Abstract
Nurse-protégé interactions facilitate seedling establishment of many cacti species and might promote spatial aggregation of plants. In June 2014, we analyzed the spatial distribution pattern with Ripley's K-function and the possible association of Astrophytum myriostigma with nurse plants in two populations (Rioverde and Pozas, San Luis Potosí, Mexico). We estimated canopy cover of perennial plant species with a logarithmic scale method and determined the association, size, and orientation of A. myriostigma in relation to nurse plants. Astrophytum myriostigma had an aggregated distribution pattern; approximately 50% were associated with nurse plants at Rioverde and 63% at Pozas, with Hechtia glomerata (Bromeliaceae) being the main nurse plant species in both populations. Cacti associated with nurse plants at Pozas were larger than those not associated, and they did not have any significant orientation in relation to the nurse plant crown. In contrast, the size of associated and nonassociated cacti at Rioverde was similar, but they were established significantly more frequently under the north side of the nurse plant. The association of A. myriostigma with nurse plants is facultative, through either nurse plant protection or open spaces, likely related with abiotic nurses. Understanding nurse plant associations will help target key species for conservation and identify the most likely associations to increase the survival of reintroduced individuals.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Astrophytum myriostigma had an aggregated distribution.
- Taxon
- Astrophytum myriostigma
.jpg?width=60)
Astrophytum myriostigmae0 - Outcome
- aggregated distribution patterne0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Astrophytum myriostigma had an aggregated distribution pattern”
Claim · model-written summary
About 50% of cacti at Rioverde were associated with nurse plants.
- Taxon
- Astrophytum myriostigmaAstrophytum myriostigmae1
- Interactor
- nurse plantse0other
- Outcome
- associated with nurse plantse0
- Value
- 50%e0
- Setting
- Rioverdee0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“approximately 50% were associated with nurse plants at Rioverde”
e1“Astrophytum myriostigma had an aggregated distribution pattern”
Claim · model-written summary
About 63% of cacti at Pozas were associated with nurse plants.
- Taxon
- Astrophytum myriostigmaAstrophytum myriostigmae2
- Interactor
- nurse plantse1other
- Outcome
- associated with nurse plantse1
- Value
- 63%e0
- Setting
- Pozase0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“63% at Pozas, with Hechtia glomerata (Bromeliaceae) being the main nurse plant species in both populations”
e1“associated with nurse plants at Rioverde and 63% at Pozas”
e2“Astrophytum myriostigma had an aggregated distribution pattern”
Claim · model-written summary
Hechtia glomerata was the main nurse species in both populations.
- Taxon
- Astrophytum myriostigmaAstrophytum myriostigmae1
- Interactor
- Hechtia glomerata
Hechtia glomeratae0other - Outcome
- main nurse plant speciese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hechtia glomerata (Bromeliaceae) being the main nurse plant species in both populations”
e1“Astrophytum myriostigma had an aggregated distribution pattern”
Claim · model-written summary
At Pozas, cacti associated with nurse plants were larger than unassociated cacti.
- Taxon
- Astrophytum myriostigmaAstrophytum myriostigmae1
- Interactor
- nurse plantse0other
- Outcome
- Cactie0
- Direction
- largere0
- Comparator
- those not associatede0
- Setting
- Pozase0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cacti associated with nurse plants at Pozas were larger than those not associated”
e1“Astrophytum myriostigma had an aggregated distribution pattern”
Claim · model-written summary
At Pozas, associated cacti had no significant orientation relative to nurse crowns.
- Taxon
- Astrophytum myriostigmaAstrophytum myriostigmae2
- Interactor
- nurse plante0other
- Outcome
- orientatione0
- Setting
- Pozase1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“they did not have any significant orientation in relation to the nurse plant crown”
e1“Cacti associated with nurse plants at Pozas”
e2“Astrophytum myriostigma had an aggregated distribution pattern”
Claim · model-written summary
At Rioverde, associated and unassociated cacti had similar size.
- Taxon
- Astrophytum myriostigmaAstrophytum myriostigmae1
- Interactor
- nurse plantse2other
- Outcome
- sizee0
- Direction
- similare0
- Comparator
- nonassociated cactie0
- Setting
- Rioverdee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the size of associated and nonassociated cacti at Rioverde was similar”
e1“Astrophytum myriostigma had an aggregated distribution pattern”
e2“nurse plants at Rioverde”
Claim · model-written summary
At Rioverde, cacti established more frequently on the north side of nurse plants.
- Taxon
- Astrophytum myriostigmaAstrophytum myriostigmae2
- Interactor
- nurse plante0other
- Outcome
- establishede0
- Direction
- more frequentlye0
- Qualifier
- north sidee0
- Setting
- Rioverdee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“they were established significantly more frequently under the north side of the nurse plant”
e1“at Rioverde was similar”
e2“Astrophytum myriostigma had an aggregated distribution pattern”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors interpreted the nurse association as facultative.
- Taxon
- A. myriostigmaAstrophytum myriostigmae0
- Interactor
- nurse plantse0other
- Outcome
- association of A. myriostigma with nurse plants is facultativee0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The association of A. myriostigma with nurse plants is facultative”