scholarly journals Reduced visitation to the buzz-pollinated Cyanella hyacinthoides in the presence of other pollen sources in the hyperdiverse Cape Floristic Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurene E Kemp ◽  
Francismeire J Telles ◽  
Mario Vallejo-Marin
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Flower Colour ◽  
Cape Floristic Region ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Visitation Rates ◽  
Competitive Disadvantage ◽  
Pollen Sources ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Time And Energy ◽  
Poricidal Anthers

Many plant species have floral morphologies that restrict access to floral resources, such as pollen or nectar, and only a subset of floral visitors can perform the complex handling behaviours required to extract restricted resources. Due to the time and energy required to extract resources from morphologically complex flowers, these plant species potentially compete for pollinators with co-flowering plants that have more easily accessible resources. A widespread floral mechanism restricting access to pollen is the presence of tubular anthers that open through small pores or slits (poricidal anthers). Some bees have evolved the capacity to remove pollen from poricidal anthers using vibrations, giving rise to the phenomenon of buzz-pollination. These bee vibrations that are produced for pollen extraction are presumably energetically costly, and to date, few studies have investigated whether buzz-pollinated flowers may be at a disadvantage when competing for pollinators' attention with plant species that present unrestricted pollen resources. Here, we studied Cyanella hyacinthoides (Tecophilaeaceae), a geophyte with poricidal anthers in the hyperdiverse Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, to assess how the composition and relative abundance of flowers with easily accessible pollen affect bee visitation to a buzz-pollinated plant. We found that the number of pollinator species was not influenced by community composition. However, visitation rates to C. hyacinthoides were negatively related to the abundance of flowers with more accessible resources. Visitation rates were strongly associated with petal colour, showing that flower colour is important in mediating these interactions. We conclude that buzz-pollinated plants might be at a competitive disadvantage when many easily accessible pollen sources are available, particularly when competitor species share its floral signals.

scholarly journals Crab spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae) in flowering plants in a Brazilian "Cerrado" ecosystem

2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
LC Rocha-Filho ◽  
IMP Rinaldi
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Pollination Syndrome ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Flowering Plant Species ◽  
Crab Spiders ◽  
Poricidal Anthers

Although crab spiders are common in flowering plants, their relations with plant species and its floral traits have been poorly known in the Neotropics. Observations regarding plant habits, floral visitors and also floral characteristics such as anthesis, odour, shape, colour and floral resources were recorded in flowering plant species of an area of "Cerrado" on a 2 km long trail. Misumenops argenteus and Misumenops pallens accounted for 62.86% of the spiders captured on 22 flowering plant species. The plants Senna rugosa (Fabaceae), Styrax ferrugineus (Styracaceae) and Banisteriopsis campestris (Malpighiaceae), hosted, each one, about 10 to 17% of the total spiders collected and these plants had diurnal anthesis, bee-attractive flower colours such as yellow (S. rugosa), white (S. ferrugineus), and pink (B. campestris), poricidal anthers as well as being visited by bees which evidenced bee-pollination syndrome. This study is the first survey regarding crab spiders and their associations with plant species of the "Cerrado".

scholarly journals Floral resource-landscapes and pollinator-mediated interactions in plant communities

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henning Nottebrock ◽  
Baptiste Schmid ◽  
Katharina Mayer ◽  
Céline Devaux ◽  
Karen J. Esler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Allee Effects ◽  
Common Currency ◽  
Visitation Rates ◽  
Nectar Sugar ◽  
Floral Resource

Plant communities provide floral resource-landscapes for pollinators. Yet, it is insufficiently understood how these landscapes shape pollinator-mediated interactions among multiple plant species. Here, we study how pollinators and the seed set of plants respond to the distribution of a floral resource (nectar sugar) in space and across plant species, inflorescences and flowering phenologies. In a global biodiversity hotspot, we quantified floral resource-landscapes on 27 sites of 4 ha comprising 127,993 shrubs of 19 species. Visitation rates of key bird pollinators strongly depended on the phenology of site-scale resource amounts. Seed set of focal plants increased with resources of conspecific neighbours and with site-scale resources, notably with heterospecific resources of lower quality (less sugar per inflorescence). Floral resources are thus a common currency determining how multiple plant species interact via pollinators. These interactions may alter conditions for species coexistence in plant communities and cause community-level Allee effects that promote extinction cascades.

scholarly journals Riqueza y estabilidad de los polinizadores de los cirios (Fouquieria columnaris) del desierto sonorense: Un análisis comparativo

2017 ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Gary Paul Nabhan ◽  
Jim Donovan ◽  
Stephen Buchmann ◽  
Alberto Búrquez
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Baja California ◽  
Climatic Variation ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Marginal Population ◽  
The Past ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Floral Syndrome

