The effects of floral display on pollinator visitation vary among populations ofPhacelia linearis (Hydrophyllaceae)

1991 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 370-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent M. Eckhart
Keyword(s):  
Floral Display ◽  
Pollinator Visitation

scholarly journals Sexual dimorphism in the dioecious monocot Lomandra leucocephala ssp. robusta and its potential ecosystem and conservation significance

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 275
Author(s):  
Jenna T. Draper ◽  
John G. Conran ◽  
Nicholas Crouch ◽  
Philip Weinstein ◽  
Bradley S. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Floral Display ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Glucose Content ◽  
Sexual Dimorphisms ◽  
Flowering Periods ◽  
Generalist Pollination

Dioecious plants constitute 7% of all angiosperm species, yet they occur in many habitat types, partially through the deployment of sexual dimorphisms that assist in reproduction. In the present work, the dioecious monocot Lomandra leucocephala ssp. robusta (Asparagaceae: Lomandroideae) was studied to understand how sexual dimorphisms can assist species conservation and inform us of a species’ potential significance in an ecosystem. Floral display was sexually dimorphic, as male inflorescences were displayed more prominently and more conspicuously in UV range. Male nectar analysed by thin-layer chromatography contained a higher glucose content than female nectar. However, both sexes contained hexose-rich nectar, a common indicator of generalist pollination, which was supported by observations of floral visitors. Floral extract comparison conducted via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that male extracts contained more compounds that potentially convey greater resistance to biotic and abiotic threats. Chemical comparison of leaves by high performance liquid chromatography with peak area ratio analysis revealed this technique could be used as a tool for gender identification of individuals during non-flowering periods. Due to the generalist pollination mechanisms of L. leucocephala ssp. robusta, may have an important role in the conservation and support of local insect populations. The presence of chemical biotic and abiotic resistance may also make L. leucocephala ssp. robusta a significant contributor to the ongoing stabilisation of the sand dunes. Conservation efforts required for L. leucocephala ssp. robusta are likely to be minimal, as pollination services are provided by a diversity of pollinating taxa, including introduced species, which will be abundant regardless of variable flowering periods. Further observational study of L. leucocephala ssp. robusta pollinators and differences in pollinator visitation behaviours between sexes is recommended to better understand efficient pollination for the species, and potentially reveal a greater extent of ecosystem benefit for this species.

scholarly journals Pollination intensity and paternity in flowering plants

2019 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy A Christopher ◽  
Randall J Mitchell ◽  
Jeffrey D Karron
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Pollen Limitation ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Plant Evolution ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Floral Display ◽  
Heritable Variation ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Pollination Success ◽  
Siring Success

Abstract Background Siring success plays a key role in plant evolution and reproductive ecology, and variation among individuals creates an opportunity for selection to act. Differences in male reproductive success can be caused by processes that occur during two stages, the pollination and post-pollination phases of reproduction. In the pollination phase, heritable variation in floral traits and floral display affect pollinator visitation patterns, which in turn affect variation among plants in the amount of pollen exported and deposited on recipient stigmas. In the post-pollination phase, differences among individuals in pollen grain germination success and pollen tube growth may cause realized paternity to differ from patterns of pollen receipt. The maternal plant can also preferentially provision some developing seeds or fruits to further alter variation in siring success. Scope In this review, we describe studies that advance our understanding of the dynamics of the pollination and post-pollination phases, focusing on how variation in male fitness changes in response to pollen limitation. We then explore the interplay between pollination and post-pollination success, and how these processes respond to ecological factors such as pollination intensity. We also identify pressing questions at the intersection of pollination and paternity and describe novel experimental approaches to elucidate the relative importance of pollination and post-pollination factors in determining male reproductive success. Conclusions The relative contribution of pollination and post-pollination processes to variation in male reproductive success may not be constant, but rather may vary with pollination intensity. Studies that quantify the effects of pollination and post-pollination phases in concert will be especially valuable as they will enable researchers to more fully understand the ecological conditions influencing male reproductive success.

scholarly journals Selfing rates vary with floral display, pollinator visitation and plant density in natural populations of Mimulus ringens

