-plant interactions, and plant physiological ecology in epiphytic plants. The demography of epiphytic orchids is described in the context of epiphytism and meta-population dynamics. Along with information on reproduction and gene flow from BCI studies, a distinct characterization emerges of the tempo of evolution in orchids and how this has contributed to the extreme diversity of the group.
The El Verde Field Station in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico has been the subject of inten... more The El Verde Field Station in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico has been the subject of intensive ecological research for more than five decades, focusing on ecosystem processes, food webs, and, most recently, forest dynamics, all of which require correct identification and naming of plant species. Here, we present an up-to-date list of the vascular plants recorded for the Field Station and the immediate surrounding area of the El Yunque National Forest. The list has been compiled from fieldwork as well as the revision of hundreds of specimens housed at several herbaria. It includes 633 taxa (530 native and 103 exotic) in 121 families and 394 genera. The total number of taxa represents 63.3% of the ~1000 species registered for the entire El Yunque National Forest. Of the native taxa, 172 are trees and shrubs. Sixty species are endemic to Puerto Rico, and five are restricted to El Yunque National Forest. The list is expected to assist those who work at the station as well as to contribute to the knowledge of the flora of the Luquillo Mountains and Puerto Rico.
... INTRODUCTION The abundance of most tropical insect species changes seasonally (eg, Janzen 197... more ... INTRODUCTION The abundance of most tropical insect species changes seasonally (eg, Janzen 1973, Wolda 1977, 1978b, Denlinger 1980, Wolda and Fisk 1981). ... 1969, Williams and Dodson 1972, Janzen 1974, Ackerman, in press). ...
Biological Journal of The Linnean Society, Nov 1, 1983
Seasonal and geographic relationships, and host pollinator specificities are examined for indicat... more Seasonal and geographic relationships, and host pollinator specificities are examined for indications of interdependency in the orchid-euglossine bee interaction. The orchids are dependent on the bees for pollination, and their flowering seasonality corresponds well with peak activity of ...
Most angiosperms sustain pollinator visits by offering a reward, such as nectar or pollen, yet th... more Most angiosperms sustain pollinator visits by offering a reward, such as nectar or pollen, yet there are plants that do not offer rewards and instead depend on deception for successful pollen transfer. Unless rewardless plants have an extremely efficient means of deceit or are autogamous, they tend to experience less fruit set than those that offer pollinator rewards. In Puerto Rico, we studied the reproductive biology of a rewardless epiphytic orchid, Pleurothallis ruscifolia (Pleurothallidinae), a widespread Neotropical species. The Pleurothallidinae are primarily myophilous, self-incompatible, and pollinator dependent for fruit set and seed production. However, because our preliminary observations indicated that populations of P. ruscifolia on the island of Puerto Rico exhibited an unusually high fruit set, we hypothesized that our population is autogamous and that reproductive effort and fruiting success are resource limited. We monitored 168 plants in a single population during the 2009 reproductive season to determine the mating system of P. ruscifolia while looking for evidence of reproductive constraints. Fruit set in our population was high (66%) and no floral visitors were seen. Fruit set for our pollinator exclusion experiment was no different than fruit set for open pollinated plants. Most plants produced both chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers, the majority of fruits produced by the latter. Furthermore, reproductive effort and fruiting success were limited by plant size, which is likely the result of resource constraints. We expect that autogamy is prevalent in P. ruscifolia of the West Indies, but outcrossing should be dominant in continental populations. Selection for reproductive assurance in the absence or rarity of an effective pollinator is the likely process leading to this autogamous system.
... (Orchidaceae) Samuel Moya and James D. Ackerman ... Interpopula-tion variation was examined b... more ... (Orchidaceae) Samuel Moya and James D. Ackerman ... Interpopula-tion variation was examined by comparing plants from the Rio Grande population with those of three other localities: Puerto Rico, Mun. Dorado, limestone hills N of hwy 2 between km 25.0 and 26.5, ca. ...
... In animal-pollinated species, pollen grains may lose viability quickly (eg Thomson and Thomso... more ... In animal-pollinated species, pollen grains may lose viability quickly (eg Thomson and Thomson 1992, Wyatt and Broyles 1990), but those of orchid pollinia may survive for long periods (Proctor 1998). ... In: Wyatt R. (ed.) Ecol-ogy and evolution of plant reproduction. ...
A new species of Eurystyles (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae, Cranichideae, Spiranthinae) is proposed, ... more A new species of Eurystyles (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae, Cranichideae, Spiranthinae) is proposed, E. luisortizii Ackerman sp. nov., which is most similar to E. ananassocomos (Rchb.f.) Schltr. from which it differs by a suite of floral traits. This species represents the first confirmed record of the genus for the island of Puerto Rico, bringing the Eurystyles species count for the West Indies to four. Keywords: Cranichideae, Orchidoideae, Puerto Rico flora, Spiranthinae, West Indies orchids
Uploads
Papers by James Ackerman