skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Search for: All records

Creators/Authors contains: "Espinoza-Espinoza, Nicole"

Note: When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval).
What is a DOI Number?

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.

  1. Host-parasite interactions and host susceptibility are key traits in understanding trophic energy transfer, nutrient movement and general macro-ecoevolutionary dynamics of mistletoe systems and plant-plant interactions. This research investigates host susceptibility and size-dependent interactions of the mistletoe Phoradendron quad- rangulare, a widely distributed species, on Guazuma ulmifolia. We studied the interplay between mistletoe load and host tree size, while also exploring the allometric relationship between host branch size and mistletoe size. A field surveys on 67 trees revealed varying mistletoe loads, with most trees showing no occurrence of P. quadrangulare. Parasitized trees had significantly larger diameters at breast height (DBH) than non-parasitized trees. The susceptibility of host trees to mistletoe parasitism increased with increasing DBH, indicating a positive relationship between host size and mistletoe prevalence. Furthermore, mistletoe stem diameter was found to be influenced by the diameter of the host branch suggesting that larger host trees provide more substrate for larger-sized parasites and surface area for mistletoe colonization, potentially contributing to the parasite’s survival and prevalence. This study also highlights the importance of host size in mistletoe presence and performance and provides insights into the broader eco-evolutionary dynamics and conservation strategies needed to conserve mistletoes, an often-underappreciated keystone taxa. 
    more » « less