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy A. Christopher ◽  
Jeffrey D. Karron ◽  
Wendy R. Semski ◽  
Patrick A. Smallwood ◽  
Dorset W. Trapnell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Density ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Floral Display ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Mimulus Ringens

scholarly journals Below-ground competition alters attractiveness of an insect-pollinated plant to pollinators

AoB Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Floriane Flacher ◽  
Xavier Raynaud ◽  
Amandine Hansart ◽  
Benoît Geslin ◽  
Eric Motard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Interactions ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Floral Display ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Flowering Season ◽  
Plant Fecundity ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Plant Level ◽  
Set Up

Abstract Competitive interactions between plants can affect patterns of allocation to reproductive structures through modulation of resource availability. As floral traits involved in plant attractiveness to pollinators can be sensitive to these resources, competition with any neighbouring species may influence the attractiveness of insect-pollinated plants. While pollination research has primarily focused on above-ground interactions, this study aims at investigating if the presence of a competitor plant can modulate neighbouring insect-pollinated plant attractiveness to pollinators and resulting fecundity, especially through below-ground competitive interactions for soil resources. We set up a plot experiment in which we grew an insect-pollinated plant, Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae), in a mixture dominated by a wind-pollinated plant, Holcus lanatus (Poaceae). Individuals of S. alba were either subjected to or isolated from (with buried tubes in the soil) below-ground competition. Across the flowering season, floral traits involved in attractiveness of S. alba and pollinator visitation were followed at the plot and plant level to investigate different scales of attractiveness. At the end of the experiment, seeds were harvested to assess plant fecundity. Competition had a significant negative effect on plot and plant floral display size as well as flower size while nectar traits were not affected. When plants of S. alba were in competition, the time to first visit was altered: the proportion of plots that received a visit was smaller for a given time; in other words, it took more time for a given proportion of plots to be visited and some plots were even never visited. Moreover, pollinators made fewer visits per plots. The proportion of viable seeds produced by S. alba in competition was lower and probably linked to the competition itself rather than changes in pollinator visitation. This study suggests that competitive interactions between plants can modulate pollination interactions even when competing plant species are not insect-pollinated.

REGULATION OF GENDER AND FLOWERING BEHAVIOR IN A SEXUALLY DIMORPHIC DESERT SHRUB (OCHRADENUS BACCATUS DELILE [RESEDACEAE])

1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorne M. Wolfe ◽  
Avi Shmida
Keyword(s):  
Plant Size ◽  
Sex Expression ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Desert Plant ◽  
Floral Display ◽  
Flowering Pattern ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Gender Variation ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Highly Correlated

The major goal of this study was to examine patterns of gender variation in Ochradenus baccatus, a shrub found in the Judean Desert and Arava Valley of Israel, whose breeding system was previously considered dioecious (separate male and female individuals). We conducted detailed measurements on 150 marked plants over two years to (1) quantitatively describe the variation in sex expression and elucidate the factors responsible for gender variation in males, (2) determine the role of plant size in regulating the flowering behavior through the year, and (3) document pollinator visitation to males and females. The variability in sex expression differed between males and females. Females only reproduced by seed. In contrast, gender in males was extremely variable: 35% of males reproduced only by pollen donation (pure males) and 65% produced pollen and varying amounts of fruit and seeds (inconstant males). The ability to produce fruit was highly correlated with individual plant size. Inconstant males were significantly larger than pure males. Individual plant size also determined the flowering pattern through the year. Unlike most other desert plant species that typically flower after the winter rains, large O. baccatus plants flowered all year. Small plants, regardless of sex, flowered only during the winter months. The flowers of O. baccatus were visited by a diverse suite of insects including wasps, bees, ants, beetles, flies, and butterflies. Perhaps owing to the greater attractiveness of the floral display of males (due to the presence of yellow pollen), males were visited by many more insects than females. Over four observation days, 526 insects were counted on male plants compared to only 39 on females.

scholarly journals The influence of Mimulus ringens floral display size on pollinator visitation patterns

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Mitchell ◽  
J. D. Karron ◽  
K. G. Holmquist ◽  
J. M. Bell
Keyword(s):  
Display Size ◽  
Floral Display ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Floral Display Size ◽  
Mimulus Ringens
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