scholarly journals Bimodal pollination system in rare endemic Oncocyclus irises (Iridaceae) of Lebanon

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (8) ◽  
pp. 1327-1338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud Monty ◽  
Layla Saad ◽  
Grégory Mahy
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Load ◽  
Pollination System ◽  
Visitation Rates ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Potential Adaptation ◽  
Night And Day ◽  
Pollination Systems ◽  
Rare Endemic ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Principal Advantage

Pollination systems based on indirect rewards, such as heat and shelter, have seldom been studied. Plant–pollinator interactions were characterized in Iris cedretii Dinsmore ex Chaudhary and Iris sofarana subsp. kasruwana Dinsmore ex Chaudhary, rare endemic Lebanese Oncocyclus irises exhibiting potential adaptation to shelter pollination. Despite a diversity of floral visitors (47 species), only two groups of Anthophoridae male bees ( Xylocopa spp. and Eucera spp.) could be considered as efficient pollinators on the basis of frequency of visits, visiting behaviour, and pollen load. Lebanese Oncocyclus irises showed a bimodal pollination system with (1) diurnal visits at low rates but with potentially large pollen transfers by Xylocopa bees, exhibiting a foraging-like behaviour, principally during warm periods of the day and (2) sheltering, especially Eucera male bees, during night and day when the weather is changeable. Refuge occurrence in flowers was more important during the night (27%) than during the day (12%) and, for daytime, during cloudy or windy than sunny conditions. It also varied depending on the exposure of floral tunnels. Visitation rates of both day-visiting Xylocopa and night-sheltering Eucera were negatively associated with an increase of the number of flowers per clump. No experimental evidence was found showing that the principal advantage for male bees to shelter in Iris flowers was to fly earlier in the morning.

scholarly journals Pollination biology of Agave horrida (Agavaceae) in the Chichinautzin mountain range, in Central Mexico”

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnoldo Flores-Torres ◽  
Andrea Galindo-Escamilla
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Floral Biology ◽  
Central Mexico ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Nectar Production ◽  
Pollination System ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Exclusion Experiments ◽  
Pollination Systems ◽  
Leptonycteris Nivalis

<p><strong>Background:</strong> the predictability of nectarivorous bats and their greater fecundity efficiency promote specialized pollination systems in columnar cactus in central Mexico. Some authors have suggested the same pollination pattern for <em>Agave</em> genus, and even when recent meta-analysis does not find such pattern, they have suggested this could be due to the lack of descriptive studies of pollination for this genus.</p><p><strong>Hypothesis:</strong> according to the chiropterophily syndrome of its flowers, the most efficient pollinator of <em>Agave horrida</em> will be nectarivorous bats leading to a pollination system with a specialist tendency in this agave species.</p><p><strong>Studied species:</strong><em> Agave horrida </em>and floral visitors.</p><p><strong>Study site and years of study: </strong>lava<strong> </strong>field of the Chichinautzin mountain range, in Morelos State in Central Mexico in 2005.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> we studied the floral biology of <em>A. horrida</em>, its floral offer (density of flowers in a given area), visitor rate, and visitor abundance, and conducted exclusion experiments for diurnal and nocturnal visitors.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> <em>A. horrida </em>has protandric flowers with chiropterophilous characteristics (larger nectar production at night and nocturnal anther dehiscence and stigma receptivity). Nectarivorous bats were the most frequent flower visitors and the guild that most frequently presented pollen on their bodies. Pollinator exclusion experiments show that both birds and bats can successfully pollinate <em>A. horrida</em>.  Nevertheless, the predictability and abundance of the nectarivorous bat <em>Leptonycteris nivalis</em>, along with the greater fruit and seed production than birds, makes it the most efficient pollinator.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> our results support the hypothesis of a specialized pollination system towards nectarivorous bats in agaves in central Mexico.</p>

Generalised pollination system of Erythrina dominguezii (Fabaceae : Papilionoideae) involving hummingbirds, passerines and bees

