Mistletoes could moderate drought impacts on birds, but are themselves susceptible to drought-induced dieback.

ABSTRACT: Mistletoes are hemiparasitic plants and keystone species in many ecosystems globally. Given predicted increases in drought frequency and intensity, mistletoes may be crucial for moderating drought impacts on community structure. Dependent on host vascular flows, mistletoes can succumb to stress when water availability falls, making them susceptible to mortality during drought. We counted mistletoe across greater than 350 000 km² of southeastern Australia and conducted standardized bird surveys between 2016 and 2021, spanning a major drought event in 2018-2019. We aimed to identify predictors of mistletoe abundance and mortality and determine whether mistletoes might moderate drought impacts on woodland birds. Live mistletoe abundance varied with tree species composition, land us

SUBMITTER: Crates R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9277258 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature