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Hao K, Xu Q, Huang SQ. Pollen-feeding behavior of diverse insects on Geranium delavayi, a flower with large, accessible pollen grains. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16113. [PMID: 36462154 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Why have pollen grains evolved to be exceptionally large in some species? Pollen-feeding hypothesis suggests that if the proportion of pollen amounts for feeding is reduced in a flower, the low allocation to pollen number would allow pollen grains to be larger. METHODS To examine whether species with large pollen grains experience low pollen consumption, the behavior of insects feeding on nectar and pollen was observed and pollen transfer efficiency was estimated for four visitor types in Geranium delavayi. To see whether bees actively collected pollen, the numbers of grains in pollen baskets and on the body were compared. Both nutritional value (total protein and lipid) and chemical defense (phenolic metabolites) in pollen against pollen feeders were measured. RESULTS Bumblebees and honeybees foraged for nectar, rarely groomed pollen into corbiculae, and had >5× higher pollen transfer efficiency than smaller solitary bees and flies, which were pollen eaters that removed more pollen but deposited less. Pollen grains were characterized by low protein and high lipid content with a low protein-lipid ratio, an unfavorable combination for bumblebees. Three secondary metabolites were significantly higher in pollen grains (7.77 mg/g) than in petals (1.08 mg/g) or in nectar (0.44 mg/g), suggesting stronger chemical defense in pollen. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that large bees took nectar but little of the nutritionally poor and highly toxic pollen. These data support one prediction of the pollen-feeding hypothesis, that species with few and large pollen grains would also have low pollen-consumption rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hao
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Qi Xu
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Shuang-Quan Huang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
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2
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Berardi AE, Betancourt Morejón AC, Hopkins R. Convergence without divergence in North American red-flowering Silene. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:945806. [PMID: 36147235 PMCID: PMC9485837 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.945806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Combinations of correlated floral traits have arisen repeatedly across angiosperms through convergent evolution in response to pollinator selection to optimize reproduction. While some plant groups exhibit very distinct combinations of traits adapted to specific pollinators (so-called pollination syndromes), others do not. Determining how floral traits diverge across clades and whether floral traits show predictable correlations in diverse groups of flowering plants is key to determining the extent to which pollinator-mediated selection drives diversification. The North American Silene section Physolychnis is an ideal group to investigate patterns of floral evolution because it is characterized by the evolution of novel red floral color, extensive floral morphological variation, polyploidy, and exposure to a novel group of pollinators (hummingbirds). We test for correlated patterns of trait evolution that would be consistent with convergent responses to selection in the key floral traits of color and morphology. We also consider both the role of phylogenic distance and geographic overlap in explaining patterns of floral trait variation. Inconsistent with phenotypically divergent pollination syndromes, we find very little clustering of North American Silene into distinct floral morphospace. We also find little evidence that phylogenetic history or geographic overlap explains patterns of floral diversity in this group. White- and pink-flowering species show extensive phenotypic diversity but are entirely overlapping in morphological variation. However, red-flowering species have much less phenotypic disparity and cluster tightly in floral morphospace. We find that red-flowering species have evolved floral traits that align with a traditional hummingbird syndrome, but that these trait values overlap with several white and pink species as well. Our findings support the hypothesis that convergent evolution does not always proceed through comparative phenotypic divergence, but possibly through sorting of standing ancestral variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea E. Berardi
- Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- The Arnold Arboretum, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ana C. Betancourt Morejón
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Robin Hopkins
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- The Arnold Arboretum, Boston, MA, United States
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3
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Ryder JT, Cherrill A, Thompson HM, Walters KFA. Lower pollen nutritional quality delays nest building and egg laying in Bombus terrestris audax micro-colonies leading to reduced biomass gain. APIDOLOGIE 2021; 52:1033-1047. [PMID: 35068597 PMCID: PMC8755691 DOI: 10.1007/s13592-021-00885-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The performance of Bombus terrestris micro-colonies fed five diets differing in pollen species composition and level of nine essential amino acids (EAA; leucine, lysine, valine, arginine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, threonine, histidine, methionine) was assessed for 37 days by recording total biomass gain, nest building initiation, brood production (eggs, small and large larvae, pupae, drones), nectar, and pollen collection. Stronger colony performance was linked to higher amino acid levels but no consistent differences in biomass gain were recorded between mono- and poly-species diets. Poorest performance occurred in micro-colonies offered pure oilseed rape (OSR) pollen which contained the lowest EAA levels. Reduced micro-colony development (delayed nest initiation and lower brood production) was related to OSR proportion in the diet and lower EAA levels. Results are discussed in relation to selection of plant species in the design of habitats to promote bee populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan T. Ryder
- Centre for Integrated Pest Management, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8NB UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Parkgate Road, Cheshire Chester, CH1 4BJ UK
| | - Andrew Cherrill
- Centre for Integrated Pest Management, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8NB UK
| | | | - Keith F. A. Walters
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Berkshire Ascot, SL5 7PY UK
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van der Niet T. Paucity of natural history data impedes phylogenetic analyses of pollinator-driven evolution. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:1201-1205. [PMID: 32786085 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Timotheüs van der Niet
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P. Bag X01, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
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Hartmann FE, Rodríguez de la Vega RC, Gladieux P, Ma WJ, Hood ME, Giraud T. Higher Gene Flow in Sex-Related Chromosomes than in Autosomes during Fungal Divergence. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:668-682. [PMID: 31651949 PMCID: PMC7038665 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonrecombining sex chromosomes are widely found to be more differentiated than autosomes among closely related species, due to smaller effective population size and/or to a disproportionally large-X effect in reproductive isolation. Although fungal mating-type chromosomes can also display large nonrecombining regions, their levels of differentiation compared with autosomes have been little studied. Anther-smut fungi from the Microbotryum genus are castrating pathogens of Caryophyllaceae plants with largely nonrecombining mating-type chromosomes. Using whole genome sequences of 40 fungal strains, we quantified genetic differentiation among strains isolated from the geographically overlapping North American species and subspecies of Silene virginica and S. caroliniana. We inferred that gene flow likely occurred at the early stages of divergence and then completely stopped. We identified large autosomal genomic regions with chromosomal inversions, with higher genetic divergence than the rest of the genomes and highly enriched in selective sweeps, supporting a role of rearrangements in preventing gene flow in genomic regions involved in ecological divergence. Unexpectedly, the nonrecombining mating-type chromosomes showed lower divergence than autosomes due to higher gene flow, which may be promoted by adaptive introgressions of less degenerated mating-type chromosomes. The fact that both mating-type chromosomes are always heterozygous and nonrecombining may explain such patterns that oppose to those found for XY or ZW sex chromosomes. The specific features of mating-type chromosomes may also apply to the UV sex chromosomes determining sexes at the haploid stage in algae and bryophytes and may help test general hypotheses on the evolutionary specificities of sex-related chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny E Hartmann
- Ecologie Systematique Evolution, Batiment 360, Univ. Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Ricardo C Rodríguez de la Vega
- Ecologie Systematique Evolution, Batiment 360, Univ. Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Pierre Gladieux
- UMR BGPI, Univ Montpellier, INRA, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - Wen-Juan Ma
- Biology Department, Science Centre, Amherst College, Amherst, MA
| | - Michael E Hood
- Biology Department, Science Centre, Amherst College, Amherst, MA
| | - Tatiana Giraud
- Ecologie Systematique Evolution, Batiment 360, Univ. Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
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6
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Fuster F, Kaiser-Bunbury CN, Traveset A. Pollination effectiveness of specialist and opportunistic nectar feeders influenced by invasive alien ants in the Seychelles. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:957-969. [PMID: 32592166 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Opportunistic nectar-feeders may act as effective pollinators; nonetheless, we still lack information on whether these opportunistic species differ in their pollination effectiveness from specialized nectarivorous vertebrates and insects. Many nectar specialists have coevolved with the plants on which they feed; therefore, we would expect higher pollination effectiveness in specialists than in opportunistic feeders. Here, we assessed quantity and quality components of pollination effectiveness in specialist and opportunistic vertebrate nectarivores and insects, focusing on three plants from the Seychelles: Thespesia populnea, Polyscias crassa, and Syzygium wrightii. METHODS We determined the quantity component (QNC) of pollination effectiveness with pollinator observations, and the quality component (QLC) by measuring fruit and seed set resulting from single visits by each pollinator. To detect potential negative effects of invasive ants on native plant-pollinator interactions, we classified pollinator visits (quantity component) as disturbed (>6 ants/30 min) vs. undisturbed. RESULTS All focal plants were visited by insects, and vertebrate specialist and opportunist nectarivores, yet their pollination effectiveness differed. Flying insects were the most effective pollinators of T. populnea. The other two plants were most effectively pollinated by vertebrates; i.e., sunbirds (nectar specialists) in S. wrightii and Phelsuma geckos (nectar opportunists) in P. crassa, despite marked variation in QNC and QLC. Ant presence was associated with lower pollinator visitation rate in P. crassa and S. wrightii. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the importance of all pollinator guilds, including opportunist nectarivorous vertebrates as pollinators of island plants, and the vulnerability of such interactions to disruption by nonnative species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Fuster
