Floral display size, conspecific density and florivory affect fruit set in natural populations of Phlox hirsuta, an endangered species

Ruane, Lauren G.; Rotzin, Andrew T.; Congleton, Philip H.

doi:10.1093/aob/mcu007

Cited by 26 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…This was also reported in several other alpine plant species that suffered critical pollen limitation (e.g., Ranunculus acris L., Totland, 1994; Chaetanthera euphrasioides F. Meigen, Arroyo et al, 2006). In addition, the increase in synchronous blooming flowers within an inflorescence in high altitude populations formed a larger floral display, which may be beneficial for attracting pollinators (Benitez-Vieyra et al, 2006;Ruane et al, 2014). In P. siphonantha, corolla tube length decreased in higher altitudes compared to lower altitudes.…”

Section: Plasticity In Floral Traits and Mating Systemsupporting

confidence: 69%

“…Variations in mating system among populations should be attributed to the changes in pollination environments. In addition, the increase in synchronous blooming flowers within an inflorescence in high altitude populations formed a larger floral display, which may be beneficial for attracting pollinators (Benitez-Vieyra et al, 2006;Ruane et al, 2014). Our study revealed that plasticity in floral traits was adaptive in response to changes of pollination conditions as well as the mating system in P. siphonantha.…”

Section: Plasticity In Floral Traits and Mating Systemmentioning

confidence: 62%

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Pollen limitation, plasticity in floral traits, and mixed mating system in an alpine plant Pedicularis siphonantha (Orobanchaceae) from different altitudes

Kadiori

Wang

Yang

2017

J of Sytematics Evolution

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Plant mating systems rapidly respond to pollen limitation in changing environments. However, whether and how floral traits are involved in a mating system shift requires further investigation. A widely distributed and bumblebee‐pollinated lousewort, Pedicularis siphonantha D. Don was studied. We investigated pollination systems, reproductive success, and floral traits in four large populations growing from 3200 m to 4300 m. Pollinator activity in low altitude populations was lower and these populations had a decreased fruit set and seed number per capsule compared to populations at high altitudes. Supplemental hand pollination with outcross pollen significantly increased seed production per capsule for plants from high altitudes but not for those from lower altitudes. We also found that bumblebees visited more flowers within an inflorescence in a single foraging bout in high altitudes compared with low altitudes, which caused a high possibility of geitonogamous mating. These differences may be pollination‐dependent rather than inheritance‐based because hand pollination on bagged flowers did not cause a difference in seed production across populations. Compared to plants from low altitudes, high‐altitude plants had increased flower longevity, larger floral displays, higher pollen production per flower, and shorter corolla tubes, which were found to be well in accordance with changes in both pollination environment and mating system. Plasticity in floral traits might help plants to adjust their resource allocation strategies in response to their habitat, which might be linked with pollination environment. The variability among these populations might be beneficial for this widely distributed species to cope with environmental changes.

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Section: Plasticity In Floral Traits and Mating Systemsupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Plasticity In Floral Traits and Mating Systemmentioning

confidence: 62%

Pollen limitation, plasticity in floral traits, and mixed mating system in an alpine plant Pedicularis siphonantha (Orobanchaceae) from different altitudes

Kadiori

Wang

Yang

2017

J of Sytematics Evolution

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“…Plot density and floral display size interacted to influence fruit set. In other studies, the effect of local density of conspecifics on pollinator visitation (Grindeland et al 2005, Jing et al 2013, Weber and Kolb 2013 and fruit set (Ruane et al 2014, Henneresse et al 2017 has also been reported to be contingent upon floral display size. According to the results of Henneresse et al (2017), we expected fruit set to be positively correlated with floral display size in lowdensity plots.…”

Section: Fruit Set and Pollinator Abundance And Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 85%

Do local conspecific density and floral display size influence fruit set via pollinator visitation in Orchis militaris?

Henneresse

Kaiser

Wesselingh

et al. 2019

Nordic Journal of Botany

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Plant density varies naturally, from isolated plants to clumped individuals, and this can influence pollinator foraging behaviour and plant reproductive success. In addition, the effect of conspecific density on reproduction may depend on the pollination system, and deceptive species differ from rewarding ones in this regard, a high density being often associated with low fruit set in deceptive plants. In our study, we aimed to determine how local conspecific density and floral display size (i.e. number of flowers per plant) affect fruit set in a deceptive orchid (Orchis militaris) through changes in pollinator visitation. We measured fruit set in a natural population and recorded pollinator abundance and foraging behaviour within plots of different O. militaris densities. Detailed data were recorded for the most abundant potential pollinators of O. militaris, i.e. solitary bees. Floral display size was negatively correlated to fruit set in medium‐density plots, but uncorrelated in low‐ and high‐density plots. Plot density had no effect on solitary bee abundance and visitation, which may be due to low pollinator abundance within the study site. The proportion of visited flowers per inflorescence was negatively influenced by floral display size, which is in line with previous studies. In addition, solitary bees spent decreasing time in successive flowers within an inflorescence, and the time spent per flower was negatively affected by ambient temperature. Our results suggest that pollinator behaviour during visitation is poorly linked to pollen deposition and reproductive success in O. militaris.

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“…In accordance to our expectations, the overall incidence of antagonists mostly reduced female fitness in relation to pollinators. The negative effects of florivores and nectar-robbers on female fitness components have been broadly reported (e.g., Schemske & Horvitz 1988, Irwin & Brody 1998, Castro et al 2008, Ruane et al 2014, Irwin et al 2015. Otherwise, it would be interesting to discern direct from indirect effects of floral antagonists, especially by nectar-robbers, on reproductive…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…producing holes in flowers to remove nectar (Inouye 1980, Irwin et al 2001. Increased attractiveness to pollinators by means of a higher number or size of flowers displayed intensifies florivore (Galen 1999, Teixido et al 2011, Ruane et al 2014 and nectarrobber incidence (Irwin & Brody 1998, Irwin 2006, Lobo et al 2016. The total outcome of nectar-robbers and florivores, including direct and indirect effects (respectively, damage to floral reproductive organs and changes in pollination derived from decreasing attractiveness or nectar availability) can strongly affect plant fitness by reducing reproductive output (e.g., Schemske & Horvitz 1988, Irwin et al 2001, Castro et al 2008, Carper et al 2016.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Floral antagonists counteract pollinator‐mediated selection on attractiveness traits in the hummingbird‐pollinatedCollaea cipoensis(Fabaceae)

et al. 2018

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Pollinator‐mediated selection toward larger and abundant flowers is common in naturally pollen‐limited populations. However, floral antagonists may counteract this effect, maintaining smaller‐ and few‐flowered individuals within populations. We quantified pollinator and antagonist visit rates and determined a multiplicative female fitness component from attacked and non‐attacked flowers of the Brazilian hummingbird‐pollinated shrub Collaea cipoensis to determine the selective effects of pollinators and floral antagonists on flower size and number. We predicted that floral antagonists reduce the female fitness component and thus exert negative selective pressures on flower size and number, counteracting the positive effects of pollinators. Pollinators, mainly hummingbirds, comprised 4% of total floral visitation, whereas antagonist ants and bees accounted for 90% of visitation. Nectar‐robbers involved about 99% of floral antagonist visit rates, whereas florivores comprised the remaining 1%. Larger and abundant flowers increased both pollinator and antagonist visit rates and the female fitness component significantly decreased in flowers attacked by nectar‐robbers and florivores in comparison to non‐attacked flowers. We detected that pollinators favored larger‐ and many‐flowered individuals, whereas floral antagonists exerted negative selection on flower size and number. This study confirms that floral antagonists reduce female plant fitness and this pattern directly exerts negative selective pressures on flower size and number, counteracting pollinator‐mediated selection on floral attractiveness traits.

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Floral display size, conspecific density and florivory affect fruit set in natural populations of Phlox hirsuta, an endangered species

Abstract: The results indicate that seed production in P. hirsuta can be maximized by selectively augmenting populations in areas containing isolated large plants, by reducing the population sizes of florivorous beetles and by excluding mammals that consume unripe fruits.

Cited by 26 publications

References 86 publications

Pollen limitation, plasticity in floral traits, and mixed mating system in an alpine plant Pedicularis siphonantha (Orobanchaceae) from different altitudes

Pollen limitation, plasticity in floral traits, and mixed mating system in an alpine plant Pedicularis siphonantha (Orobanchaceae) from different altitudes

Do local conspecific density and floral display size influence fruit set via pollinator visitation in Orchis militaris?

Floral antagonists counteract pollinator‐mediated selection on attractiveness traits in the hummingbird‐pollinatedCollaea cipoensis(Fabaceae)

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