The floral visitors of the boojum tree [Fouquieria columnaris (Kellogg) Kellogg ex Curran] in the Sierra Bacha, Sonora were studied and compared with Humphrey's data collected 30 years ago. The boojum, a species protected by CITES, has a distribution restricted to Baja California and the Sierra Bacha, Sonora. In the later locality, the richness of the pollinator guild -including 18 species of bees, several arthropods and one hummingbird species- is higher than any of the sites studied by Humphrey in Baja California. This disjunct population apparently does not exhibit ecological interactions characteristic of a marginal population supporting the hypothesis of a broader continental distribution of boojum in the past. Its pollinator guild is clearly dominated by polylectic bees, generalists that depend on asynchronous flowering of other plant species offering nectar and pollen resources in this hyperarid landscape. It appears that the stability of this pollinator guild is limited by the large climatic variation between years in the Sierra Bacha, and its effect on the production of floral resources year by year. Although the flowers do not conform to the ornithophyllous floral syndrome of other memebers of the genus, "trap-lining" by hummingbirds -repeated visits of widely-spaced flowering trees- was observed in this population.

scholarly journals Honeybee Floral Resources in Southwestern Nigeria

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abel Adebayo Ayansola ◽  
Banjo Adedoyin Davies
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Flowering Period ◽  
Southwestern Nigeria ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
Visitation Rates

Every beekeeper is expected to be familiar with the bee floral resources near/ or around his/her apiary for successful beekeeping operation. Understanding the major nectar and pollen producing plants and their flowering period is of great advantage to maximise the efficiency of the bees. Regrettably however, there is dearth of information on floral resources of honeybees in southwestern Nigeria. This study investigated the food-plants of honeybees (Apis mellifera andasonii) in the rainforest and derived savannah zones of southwestern Nigeria between April 2009 and March 2011. Forty nine species of melliferous plants belonging to different families were recorded. The flowering period of each plant species differs from one another. However, there was no month in the year that a plant was not in flower. Differences in bee visitation rates to each plant species were observed. Bee flowering calendar was prepared with the intensity of bee visitation rates. The ethno-medicinal uses of the bee-plants were also documented.

scholarly journals Potential pollinators of Comolia ovalifolia DC Triana (Melastomataceae) and Chamaecrista ramosa (Vog.) H.S. Irwin and Barneby var. ramosa (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae), in restinga, Bahia, Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Oliveira-Rebouças ◽  
M. Gimenes
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Pollen Transfer ◽  
Tropical Plant ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Poricidal Anthers

Comolia ovalifolia DC Triana (Melastomataceae) and Chamaecrista ramosa (Vog.) H.S. Irwin and Barneby var. ramosa (Leguminosae - Caesalpinioideae) are tropical plant species found in restinga (herbaceous-shrubby, sandy costal ecosystems). They have flowers with poricidal anthers and are pollinated by bees. The study sought to analyse potential pollinators of both plants during visits to their flowers in a restinga area in Bahia. The flowering displayed by both species was considered continuous and long duration, constantly providing pollen to floral visitors. C. ovalifolia was visited by 17 species of bees and C. ramosa by 16 species, predominantly from the Apidae family (with a similarity index of 74%). The behavior displayed by these visiting bees was of vibrating anthers. The small-sized Euglossa sp. Latreille, 1802 and Florilegus similis Urban, 1970 bees played less of a role as pollinators, since they rarely touched the flower stigma during harvests and were thus considered opportunist visitors or casual pollinators. Centris decolorata Lepetier, 1841 (= C. leprieuri) and Xylocopa subcyanea Perez, 1901 are large bees and were considered efficient pollinators of C. ovalifolia and C. ramosa because of the higher frequency and constancy of their visits, and their favourable behaviour and size for pollen transfer between flowers, which guarantees the survival of these native restinga plant species.

scholarly journals Altitudinally coordinated pattern of plant community structure in the Shivapuri National Park, Nepal

1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shalik Ram Sigdel
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
National Park ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Flower Colour ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Plant Community Structure ◽  
Closed Canopy

Study on plant community structure was undertaken in different altitudinal ranges of Shivapuri National Park. The general objective of this study is to analyse different plant community structure in Shivapuri National Park with regards to altitudinal variation. The forest was divided into three distinct altitudinal ranges on the basis of dominancy. In each altitudinal range standard quadrats method was applied for vegetation analysis. The highest number of species was found in site II. All the ecological parameters of the plant species were higher in site II except Basal Area of tree that was highest in site III. The pattern of distribution of plant species was not uniform according to altitude. At higher elevation, the forest was mature with almost closed canopy and trees were large; so the tree density was low. Species richness was highest in site II. Species diversity among tree and shrub species was higher in site I. But for herb species diversity was higher in site II for both seasons. Such type of variations may be due to nature of soil i.e. acidity, nutrient availability and other micro-climatic factors. The most noteworthy thing was that variation in flower colour of Rhododendron arboreum i.e. deep scarlet at low altitude, but it gradually changed into pinkish white as altitude increased. Key words: Altitude, Density, Plant community, Species diversity doi: 10.3126/banko.v18i1.2161 Banko Janakari, Vol. 18, No. 1, 11-17

scholarly journals Busy Bees: Variation in Insect Flower-Visiting Rates across Multiple Plant Species

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret J. Couvillon ◽  
Chandra M. Walter ◽  
Eluned M. Blows ◽  
Tomer J. Czaczkes ◽  
Karin L. Alton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
The Other ◽  
Insect Diversity ◽  
Visitation Rates ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Flower Visiting

We quantified insect visitation rates by counting how many flowers/inflorescences were probed per unit time for five plant species (four native and one garden: California lilac, bramble, ragwort, wild marjoram, and ivy) growing in Sussex, United Kingdom, by following individual insects (n=2987) from nine functional groups (honey bees (Apis mellifera), bumble bees (Bombusspp.), hoverflies, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps, non-Apidae bees, and moths). Additionally, we made a census of the insect diversity on the studied plant species. Overall we found that insect groups differed greatly in their rate of flower visits (P<2.2e-16), with bumble bees and honey bees visiting significantly more flowers per time (11.5 and 9.2 flowers/minute, resp.) than the other insect groups. Additionally, we report on a within-group difference in the non-Apidae bees, where the genusOsmia, which is often suggested as an alternative to honey bees as a managed pollinator, was very speedy (13.4 flowers/minute) compared to the other non-Apidae bees (4.3 flowers/minute). Our census showed that the plants attracted a range of insects, with the honey bee as the most abundant visitor (34%). Therefore, rate differences cannot be explained by particular specializations. Lastly, we discuss potential implications of our conclusions for pollination.

scholarly journals Flowers visited by hummingbirds in an urban Cerrado fragment, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waldemar Guimarães Barbosa-Filho ◽  
Andréa Cardoso de Araujo
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Cerrado Vegetation ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Floral Form ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Mato Grosso Do Sul ◽  
Number Of Plant Species

Hummingbirds are the main vertebrate pollinators in the Neotropics, but little is known about the interactions between hummingbirds and flowers in areas of Cerrado. This paper aims to describe the interactions between flowering plants (ornithophilous and non-ornithophilous species) and hummingbirds in an urban Cerrado remnant. For this purpose, we investigated which plant species are visited by hummingbirds, which hummingbird species occur in the area, their visiting frequency and behavior, their role as legitimate or illegitimate visitors, as well as the number of agonistic interactions among these visitors. Sampling was conducted throughout 18 months along a track located in an urban fragment of Cerrado vegetation in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. We found 15 species of plants visited by seven species of hummingbirds. The main habit for ornithophilous species was herbaceous, with the predominance of Bromeliaceae; among non-ornithophilous most species were trees from the families Vochysiaceae and Malvaceae. Hylocharis chrysura was the hummingbird that visited the largest number of plant species and also attended the greater number of agonistic events. The high proportion (66.7%) of non-ornithophilous species visited by hummingbirds in the present study was similar to that found in other communities analyzed in Brazil. The fact that ornithophilous species in the area does not offer resources continuously throughout the year should induce hummingbirds to search for alternative resources, and contribute to the high proportion of non-ornithophilous species visited. In general, the floral form was not a barrier to floral visits by hummingbirds, although morphological characteristics of flowers from some plant species may be restrictive. Tabebuia aurea, for example, presents flowers with long corollas, hindering the access to floral resources by the pollinators, what may favor the occurrence of illegitimate visits by hummingbirds. Despite of being a small fragment of Cerrado vegetation, the studied remnant can be considered an important refuge, sheltering a great richness of hummingbird species comparable to several forested areas in Brazil.

scholarly journals Botanical profile of bee pollen from the southern coastal region of Bahia, Brazil

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 862-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos da Costa Dórea ◽  
Jaílson Santos de Novais ◽  
Francisco de Assis Ribeiro dos Santos
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Botanical Origin ◽  
Mimosa Pudica ◽  
Bee Pollen ◽  
Pollen Loads ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Pollen Sources ◽  
Forest Biome

This paper aims to identify the botanical origin of pollen loads collected by Apis mellifera L. in Canavieiras municipality, Bahia state. It provides a list of polliniferous plant species from the Atlantic Forest biome that are important for the development of regional apiculture. Using the acetolysis method, 35 bee-pollen samples were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Results showed that pollen types Elaeis (23.99%), Mimosa pudica (22.78%) and Cecropia (13.68%) were the most abundant among the samples. These also showed the highest relative frequencies of the material studied and were important pollen sources for bees in the study area.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document