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Christopher N Kaiser-Bunbury
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
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7
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Valverde J, Perfectti F, Gómez JM. Pollination effectiveness in a generalist plant: adding the genetic component. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 223:354-365. [PMID: 30761538 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The pollination effectiveness of a flower visitor has traditionally been measured as the product of a quantity component that depends on the frequency of interaction and a quality component that measures the per-visit effects on plant reproduction. We propose that this could be complemented with a genetic component informing about each pollinator's contribution to the genetic diversity and composition of the plant progeny. We measured the quantity and quality components of effectiveness of most pollinator functional groups of the generalist herb Erysimum mediohispanicum. We used 10 microsatellite markers to calculate the genetic component as the diversity of sires among siblings and included it into the calculation of the pollination effectiveness. Functional groups varied in the quantity and quality components, which were shown to be decoupled. Functional groups also differed in the genetic component. This component changed the estimates of pollination effectiveness, increasing the differences between some functional groups and modifying the pollination effectiveness landscape. We demonstrate that including the genetic component in the calculation of the pollination effectiveness may allow a more complete quantification of the contribution of each pollinator to the reproductive success of a plant, providing information on its mating patterns and long-term fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Valverde
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Granada, ES-18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Francisco Perfectti
- Departamento de Genética and Unidad de Excelencia 'Modeling Nature', Universidad de Granada, ES-18071, Granada, Spain
| | - José María Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), ES-04120, Almería, Spain
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8
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Jaca J, Nogales M, Traveset A. Reproductive success of the Canarian Echium simplex (Boraginaceae) mediated by vertebrates and insects. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2019; 21:216-226. [PMID: 30334319 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Oceanic island ecosystems favour the appearance of novel interactions as a consequence of their depauperate and disharmonic flora and fauna. We investigated Echium simplex, endemic to the Anaga Biosphere Reserve in NE Tenerife, Canary Islands, belongs to the Canarian bird-flower element. Along two flowering seasons, we studied the breeding system of E. simplex, identified the floral visitors and compared the pollination effectiveness of different animal guilds (insects versus vertebrates) by means of selective exclosures. E. simplex is self-compatible but selfing significantly reduced fruit set. The flowers were visited by five bird species (mostly Phylloscopus canariensis and Serinus canarius, but also Cyanistes teneriffae, Sylvia atricapilla and Sylvia melanocephala), a lizard species (Gallotia galloti) and over a hundred insect species (mainly hymenopterans and coleopterans). Flying insects increased fruit set whereas small flower dwellers (mostly beetles) decreased both fruit and seed set. Vertebrates had a negligible effect on reproductive success. We conclude that although the floral resources provided by E. simplex may be important to some vertebrate species, these do not appear to contribute to increase fitness of the plant, which was more dependent upon flying insects for fruit and seed set. We additionally found that plant reproductive structures are heavily damaged by feral goats, which threaten the maintenance of this Canarian endemic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Jaca
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats IMEDEA (CSIC- UIB), Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - M Nogales
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (CSIC-IPNA), C/ Astrofísico Fco, La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - A Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats IMEDEA (CSIC- UIB), Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
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9
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Stewart AB, Dudash MR. Flower‐visiting bat species contribute unequally toward agricultural pollination ecosystem services in southern Thailand. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa B. Stewart
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
- Department of Plant Science Faculty of Science Mahidol University Bangkok 10400 Thailand
| | - Michele R. Dudash
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
- Department of Natural Resource Management South Dakota State University Brookings SD 57007 USA
