Abstract Detail

Recent Topics Posters

Gómez-Noguez, Felipe [1], Domínguez-Ugalde, Cesar [2], Landgrave, Rosario [3], León-Rossano, Luis Manuel [4], Mendoza-Ruiz, Aniceto [5], Rosas-Pérez, Irma [6], Orozco-Segovia, Alma [7], Mehltreter, Klaus [8], Pérez-García, Blanca [9].

Effect of meteorological conditions and palynomorph characteristics on fern spore wind dispersal.

Fern spores are dispersed over great distances, which promotes the colonization of new habitats. Because it was considered that most spore settle down in close vicinity of their parent plant, the proportion of airborne spores, their aerodynamic properties, and the possible role of spore ornamentation on anemocoric dispersion remained scarce investigated. We measured the physical spore characteristics, such as their size (57 species n=30) under the light microscope, their mass with the Neubauer method (23 species, n=10), water content by gravimetry (16 species, n= 3), lipid content by colorimetric approximation (12 species, n=10) and terminal velocity by high speed video analysis of falling particle trajectories trough a sedimentation tower (29 species, n= 15 to 193). Release-recapture experiments were carried out, in 7 days with different meteorological conditions, with 4 selected species to figure out the impact of physical spore characteristics and meteorological parameters (wind direction and speed, relative humidity and temperature) on their airborne dispersal. Each experiment was performed with ca. 1 billion spores per species, released at 1.5 m high (from soil level) by vibration mesh (# 200) and captured by passive adhesive traps placed at 3 heights (0.3, 0.85 and 1.4 m) in 9 directions and 9 distances (2, 4, 7, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 and 50 m). The spore densities on the traps were counted and intrapolated for each height and distance to the number of spores per m². Fern spores presented a mass of 4 to 90 ng, water content of 0.4 to 5.7%, lipid content of 42 to 96%, and terminal velocity of 1.6 to 22.8 cm s^-1. Their ornamentation can alter their terminal velocity by increasing or decreasing friction. The physical characteristics influence their airborne potential: spores with higher terminal velocity showed a higher representation on adhesive traps. Spore size and mass also influenced their dispersal potential. For instance, the lighter and smaller spores of Danaea nodosa were recaptured in lower densities and mainly at higher traps of 1.4 m, which suggests that more spores remain airborne than those that are deposited in the vicinity of the parent plant. Temperature and wind speed increased the spore densities on the traps, while variation in wind direction and relative humidity decreased it. The spore distribution on traps may be due to the air turbulences which difficult the application of simply dispersal models and easily were able to lift spores.

1 - Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, , Av. Lázaro Cárdenas s/n, Ciudad Universitaria Sur, Chilpancingo, Gro., 39070, México
2 - Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa. , Licenciatura en Biología, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, Iztapalapa, CDMX, 09340, México
3 - Instituto de Ecología, A.C, Red de Ecología Funcional, Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Xalapa, Ver., 91073, México
4 - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Av. Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, CDMX, 04510, México
5 - Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa., Área de Botánica Estructural y Sistemática Vegetal, Departamento de Biología, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, Iztapalapa, CDMX, 09340, México
6 - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Av. Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, CDMX, 04510, México
7 - Universidad Nacional Autonóma De México, Ecología Funcional, Av. Universidad 3000, Universidad Nacional Autónoma De Mexico, Ciudad De México, 04510, Mexico
8 - Instituto de Ecología, A. C., Red de Ecología Funcional, Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91073, México
9 - Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Área de Botánica Estructural y Sistemática Vegetal, Departamento de Biología, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, Iztapalapa, CDMX, 09340, México

Keywords:
terminal velocity
aerobiology
airborne dispersal
meteorological factors
spore characteristics.

Presentation Type: Recent Topics Poster
Session: P1, Recent Topics Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Thursday, July 22nd, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM(EDT)
Number: P1RT024
Abstract ID:1414
Candidate for Awards:None