Mutualisms and (A)symmetry in Plant–Pollinator Interactions

Kooi, Casper J. van der; Vallejo-Marin, Mario; Leonhardt, Sara D.

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.020

Cited by 79 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 102 publications

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“…In contrast to our prediction, the largest volume of nectar was found in the Ca accession (Supplementary Figure 1); however, this nectar was also the most diluted (Haverkamp et al, 2018), which might make these flowers less attractive to nectar-robbing carpenter bees, which often damage flowers during foraging (Kessler et al, 2008). Besides sugars, secondary metabolites are often found in floral nectar and have been argued as a mechanism to exclude unwanted flower visitors (van der Kooi et al, 2021). Nicotine is the most important defensive secondary metabolite in N. attenuata and is also found in the flower nectar; however, in a previous study, no differences in the nicotine concentration between N. attenuata accessions were found (Haverkamp et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 91%

Variation in Manduca sexta Pollination-Related Floral Traits and Reproduction in a Wild Tobacco Plant

Bing

Haverkamp

et al. 2021

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Most flowering plants depend on animal pollination for successful sexual reproduction. Floral signals such as color, shape, and odor are crucial in establishing this (often mutualistic) interaction. Plant and pollinator phenotypes can vary temporally but also spatially, thus creating mosaic-like patterns of local adaptations. Here, we investigated natural variation in floral morphology, flower volatile emission, and phenology in four accessions of a self-compatible wild tobacco, Nicotiana attenuata, to assess how these traits match the sensory perception of a known pollinator, the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. These accessions differ in floral traits and also in their habitat altitudes. Based on habitat temperatures, the accession occurring at the highest altitude (California) is less likely to be visited by M. sexta, while the others (Arizona, Utah 1, and Utah 2) are known to receive M. sexta pollinations. The accessions varied significantly in flower morphologies, volatile emissions, flower opening, and phenology, traits likely important for M. sexta perception and floral handling. In wind tunnel assays, we assessed the seed set of emasculated flowers after M. sexta visitation and of natural selfed and hand-pollinated selfed flowers. After moth visitations, plants of two accessions (Arizona and Utah 2) produced more capsules than the other two, consistent with predictions that accessions co-occurring with M. sexta would benefit more from the pollination services of this moth. We quantified flower and capsule production in four accessions in a glasshouse assay without pollinators to assess the potential for self-pollination. The two Utah accessions set significantly more seeds after pollen supplementation compared with those of autonomous selfing flowers, suggesting a greater opportunistic benefit from efficient pollinators than the other two. Moreover, emasculated flowers of the accession with the most exposed stigma (Utah 2) produced the greatest seed set after M. sexta visitation. This study reveals intraspecific variation in pollination syndromes that illuminate the potential of a plant species to adapt to local pollinator communities, changing environments, and altered pollination networks.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 91%

Variation in Manduca sexta Pollination-Related Floral Traits and Reproduction in a Wild Tobacco Plant

Bing

Haverkamp

et al. 2021

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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“…Intraspecific trait variation (provided that it is heritable) is the cornerstones of evolution, and studies on the mechanistic underpinnings and consequences of such variation are paramount in understanding trait evolution (van der Kooi et al, 2021b). Generally, yellow colors are generated by carotenoids, white flowers by flavonols, and blue, purple, and red colors by anthocyanin pigments.…”

Section: The Amount Of Pigment and Perspectives For Future Studies On Flower Colormentioning

confidence: 99%

How Much Pigment Should Flowers Have? Flowers With Moderate Pigmentation Have Highest Color Contrast

Kooi

2021

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Floral pigments are a core component of flower colors, but how much pigment a flower should have to yield a strong visual signal to pollinators is unknown. Using an optical model and taking white, blue, yellow and red flowers as case studies, I investigate how the amount of pigment determines a flower’s color contrast. Modeled reflectance spectra are interpreted using established insect color vision models. Contrast as a function of the amount of pigment shows a pattern of diminishing return. Low pigment amounts yield pale colors, intermediate amounts yield high contrast, and extreme amounts of pigment do not further increase, and sometimes even decrease, a flower’s color contrast. An intermediate amount of floral pigment thus yields the highest visibility, a finding that is corroborated by previous behavioral experiments on bees. The implications for studies on plant-pollinator signaling, intraspecific flower color variation and the costs of flower color are discussed.

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“…Although plants and pollinators rely upon one another for reproduction and food resources, respectively, the strategies used by each to maximize fitness are often at odds. Floral nectar, for example, is a carbohydrate-rich reward for pollinators, but functions to attract foragers and direct their activities in a way that benefits plants but not necessarily foragers (Pyke, 2016;van der Kooi et al, 2021). For instance, plants may produce many flowers, each with a small amount of nectar, to promote multiple visits, even though this may be less efficient for the pollinator (Belsare et al, 2009;Lichtenberg et al, 2020a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We argue here that a deeper exploration into the sensory and cognitive processes involved in nectar robbing is needed to gain insight into the ecological and evolutionary causes of the behavior, as well as its consequences for plants. Toward this end, we can appeal to a growing literature on sensory and cognitive ecology, including a substantial body of work focusing on pollinator behavior (Chittka and Thomson, 2001;Schiestl and Johnson, 2013;Baracchi, 2019;Lihoreau et al, 2019;van der Kooi et al, 2021). This work has made significant inroads into characterizing the mechanisms that govern decision-making by floral visitors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Sensory and Cognitive Ecology of Nectar Robbing

et al. 2021

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Animals foraging from flowers must assess their environment and make critical decisions about which patches, plants, and flowers to exploit to obtain limiting resources. The cognitive ecology of plant-pollinator interactions explores not only the complex nature of pollinator foraging behavior and decision making, but also how cognition shapes pollination and plant fitness. Floral visitors sometimes depart from what we think of as typical pollinator behavior and instead exploit floral resources by robbing nectar (bypassing the floral opening and instead consuming nectar through holes or perforations made in floral tissue). The impacts of nectar robbing on plant fitness are well-studied; however, there is considerably less understanding, from the animal’s perspective, about the cognitive processes underlying nectar robbing. Examining nectar robbing from the standpoint of animal cognition is important for understanding the evolution of this behavior and its ecological and evolutionary consequences. In this review, we draw on central concepts of foraging ecology and animal cognition to consider nectar robbing behavior either when individuals use robbing as their only foraging strategy or when they switch between robbing and legitimate foraging. We discuss sensory and cognitive biases, learning, and the role of a variable environment in making decisions about robbing vs. foraging legitimately. We also discuss ways in which an understanding of the cognitive processes involved in nectar robbing can address questions about how plant-robber interactions affect patterns of natural selection and floral evolution. We conclude by highlighting future research directions on the sensory and cognitive ecology of nectar robbing.

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Mutualisms and (A)symmetry in Plant–Pollinator Interactions

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Cited by 79 publications

References 102 publications

Variation in Manduca sexta Pollination-Related Floral Traits and Reproduction in a Wild Tobacco Plant

Variation in Manduca sexta Pollination-Related Floral Traits and Reproduction in a Wild Tobacco Plant

How Much Pigment Should Flowers Have? Flowers With Moderate Pigmentation Have Highest Color Contrast

The Sensory and Cognitive Ecology of Nectar Robbing

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