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10
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Barrios B, Pena SR, Salas A, Koptur S. Butterflies visit more frequently, but bees are better pollinators: the importance of mouthpart dimensions in effective pollen removal and deposition. AOB PLANTS 2016; 8:plw001. [PMID: 26742956 PMCID: PMC4779295 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plw001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Pollination studies often use visitation frequency of potential pollinators as an indicator of their importance, but this is only one component and may not reflect actual pollen transfer rates. In this study, we determine the most effective pollinator group of Angadenia berteroi, a tropical perennial subshrub with large yellow flowers that set few fruits. We determined visitation frequency and pollen transfer effectiveness of the four most common groups of visitors (long- and short-tongued bees, and skipper and non-skipper butterflies). Using potted plants, we exposed flowers to single visits from different types of pollinators to measure fruit set. We demonstrate that A. berteroi is most effectively pollinated by long-tongued bees, though many other species visit the flowers; the most frequent visitor group is not the most important pollinator, because they neither carry nor deposit much pollen, as the width of their proboscis is small compared with long-tongued bees. In this system, the width of the proboscis of the pollinators correlates with pollen transfer efficiency. Our results demonstrate the importance of pollen removal, pollen deposition, and fruit set, in determining the most effective pollinators, rather than visitor frequency. The distinctive morphology of these flowers, with a large bell and a narrow, short tube, suggests that other flowers of this shape may similarly benefit more from visitors with mouthparts shorter than previously considered optimal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beyte Barrios
- Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA Present address: Rare Plant Conservation Program, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, FL 33853, USA
| | - Sean R Pena
- Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA Present address: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Andrea Salas
- Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Suzanne Koptur
- Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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11
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Fenster CB, Reynolds RJ, Williams CW, Makowsky R, Dudash MR. Quantifying hummingbird preference for floral trait combinations: The role of selection on trait interactions in the evolution of pollination syndromes. Evolution 2015; 69:1113-27. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles B. Fenster
- Department of Biology; University of Maryland, College Park; College Park Maryland 20742
- Mountain Lake Biological Station; 240 Salt Pond Road Pembroke Virginia 24136
| | - Richard J. Reynolds
- Department of Biology; University of Maryland, College Park; College Park Maryland 20742
- Mountain Lake Biological Station; 240 Salt Pond Road Pembroke Virginia 24136
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine; University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | - Christopher W. Williams
- Mountain Lake Biological Station; 240 Salt Pond Road Pembroke Virginia 24136
- Frostburg State University; Frostburg Maryland 21502
- National Institutes of Health, NIDDK; Bethesda Maryland 20892
| | | | - Michele R. Dudash
- Department of Biology; University of Maryland, College Park; College Park Maryland 20742
- Mountain Lake Biological Station; 240 Salt Pond Road Pembroke Virginia 24136
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12
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Howard AF, Barrows EM. Self-pollination rate and floral-display size in Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) with regard to floral-visitor taxa. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:144. [PMID: 24958132 PMCID: PMC4080991 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animals fertilize thousands of angiosperm species whose floral-display sizes can significantly influence pollinator behavior and plant reproductive success. Many studies have measured the interactions among pollinator behavior, floral-display size, and plant reproductive success, but few studies have been able to separate the effects of pollinator behavior and post-pollination processes on angiosperm sexual reproduction. In this study, we utilized the highly self-incompatible pollinium-pollination system of Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) to quantify how insect visitors influenced male reproductive success measured as pollen removal, female reproductive success measured as pollen deposition, and self-pollination rate. We also determined how floral-display size impacts both visitor behavior and self-pollination rate. RESULTS Four insect taxonomic orders visited A. syriaca: Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera. We focused on three groups of visitor taxa within two orders (Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera) with sample sizes large enough for quantitative analysis: Apis mellifera (Western Honey Bee), Bombus spp. (bumble bees) and lepidopterans (butterflies and moths). Qualitatively, lepidopterans had the highest pollinator importance values, but the large variability in the lepidopteran data precluded meaningful interpretation of much of their behavior. The introduced A. mellifera was the most effective and most important diurnal pollinator with regard to both pollen removal and pollen deposition. However, when considering the self-incompatibility of A. syriaca, A. mellifera was not the most important pollinator because of its high self-pollination rate as compared to Bombus spp. Additionally, the rate of self-pollination increased more rapidly with the number of flowers per inflorescence in A. mellifera than in the native Bombus spp. CONCLUSIONS Apis mellifera's high rate of self-pollination may have significant negative effects on both male and female reproductive successes in A. syriaca, causing different selection on floral-display size than native pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron F Howard
