Guillermo C. Amico

National University of Comahue | UNCo · Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche

The dispersal process in plants links adults and their offspring. Mistletoes are shrubby stem-parasitic plants for which seed dispersal is a critical link in their life cycle. The mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus has a wide latitudinal distribution spanning two different biomes: the Chilean Matorral in the north, and the Temperate Forest of South Ame...

Negative density dependence (NDD) in biotic interactions of interference such as plant–plant competition, granivory and herbivory are well-documented mechanisms that promote species’ coexistence in diverse plant communities worldwide. Here, we investigated the generality of a novel type of NDD mechanism that operates through the mutualistic interac...

Habitat selection of seed-dispersing animals influences where seeds are deposited, seedling establishment, and population dynamics. In the Patagonian temperate forests there is a key mutualistic relationship between the mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus and its seed disperser, the nocturnal arboreal marsupial Dromiciops gliroides. In this study, we an...

El cambio climático impacta en las comunidades naturales al alterar interacciones entre especies y crear dinámicas novedosas. Aquí analizamos los efectos del cambio climático en las interacciones de ocho especies co-distribuidas e interactuantes utilizando modelos de nicho ecológico (MNE). Analizamos las interacciones de un muérdago clave (Tristeri...

Deer abundance and occupancy areas are currently increasing worldwide, with unknown consequences for birds. Deer impacts on birds have mainly been assumed to be indirect through mechanisms that negatively influence vegetation complexity and reduce habitat quality. Information on the direct negative impacts on bird breeding success is scattered and...

Multiple factors influence predation risk, ranging from habitat conditions to the composition and behaviour of predators. Although these factors are well documented for forest ecosystems, there is little evidence for wetlands, especially within Patagonia. Using artificial nests and camera traps, we documented the nest predation rates and predator a...

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity can affect animal activity patterns under environmental conditions that fluctuate over time and space. The activity timing and habitat structure are essential components of the animals' choices. Here we studied the spatio-temporal activity dynamics of an arboreal marsupial (Dromiciops gliroides) with a key ecologi...

The lack of seeds represents one of the highest difficulties to overcome for the ecological restoration of areas that have been deforested. This study evaluates the effectiveness of artificial perches in increasing the abundance and species richness of bird-dispersed seeds and the similarity of seed rain composition of deforested areas with and wit...

Fruit traits have historically been interpreted as plant adaptations to their seed dispersers. On the other hand, different environmental factors, which vary spatially and temporally, can shape fruit-trait variation. The mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus has a latitudinal distribution along the South American Pacific rim that encompasses two different...

The Monitos del monte (genus Dromiciops) are endemic marsupials displaying a key ecological role inside the Patagon-ian temperate forest, a region of hotspot for biodiversity. Here, we predicted the potential distribution of D. gliroides and D. bozinovici and evaluated their conservation issues by quantifying the protected surface of both species....

The arboreal marsupial monito del monte (genus Dromiciops, with two recognized species) is a paradigmatic mammal. It is the sole living representative of the order Microbiotheria, the ancestor lineage of Australian marsupials. Also, this marsupial is the unique frugivorous mammal in the temperate rainforest, being the main seed disperser of several...

Three orders represent the South American fauna of marsupials. Of these, Microbiotheria was until recently known as a monotypic genus with the only surviving species Dromiciops gliroides (monito del monte). The recent proposal of a new Dromiciops species (Dromiciops bicinovici), together with new information on the origin and diversification of liv...

Seed dispersal by vertebrate animals is critical for the establishment of fleshy-fruited plant species. In regions with impoverished faunas, such as the Patagonian temperate forest, the arboreal marsupial Dromiciops gliroides plays a key role as a seed disperser. Here, we assessed the ecological role of D. gliroides as a seed disperser and their po...

En esta nota reportamos cinco nuevas localidades para el género Dromiciops, a partir de registros con trampas cámara y el hallazgo de un individuo muerto, todos provenientes de bosques de Nothofagus en la provincia del Neuquén (República Argentina). Estos nuevos registros expanden la distribución conocida del género casi 300 kilómetros al norte en...

The arboreal marsupial Monito del Monte (genus Dromiciops, with two recognized species) is a paradigmatic mammal. It is the sole living representative of the order Microbiotheria, the ancestor lineage of Australian marsupials. Also, this marsupial is the unique frugivorous mammal in the temperate rainforest, being the main seed disperser of several...

