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Nepal S, Trunschke J, Ren ZX, Burgess KS, Wang H. Flowering phenology differs among wet and dry sub-alpine meadows in southwestern China. AOB PLANTS 2024; 16:plae002. [PMID: 38298756 PMCID: PMC10829081 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
The effect of floral traits, floral rewards and plant water availability on plant-pollinator interactions are well-documented; however, empirical evidence of their impact on flowering phenology in high-elevation meadows remains scarce. In this study, we assessed three levels of flowering phenology, i.e. population-, individual- and flower-level (floral longevity), in two nearby but contrasting (wet versus dry) sub-alpine meadows on Yulong Snow Mountain, southwestern China. We also measured a series of floral traits (pollen number, ovule number, and the ratio of pollen to ovule number per flower, i.e. pollen:ovule ratio [P/O]) and floral rewards (nectar availability and pollen presentation) as plausible additional sources of variation for each phenological level. Floral longevity in the wet meadow was significantly longer than that for the dry meadow, whereas population- and individual-flowering duration were significantly shorter. Our results showed a significant positive relationship between flowering phenology with pollen number and P/O per flower; there was no relationship with ovule number per flower. Further, we found a significant effect of flowering phenology on nectar availability and pollen presentation. Our findings suggest that shorter floral longevity in dry habitats compared to wet might be due to water-dependent maintenance costs of flowers, where the population- and individual-level flowering phenology may be less affected by habitats. Our study shows how different levels of flowering phenology underscore the plausible effects of contrasting habitats on reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shristhi Nepal
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1 Yanqihu East Rd, Huairou District, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Judith Trunschke
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, China
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str., 479106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Zong-Xin Ren
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Kevin S Burgess
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Columbus, GA 31901, USA
| | - Hong Wang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, China
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Nepal S, Trunschke J, Ren ZX, Burgess KS, Wang H. Community-wide patterns in pollen and ovule production, their ratio (P/O), and other floral traits along an elevation gradient in southwestern China. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 23:425. [PMID: 37710175 PMCID: PMC10500814 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04433-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the male and female gametophytes of flowering plants, pollen and ovules largely determine the upper and lower boundaries of plant reproductive success. It is commonly predicted that pollen and ovule number per flower should increase, and pollen-ovule ratio (P/O) per flower should decrease with increasing elevation in response to a more stochastic pollination environment. Here, we aimed to determine the response of pollen number, ovule number, and P/O to other floral traits and elevation gradients for 84 insect-pollinated herbaceous flowering plant species in five sub-alpine and alpine communities (2709 to 3896 m a.s.l.) on Yulong Snow Mountain, southwestern China. RESULTS Six floral traits, including P/O, floral display area, flower number, tube depth, flower shape, and pollen presentation, were highly correlated with pollen and ovule number per flower. With increasing elevation, pollen number and P/O per flower increased marginally and significantly, respectively; ovule number per individual, flower number per individual, stigma stamen separation, and inflorescence height decreased significantly. However, ovule number per flower and other floral traits (i.e., floral display area, tube depth, stigma height, stamen height, and pollen and P/O per individual) did not change with elevation. We detected significant phylogenetic signals for pollen number, ovule number, and P/O, suggesting that these traits may be highly conserved and with limited response to changing environmental conditions. CONCLUSIONS Results revealed patterns of plant reproductive character evolution along elevation gradients and the potential factors governing their spatial variation in high-elevation environments. Plant species at high elevations are more likely adapted to cross-pollination, indicated by increased P/O per flower at high elevations on Yulong Mountain. Combined effects of phylogenetic history and plant-pollinator interactions should determine plant trait evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shristhi Nepal
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Judith Trunschke
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Zong-Xin Ren
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Kevin S Burgess
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
- Department of Biology, College of Letters and Sciences, Columbus State University, University System of Georgia, Columbus, GA, 31907-5645, USA.