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Box 571229, Washington, DC 20057-1229, USA
| | - Edward M Barrows
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Box 571229, Washington, DC 20057-1229, USA
- Center for the Environment, Georgetown University, Box 571229, Washington, DC 20057-1229, USA
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13
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Kula AAR, Castillo DM, Dudash MR, Fenster CB. Interactions between a pollinating seed predator and its host plant: the role of environmental context within a population. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:2901-12. [PMID: 25165527 PMCID: PMC4130447 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant-insect interactions often are important for plant reproduction, but the outcome of these interactions may vary with environmental context. Pollinating seed predators have positive and negative effects on host plant reproduction, and the interaction outcome is predicted to vary with density or abundance of the partners. We studied the interaction between Silene stellata, an herbaceous perennial, and Hadena ectypa, its specialized pollinating seed predator. Silene stellata is only facultatively dependent upon H. ectypa for pollination because other nocturnal moth co-pollinators are equally effective at pollen transfer. We hypothesized that for plants without conspecific neighbors, H. ectypa would have higher visitation rates compared to co-pollinators, and the plants would experience lower levels of H. ectypa pollen deposition. We predicted similar oviposition throughout the study site but greater H. ectypa predation in the area without conspecific neighbors compared to plants embedded in a naturally high density area. We found that H. ectypa had consistently higher visitation than moth co-pollinators in all host plant contexts. However, H. ectypa pollinator importance declined in areas with low conspecific density because of reduced pollen deposition, resulting in lower seed set. Conversely, oviposition was similar across the study site independent of host plant density. Greater likelihood of very high fruit predation combined with lower pollination by H. ectypa resulted in reduced S. stellata female reproductive success in areas with low conspecific density. Our results demonstrate local context dependency of the outcomes of pollinating seed predator interactions with conspecific host plant density within a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail A R Kula
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland, 20742 ; Mountain Lake Biological Station Pembroke, Virginia, 24136
| | - Dean M Castillo
- Mountain Lake Biological Station Pembroke, Virginia, 24136 ; Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana, 47405
| | - Michele R Dudash
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland, 20742 ; Mountain Lake Biological Station Pembroke, Virginia, 24136
| | - Charles B Fenster
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland, 20742 ; Mountain Lake Biological Station Pembroke, Virginia, 24136
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Sakai S, Kawakita A, Ooi K, Inoue T. Variation in the strength of association among pollination systems and floral traits: evolutionary changes in the floral traits of Bornean gingers (Zingiberaceae). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2013; 100:546-55. [PMID: 23425560 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY Diversification of floral traits in angiosperms is often attributed to have been driven by adaptations to pollinators. Nevertheless, phylogenetic studies on the relationships among evolutionary changes in floral traits and pollination systems are still limited. We examined the relationships between floral trait changes and pollinator shifts in Bornean gingers (Zingiberaceae). These plants have strongly zygomorphic flowers pollinated by spiderhunter birds, bees of the genus Amegilla, and halictid bees. • METHODS We identified pollination systems through field observations and recorded petal color, quantity of floral rewards, and seven measures of flower morphology in 28 ginger species. Phylogenetic trees were constructed from nucleotide sequences of the matK and ITS regions. We examined the correlations between the evolution of pollination systems and floral traits using phylogenetically independent contrasts. • KEY RESULTS Significant association was found between pink color and spiderhunter pollination, orange and Amegilla pollination, and yellow and white and halictid pollination. Sugar production was higher in spiderhunter-pollinated species and lower in halictid-pollinated. Meanwhile, there was a significant association only for a subset of the floral morphological characters measured. Floral tube length, which is often thought to evolve to match the lengths of pollinator probing apparatuses, did not show any correlation. • CONCLUSIONS There is considerable variation in the strength of association among pollination systems and floral traits. Lack of significant correlation in some traits could partly be explained by floral functions other than pollination, such as adaptations to prevent herbivore damage to the ovules. Further studies on these factors may improve understanding of plant-pollinator interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Sakai
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Motoyama 457-4, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto 606-8047, Japan.