Ecological interactions are the backbone of biodiversity. Like individual species, interactions are threatened by drivers of biodiversity loss, among which climate change operates at a broader scale and can exacerbate the effects of land-use change, overharvesting, and invasive species. As temperature increases, we expect that some species may alte...

We examined predispersal granivory in common and rare bird-dispersed plants in two tropical and two temperate communities. Our results show that the prevalence and intensity of predispersal granivory are higher in tropical communities and for smaller seeds. Results also show no effect of plant species' relative abundance on granivory. Examinamos...

The lack of seeds represents one of the highest difficulties to overcome for the ecological restoration of areas that have been deforested. This study evaluates the effectiveness of artificial perches in increasing the abundance and species richness of bird-dispersed seeds and the similitude of seed rain composition (origin and habit of plant seeds...

The current distribution of the flora and fauna of southern South America is the result of drastic geological events that occurred during the last 20 million years, including marine transgressions, glaciations and active vulcanism. All these have been associated with fragmentation, isolation and subsequent expansion of the biota, south of 35°S, suc...

Predation is the main cause of nest failure among birds. Habitat characteristics play a critical role in affecting nest predation by modifying nest conspicuousness and ease of access to predators. Here, using artificial nests containing a canary egg and a model clay egg we examined and compared nest predation rates and the principal nest predators...

Post-dispersal seed predation is a key process regulating plant population dynamics and community composition. Because food preference (i.e., seed species selection) can interact with habitat features such as vegetation characteristics, integrating both is important for a better understanding of the processes that drive plant community structure. I...

Biotic interactions and mutualisms in particular have an important role in ecosystem structure and functioning as well as in the maintenance of biodiversity. Understanding how communities respond to the introduction of non-native species and what determines the establishment of novel interactions between native and introduced species will help in d...

The complexity of natural communities is the result of interactions among species that coexist within them. Parasitic interactions are among the most common species interaction types, and analysis of parasite‐host ranges can advance understanding of how host‐parasite pairs structure community interactions across their geographic distributions. Usin...

We studied the movement of the marsupial Dromiciops gliroides by means of an innovative approach that makes use of two complementary techniques, specifically devised for the monitoring of small animals that live in dense forests. Despite playing a key role in the Southern Temperate Forest of Patagonia, very little is known about the ecology and hab...

What processes and factors are responsible for species distribution are long‐standing questions in ecology and a key element for conservation and management. Mistletoes provide the opportunity to study a forest species whose occurrence is expected to be constrained by multiple factors as a consequence of their life form. We studied the mistletoe Tr...

Aim Several geological events affecting Southern South America during the middle Miocene climatic optimum acted as important drivers of diversification to the biota. This is the case of Microbiotheria, for which Dromiciops is considered the sole surviving lineage, the sister group of Eomarsupialia (Australian marsupials). Three main Dromiciops gene...

Network metrics are widely used to infer the roles of mutualistic animals in plant communities and to predict the effect of species' loss. However, their empirical validation is scarce. Here we parameterized a joint species model of frugivory and seed dispersal with bird movement and foraging data from tropical and temperate communities. With this...

La complejidad de las comunidades naturales es el resultado de las diferentes especies que coexisten dentro de ellas interactuando de manera desigual. Una de las posibles interacciones está representada por los parásitos. Estos son un componente integral e importante de las comunidades naturales, no sólo porque representan una parte sustancial de l...

p> Introducción y objetivos: Ligaria cuneifolia (Loranthaceae) posee una amplia distribución desde Perú al centro de Argentina y Uruguay. Esta especie habita en tres regiones geográficas en forma disyunta a lo largo de cordillera de los Andes, las Sierras Centrales de Argentina y en el este de Sudamérica, en Uruguay y sur de Brasil. El objetivo de...

Capsule: Studies of nest predation using artificial nests need to consider the effect of egg size on the types of predator that are detected. Aims: To estimate the nest predation rate in the Patagonian temperate forest and evaluate the influence of egg size on predator guild. Methods: On different plant species, we placed 108 nests each containing...

