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 Tristerix corymbosus (Loranthaceae) on its most common hosts species in northwest Patagonia. The seeds of this mistletoe are almost exclusively dispersed by the small arboreal and endemic marsupial Dromiciops gliroides (Microbiotheridae). We assessed the underlying causes of plant spatial patterns through point pattern analysis and we used different variables that characterize the neighborhood around each host to analyze the relative effect of host availability, potential for disperser movement and canopy light conditions. We found that potential hosts were strongly aggregated and that the three most common host species were distributed independent of each other. Considering all host species together, infected and non‐infected host were individually aggregated but segregated from each other. The aggregated pattern of infected hosts could be explained in part by the template of potential hosts distribution, but was subsequently modulated by the activity of the mistletoe disperser. Potential for disperser movement, the proximity to reproductive mistletoes and habitat complexity, increased mistletoe infection probability. However, neighboring host availability decreased mistletoe infection probability, and tree DBH (used as surrogate for light conditions) had no detectable effect. Our results suggested that the distribution of mistletoe infection was determined by the structure of potential host populations and by the marsupial disperser activity. Compared to bird dispersed mistletoes, the scale of the infection was smaller and the proximity to reproductive mistletoes and habitat complexity were important for seed arrival and infection. The interplay between landscape structure and disperser activity determine the spatial structure of mistletoe future generations.

中文翻译：

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宿主的空间结构和分散活性决定了槲寄生的感染方式

负责物种分布的过程和因素是生态学中长期存在的问题，是保护和管理的关键要素。雾tle提供了研究森林物种的机会，这些物种的生命形式可能会受到多种因素的限制。我们在西北巴塔哥尼亚最常见的寄主物种上研究了槲寄生Tristerix corymbosus（伞形科）。槲寄生的种子几乎全部被小乔木和地方性有袋动物Dromiciops gliroides散布（微生物bi科）。我们通过点模式分析评估了植物空间模式的根本原因，并使用表征每个宿主周围邻域的不同变量来分析宿主可利用性的相对影响，分散器移动和冠层光照条件的潜力。我们发现潜在的宿主强烈聚集，并且三种最常见的宿主物种彼此独立分布。综合考虑所有寄主物种，受感染和未受感染的寄主分别进行汇总，但彼此分开。感染宿主的聚集模式可以部分通过潜在宿主分布的模板来解释，但随后受槲寄生分散剂的活性调节。分散器运动的潜力，靠近繁殖性槲寄生和栖息地的复杂性，增加了槲寄生的感染几率。但是，邻近主机的可用性降低了槲寄生感染的可能性，并且树木DBH（用作光照条件的替代品）没有可检测到的效果。我们的结果表明，槲寄生感染的分布是由潜在宿主种群的结构和有袋动物的扩散活性决定的。与鸟类散布的蚊子相比，感染的规模更小，与繁殖的蚊子的距离和栖息地的复杂性对于种子的到达和感染很重要。景观结构和分散剂活动之间的相互作用决定了槲寄生后代的空间结构。邻近主机的可用性降低了槲寄生感染的可能性，并且树木DBH（用作光照条件的替代品）没有可检测到的效果。我们的结果表明，槲寄生感染的分布是由潜在寄主种群的结构和有袋动物的扩散活性决定的。与鸟类散布的蚊子相比，感染的规模更小，与繁殖的蚊子的距离和栖息地的复杂性对于种子的到达和感染很重要。景观结构和分散剂活动之间的相互作用决定了槲寄生后代的空间结构。邻近主机的可用性降低了槲寄生感染的可能性，并且树木DBH（用作光照条件的替代品）没有可检测到的效果。我们的结果表明，槲寄生感染的分布是由潜在寄主种群的结构和有袋动物的扩散活性决定的。与鸟类散布的蚊子相比，感染的规模更小，与繁殖的蚊子的距离和栖息地的复杂性对于种子的到达和感染很重要。景观结构和分散剂活动之间的相互作用决定了槲寄生后代的空间结构。我们的结果表明，槲寄生感染的分布是由潜在寄主种群的结构和有袋动物的扩散活性决定的。与鸟类散布的蚊子相比，感染的规模更小，与繁殖的蚊子的距离和栖息地的复杂性对于种子的到达和感染很重要。景观结构和分散剂活动之间的相互作用决定了槲寄生后代的空间结构。我们的结果表明，槲寄生感染的分布是由潜在寄主种群的结构和有袋动物的扩散活性决定的。与鸟类散布的蚊子相比，感染的规模更小，与繁殖的蚊子的距离和栖息地的复杂性对于种子的到达和感染很重要。景观结构和分散剂活动之间的相互作用决定了槲寄生后代的空间结构。