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Quantity and quality components of effectiveness in insular pollinator assemblages. Oecologia 2013; 173:179-90. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2606-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Accepted: 01/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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16
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Sletvold N, Trunschke J, Wimmergren C, Ågren J. Separating selection by diurnal and nocturnal pollinators on floral display and spur length inGymnadenia conopsea. Ecology 2012; 93:1880-91. [DOI: 10.1890/11-2044.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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17
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Variable nursery pollinator importance and its effect on plant reproductive success. Oecologia 2011; 168:439-48. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2095-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2010] [Accepted: 07/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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18
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Temporal stability of pollinator preference in an alpine plant community and its implications for the evolution of floral traits. Oecologia 2011; 166:671-80. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-1910-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2010] [Accepted: 01/06/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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19
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Sympatric Sister Species of Californian Antirrhinum and Their Transiently Specialized Pollinators. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2010. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-164.2.337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Junker RR, Höcherl N, Blüthgen N. Responses to olfactory signals reflect network structure of flower-visitor interactions. J Anim Ecol 2010; 79:818-23. [PMID: 20412348 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2010.01698.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
1. Network analyses provide insights into the diversity and complexity of ecological interactions and have motivated conclusions about community stability and co-evolution. However, biological traits and mechanisms such as chemical signals regulating the interactions between individual species--the microstructure of a network--are poorly understood. 2. We linked the responses of receivers (flower visitors) towards signals (flower scent) to the structure of a highly diverse natural flower-insect network. For each interaction, we define link temperature--a newly developed metric--as the deviation of the observed interaction strength from neutrality, assuming that animals randomly interact with flowers. 3. Link temperature was positively correlated to the specific visitors' responses to floral scents, experimentally examined in a mobile olfactometer. Thus, communication between plants and consumers via phytochemical signals reflects a significant part of the microstructure in a complex network. Negative as well as positive responses towards floral scents contributed to these results, where individual experience was important apart from innate behaviour. 4. Our results indicate that: (1) biological mechanisms have a profound impact on the microstructure of complex networks that underlies the outcome of aggregate statistics, and (2) floral scents act as a filter, promoting the visitation of some flower visitors, but also inhibiting the visitation of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert R Junker
- Department of Animal Ecology & Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
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Reynolds RJ, Dudash MR, Fenster CB. MULTIYEAR STUDY OF MULTIVARIATE LINEAR AND NONLINEAR PHENOTYPIC SELECTION ON FLORAL TRAITS OF HUMMINGBIRD-POLLINATEDSILENE VIRGINICA. Evolution 2010; 64:358-69. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00805.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Kay KM, Sargent RD. The Role of Animal Pollination in Plant Speciation: Integrating Ecology, Geography, and Genetics. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2009. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.110308.120310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M. Kay
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064;
| | - Risa D. Sargent
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, K1N6N5, Canada;
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Fenster CB, Martén-Rodriguez S, Schemske DW. POLLINATION SYNDROMES AND THE EVOLUTION OF FLORAL DIVERSITY INIOCHROMA(SOLANACEAE). Evolution 2009; 63:2758-62; discussion 2763-7. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00730.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Reynolds RJ, Westbrook MJ, Rohde AS, Cridland JM, Fenster CB, Dudash MR. Pollinator specialization and pollination syndromes of three related North AmericanSilene. Ecology 2009; 90:2077-87. [DOI: 10.1890/08-1141.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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