The White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps chilensis) is a Neotropical austral migrant that breeds in Patagonian forests and overwinter in South America tropics. We investigated White-crested Elaenia demography and the environmental conditions the specie is subjected at the northwest of Patagonia as a first attempt to elucidate its population dyna...

Seed dispersal by vertebrate animals is important for the establishment of many fleshy-fruited plant species. Different frugivorous species can provide different seed dispersal services according to their specific dietary preferences as well as behaviour and body traits (e.g. body size and beak size of birds). Our aim was to study redundancies and...

The number of host species infected by a mistletoe (host range) is critical in that it influences prevalence, virulence and overall distribution of the parasite; however, macroecological analyses of this life history feature are lacking for many regions. The Andean‐Patagonian forest, found along the southern Andes from 35˚S to Tierra del Fuego 55˚S...

We used an agent‐based model to test the hypothesis that diet complementation by frugivores can promote the persistence of rare plant species in communities (DCH). Models simulated bird movement, frugivory, seed dispersal and plant recruitment on landscapes that differed in their degree of fragmentation and in their degree of fruiting species mixin...

A large proportion of agricultural fields are often abandoned after a few years of use. Without any intervention, these landscapes show a slow reversion to native ecosystems, or to ecosystems dominated by anemophilous species. One of the main barriers to regeneration of vegetation is poor supply of seeds. In relation to this limitation, the use of...

Attracting frugivores for fruit removal is a crucial step in the reproductive success of those plants that depend on animals for seed dispersal. This mutualism involves many plant extrinsic and intrinsic factors that affect fruit removal. Along the northern portion of the temperate forest of southern South America, the nocturnal marsupial Dromiciop...

Dromiciops gliroides is an arboreal marsupial endemic to the southern temperate forest located between 36°S and 43°S in both Chile and Argentina. This species is a key seed disperser of many native plants, including the keystone mistletoe, Tristerix corymbosus. We studied the population fluctuation of D. gliroides and the possible effects of natura...

Phasianids are one of the groups of introduced birds with highest impact on native ecosystems. In Patagonia several phasianids are established or in process of establishment, thus it is relevant to know their impacts on ecosystems. The Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) was introduced to Isla Victoria in the 1950's and successfully established al...

Foliar habit in parasite–host associations of mistletoes and trees is a neglected aspect in the discussion of foliar habit of woody plants. Almost all of the world’s mistletoe species are evergreen, regardless of the foliar habit of their hosts. Deciduous mistletoes are rare and confined to the northern fringes of Loranthaceae in Eurasia, and to Mi...

Native ecosystems are continuously being transformed mostly into agricultural lands. Simultaneously, a large proportion of fields are abandoned after some years of use. Without any intervention, altered landscapes usually show a slow reversion to native ecosystems, or to novel ecosystems. One of the main barriers to vegetation regeneration is poor...

Introduction and naturalization of non-native species is one of the most important threats to global biodiversity. Birds have been widely introduced worldwide, but their impacts on populations, communities, and ecosystems have not received as much attention as those of other groups. This work is a global synthesis of the impact of nonnative birds o...

One of the possible consequences of biological invasions is the decrease of native species abundances or their replacement by non-native species. In Andean Patagonia, southern Argentina and Chile, many non-native animals have been introduced and are currently spreading. On Isla Victoria, Nahuel Huapi National Park, many non-native vertebrates were...

One of the possible consequences of biological invasions is the decrease of native species abundances or their replacement by non-native species. In Andean Patagonia, southern Argentina and Chile, many non-native animals have been introduced and are currently spreading. On Isla Victoria, Nahuel Huapi National Park, many non-native vertebrates were...

One of the possible consequences of biological invasions is the decrease of native species abundances or their replacement by non-native species. In Andean Patagonia, southern Argentina and Chile, many non-native animals have been introduced and are currently spreading. On Isla Victoria, Nahuel Huapi National Park, many non-native vertebrates were...

The importance of a frugivore’s behavior and movement on seed dispersal patterns, although widely recognized, is sometimes difficult to obtain. This is particularly true for small and nocturnal animals that inhabit structurally complex environments, such as Dromiciops gliroides. We studied different behavioral traits of this species in its natural...