| | - Hong Wang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
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Abrahamczyk S, Jandová M, Líblová Z, Janssens SB, Dostálek T, Holstein N, Fischer E. Pre- and postzygotic mechanisms preventing hybridization in co-occurring species of the Impatiens purpureoviolacea complex. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17485-17495. [PMID: 34938523 PMCID: PMC8668770 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In the species-rich genus Impatiens, few natural hybrids are known, even though closely related species often occur sympatrically. In this study, we aim to bridge the gap between micro- and macro-evolution to disentangle pre- and postzygotic mechanisms that may prevent hybridization in the Impatiens purpureoviolacea complex from Central Africa. We analyzed habitat types, species distribution, pollination syndromes, pollinator dependency, genome sizes, and chromosome numbers of seven out of the ten species of the complex as well as of one natural hybrid and reconstructed the ancestral chromosome numbers of the complex. Several species of the complex occur in sympatry or geographically very close to each other. All of them are characterized by pre- and/or postzygotic mechanisms potentially preventing hybridization. We found four independent polyploidization events within the complex. The only known natural hybrid always appears as single individual and is self-fertile. But the plants resulting from self-pollinated seeds often die shortly after first flowering. These results indicate that the investigated mechanisms in combination may effectively but not absolutely prevent hybridization in Impatiens and probably occur in other genera with sympatric species as well.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michaela Jandová
- Institute of BotanyThe Czech Academy of SciencesPrůhoniceCzech Republic
| | - Zuzana Líblová
- Institute of BotanyThe Czech Academy of SciencesPrůhoniceCzech Republic
- Department of BotanyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Steven B. Janssens
- Meise Botanic GardenMeiseBelgium
- Department of BiologyInstitute of Botany and MicrobiologyKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Tomáš Dostálek
- Institute of BotanyThe Czech Academy of SciencesPrůhoniceCzech Republic
- Department of BotanyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | | | - Eberhard Fischer
- Institut für Integrierte Naturwissenschaften – BiologieUniversität Koblenz‐LandauKoblenzGermany
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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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Ruchisansakun S, Mertens A, Janssens SB, Smets EF, van der Niet T. Evolution of pollination syndromes and corolla symmetry in Balsaminaceae reconstructed using phylogenetic comparative analyses. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:267-280. [PMID: 33091107 PMCID: PMC7789113 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Floral diversity as a result of plant-pollinator interactions can evolve by two distinct processes: shifts between pollination systems or divergent use of the same pollinator. Although both are pollinator driven, the mode, relative importance and interdependence of these different processes are rarely studied simultaneously. Here we apply a phylogenetic approach using the Balsaminaceae (including the species-rich genus Impatiens) to simultaneously quantify shifts in pollination syndromes (as inferred from the shape and colour of the perianth), as well as divergent use of the same pollinator (inferred from corolla symmetry). METHODS For 282 species we coded pollination syndromes based on associations between floral traits and known pollination systems, and assessed corolla symmetry. The evolution of these traits was reconstructed using parsimony- and model-based approaches, using phylogenetic trees derived from phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ribosomal and plastid DNA sequence data. KEY RESULTS A total of 71 % of studied species have a bee pollination syndrome, 22 % a bimodal syndrome (Lepidoptera and bees), 3 % a bird pollination syndrome and 5 % a syndrome of autogamy, while 19 % of species have an asymmetrical corolla. Although floral symmetry and pollination syndromes are both evolutionarily labile, the latter shifts more frequently. Shifts in floral symmetry occurred mainly in the direction towards asymmetry, but there was considerable uncertainty in the pattern of shift direction for pollination syndrome. Shifts towards asymmetrical flowers were associated with a bee pollination syndrome. CONCLUSION Floral evolution in Impatiens has occurred through both pollination syndrome shifts and divergent use of the same pollinator. Although the former appears more frequent, the latter is likely to be underestimated. Shifts in floral symmetry and pollination syndromes depend on each other but also partly on the region in which these shifts take place, suggesting that the occurrence of pollinator-driven evolution may be determined by the availability of pollinator species at large geographical scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saroj Ruchisansakun
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg, BE Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Arne Mertens
- Meise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan, Meise, Belgium
- Department of Biosystems, Lab of Tropical Crop Improvement, KU Leuven, Willem de Croylaan, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Steven B Janssens
- Meise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan, Meise, Belgium
- Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Erik F Smets
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg, BE Leiden, The Netherlands
- Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Timotheüs van der Niet
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu–Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
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Dellinger AS. Pollination syndromes in the 21 st century: where do we stand and where may we go? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1193-1213. [PMID: 33460152 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pollination syndromes, recurring suites of floral traits appearing in connection with specific functional pollinator groups, have served for decades to organise floral diversity under a functional-ecological perspective. Some potential caveats, such as over-simplification of complex plant-animal interactions or lack of empirical observations, have been identified and discussed in recent years. Which of these caveats do indeed cause problems, which have been solved and where do future possibilities lie? I address these questions in a review of the pollination-syndrome literature of 2010 to 2019. I show that the majority of studies was based on detailed empirical pollinator observations and could reliably predict pollinators based on a few floral traits such as colour, shape or reward. Some traits (i.e. colour) were less reliable in predicting pollinators than others (i.e. reward, corolla width), however. I stress that future studies should consider floral traits beyond those traditionally recorded to expand our understanding of mechanisms of floral evolution. I discuss statistical methods suitable for objectively analysing the interplay of system-specific evolutionary constraints, pollinator-mediated selection and adaptive trade-offs at microecological and macroecological scales. I exemplify my arguments on an empirical dataset of floral traits of a neotropical plant radiation in the family Melastomataceae.