Background/Question/Methods Biological invasions by members of the family Pinaceae occuring far from their native range take the form of coinvasions with obligate ectomycorrhizal (EM) symbiotic fungi. These fungi and their autotrophic symbionts disperse independently, and frequently via different vectors, potentially giving rise to reciprocal codis...

Seed dispersal constrains the environmental heterogeneity to which a plant species is exposed through its life. Behavior of seed dispersers and seed predators could be influenced by food availability and vegetation cover. Consequently, recruitment probabilities are heterogeneous in space and time, and “regeneration windows” may appear. Aristotelia...

The genetic structure of a plant species is influenced by life-history traits, geographical range and ecological interactions that shape gene flow. We examined the genetic structure of the South American mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus using random amplification of polymorphic DNA. This species is found mainly in Chile and inhabits two biomes, the C...

Significance Examining the effects of species gains and losses is fundamental to understanding the assembly and disassembly of ecological communities in a changing world. However, field-based empirical studies that demonstrate the disassembly of mutualistic webs are exceedingly rare. In this study, we take advantage of an ongoing natural experiment...

Biological invasions are often complex phenomena because many factors influence their outcome. One key aspect is how non-natives interact with the local biota. Interaction with local species may be especially important for exotic species that require an obligatory mutualist, such as Pinaceae species that need ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. EM fungi an...

Dromiciops gliroides is an arboreal marsupial found in the temperate forests of South America (36-43 °S). This species is the sole extant representative of the order Microbiotheria, and is a key seed disperser of many native plant species, including the keystone mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus. Here, we synthesized the current knowledge on the ecolo...

Background/Question/Methods Biological invasions are complex phenomena since many factors determine their outcome. One key aspect is the interaction of the non-natives with the local biota. Interaction with local species may be especially important for exotic species that require an obligatory mutualism, such as the case of members of the Pinacea...

Background/Question/Methods The effects of herbivory by ungulates on individual plants or entire plant communities can be dramatic and might indirectly influence other associated species, such as pollinators. These effects may be especially strong when the affected species are keystone species in the ecosystem. The northern portion of the tempera...

Chaenothecopsis quintralis from southwestern Argentina is described and illustrated as a new species in the family Mycocaliciaceae. It has been found in three localities in the Andean Patagonian temperate forests, growing strictly on dung of an endemic marsupial Dromiciops gliroides. The new species is distinguished by the hemispherical, black capi...

The outcome of the dispersal process in zoochorous plants is largely determined by the behavior of frugivorous animals. Recent simulation studies have found that fruit removal rates and mean dispersal distances are strongly affected by fruiting plant neighborhoods. We empirically tested the effects of conspecific fruiting plant neighborhoods, crop...

Abstract—Tripodanthus consists of three species that are endemic to South America. While T. acutifolius and T. flagellaris have east-west distributions in tropical and subtropical South America, T. belmirensis is restricted to its type locality in the region of Belmira, Colombia. The objective of the present study was to reconstruct the phylogeny o...

In the North American Arctic, the existence of one or several taxa closely related to Deschampsia cespitosa var. cespitosa has remained a puzzle for many years. Extreme morphological variation, lack of clear limits between alleged forms, and an extended geographic range often render identification keys incomplete, and raise the question of how many...

In some species fruits are green when they are ripe. This can be attributed to the ability to acquire carbon via photosynthesis, which reduces reproductive costs and increases nutritional reward for seed dispersers. The color of mature fruits of the mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus (Loranthaceae) differ between biomes. In the Chilean matorral ripe fr...

El color verde de los frutos maduros podría atribuirse a la capacidad de adquirir carbono mediante fotosíntesis, lo cual disminuye los costos reproductivos e incrementa la recompensa nutritiva para los dispersores de semillas. En el muérdago Tristerix corymbosus (Loranthaceae) el color de los frutos maduros varía según el bioma: en el matorral chil...

Fruit colour influences fruit choice by seed dispersers. The mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus (Loranthaceae) produces mature fruits of two different colours in two different biomes: yellow in the Chilean matorral and green in the temperate forest of southern South America. We conducted field surveys to establish the association between fruit colour a...

Plant–animal interactions are crucial nodes in the structure of communities and pivotal drivers of ecosystem functioning. Much of this relevance may depend on how animals cope with plant resources at different spatial scales. However, little is known about how and why different interactions perform at different scales in the same environmental sett...