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Wang X, Wen M, Qian X, Pei N, Zhang D. Plants are visited by more pollinator species than pollination syndromes predicted in an oceanic island community. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13918. [PMID: 32811900 PMCID: PMC7434763 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70954-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The pollination syndrome concept has provided powerful utility in understanding the evolution and adaptation of floral traits. However, the utility of this conception has been questioned on the grounds that flowers usually attract a broader spectrum of visitors than one might expect. Furthermore, the relationship between plant specialization and floral traits is poorly understood. Here, we examined the applicability of using the pollination syndrome to predict the pollinators of plants on Yongxing Island. We used the species-level specialization of pollination networks to compare the difference of plant ecological specialization among floral traits. The result of full model was not significant, indicating that floral traits did not affect the pollinator functional groups. The five floral traits explained only 22.5% of the pollinator's visitation preference. Our results showed that plants were visited by more pollinator species than pollination syndromes predicted. Plants with restrictive flowers showed higher specialization than those with unrestrictive flowers, while other floral traits exhibited no significant effect on plant specialization. Generalized pollination system on oceanic island might influence the predictive accuracy of pollination syndromes and the relationship between floral traits and plant ecological specialization. Our findings highlighted the utility and limitations of pollination syndromes concept in oceanic island communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China
| | - Meihong Wen
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China
| | - Xin Qian
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China
| | - Nancai Pei
- Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dianxiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China.
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Kraaij M, van der Kooi CJ. Surprising absence of association between flower surface microstructure and pollination system. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2020; 22:177-183. [PMID: 31710761 PMCID: PMC7064994 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The epidermal cells of flowers come in different shapes and have different functions, but how they evolved remains largely unknown. Floral micro-texture can provide tactile cues to insects, and increases in surface roughness by means of conical (papillose) epidermal cells may facilitate flower handling by landing insect pollinators. Whether flower microstructure correlates with pollination system remains unknown. Here, we investigate the floral epidermal microstructure in 29 (congeneric) species pairs with contrasting pollination system. We test whether flowers pollinated by bees and/or flies feature more structured, rougher surfaces than flowers pollinated by non-landing moths or birds and flowers that self-pollinate. In contrast with earlier studies, we find no correlation between epidermal microstructure and pollination system. The shape, cell height and roughness of floral epidermal cells varies among species, but is not correlated with pollinators at large. Intriguingly, however, we find that the upper (adaxial) flower surface that surrounds the reproductive organs and often constitutes the floral display is markedly more structured than the lower (abaxial) surface. We thus conclude that conical epidermal cells probably play a role in plant reproduction other than providing grip or tactile cues, such as increasing hydrophobicity or enhancing the visual signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Kraaij
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenthe Netherlands
| | - C. J. van der Kooi
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenthe Netherlands
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Vandelook F, Janssens SB, Gijbels P, Fischer E, Van den Ende W, Honnay O, Abrahamczyk S. Nectar traits differ between pollination syndromes in Balsaminaceae. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 124:269-279. [PMID: 31120478 PMCID: PMC6758581 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The attractiveness of nectar rewards depends both on the quantity of nectar produced and on its chemical composition. It is known that nectar quantity and chemical composition can differ in plant species depending on the main pollinator associated with the species. The main aims of this study were to test formally whether nectar traits are adapted to pollination syndromes in the speciose Balsaminaceae and, if so, whether a combination of nectar traits mirrors pollination syndromes. METHODS Comparative methods based on Ornstein-Uhlenbeck models were used to test whether nectar volume, nectar sucrose proportion, sugar and amino acid concentration and amino acid composition had evolved as a function of pollination syndromes in 57 species of Balsaminaceae. Cluster analysis and ordination were performed to derive clusters of species resembling each other in nectar composition. KEY RESULTS Evolutionary models for nectar volume and nectar sucrose proportion performed best when including information on pollination syndrome, while including such information improve model fit neither for sugar and amino acid concentration nor for amino acid composition. A significant relationship emerged between pollination syndrome and the combined nectar traits. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that nectar volume and nectar sucrose proportion evolve rapidly towards optimal values associated with different pollination syndromes. The detection of a signal indicating that nectar traits in combination are to a certain extent able to predict pollination syndromes in Balsaminaceae suggests that a holistic approach including the whole set of nectar traits helps us to better understand evolution of nectar composition in response to pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - S B Janssens
- Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium
- Laboratory for Plant Conservation and Population Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - P Gijbels
- Laboratory for Plant Conservation and Population Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - E Fischer
- Institut für Integrierte Naturwissenschaften – Biologie, Universität Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, Germany
| | - W Van den Ende
- Laboratory for Molecular Plant Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - O Honnay
- Laboratory for Plant Conservation and Population Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - S Abrahamczyk
- Nees-Institute for Biodiversity of Plants, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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