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángela V. Etcheverry ◽  
Dulce Figueroa-Castro ◽  
Trinidad Figueroa-Fleming ◽  
María M. Alemán ◽  
Víctor D. Juárez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Floral Morphology ◽  
Pollen Deposition ◽  
Pollination System ◽  
Phylogenetic Studies ◽  
Visitation Rates ◽  
Hummingbird Pollination ◽  
Basal Clade ◽  
Nectar Sugar ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Intermediate Value

Plants in the genus Erythrina are pollinated by birds, such that passerine pollination is the plesiomorphic state, whereas hummingbird pollination is the derived character. Phylogenetic studies suggest that Erythrina dominguezii belongs to a basal clade characterised as pollinated by both passerines and hummingbirds. Here, we characterise the pollination system of E. dominguezii. Floral morphology, nectar traits, breeding system, visitation rates and pollen deposition by its floral visitors were studied. Floral morphology of E. dominguezii showed traits associated with both passerine and hummingbird pollination. Nectar sugar concentration showed an intermediate value but closer to the hummingbird type; however, it was rich in hexose, which is typical of the passerine type. Approximately 5% of the flowers set fruits under free pollination. Almost 80% of recorded flowers were visited by birds, with the rest visited by hymenopterans (bumblebees and honeybees). Among avian pollinators, five species of hummingbirds and three passerine species were identified as pollinators. The hummingbird Chlorostilbon lucidus was the most efficient visitor in terms of pollen deposition and was second in frequency of visits. The passerine Icterus cayanensis was second in efficiency at depositing pollen and was the most frequent pollinator. Our results show that E. dominguezii has a generalised pollination system. In addition, we report a new case of closed flowers and secondary nectar presentation. This is the first study that compares effectiveness among different pollinators in Erythrina.

scholarly journals Nocturnal and diurnal pollination in Copaifera coriacea, a dominant species in sand dunes of the Middle São Francisco River Basin, Northeastern Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 154 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-216
Author(s):  
Isys Mascarenhas Souza ◽  
Frederic Mendes Hughes ◽  
Ligia Silveira Funch ◽  
Luciano Paganucci de Queiroz
Keyword(s):  
Uv Light ◽  
Pollen Viability ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Stigma Receptivity ◽  
Flower Opening ◽  
Pollination System ◽  
Floral Visitors

Background and aims – Copaifera coriacea, a species in the resin-producing clade Detarioideae (Leguminosae), is an endemic and abundant species found in sand dunes in Brazilian Caatinga domain vegetation – a Quaternary paleodesert. We investigated floral traits and aspects of pollination biology, focusing on the pollination system of C. coriacea. Material and methods – Anthesis duration, stigma receptivity, pollen viability, nectar concentration, and the presence of osmophores and pigments reflecting UV light were assessed. Floral visitors were classified as potential pollinators, occasional pollinators or thieves, based on the time and foraging behaviour and resource collected. Pollination effectiveness were assessed for potential pollinators by the detection of pollen tubes on the stigma or stylar canal by epifluorescence microscopy.Key results – The species has white and small flowers, with anthesis beginning in the dark (ca 00:30) and the flowers are completely opened approximately 3 h later, when a sweet odour is perceptible. The onset of stigma receptivity and pollen grain viability occurs only after the completion of flower opening, and a concentrated nectar is available during the day. The presence of pollen tubes confirmed the efficiency of the main insects in the transfer of pollen. Conclusion – Our result demonstrates that C. coriacea has a generalist pollination system mediated mainly by two distinct guilds of insect pollinators: moths (nocturnal, searching for nectar) and bees (diurnal, pollen collectors). This finding can provide more information about diversification in the genus Copaifera.

scholarly journals Pollination by nectar-foraging thynnine wasps in the endangered Caladenia arenaria and Caladenia concolor (Orchidaceae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (7) ◽  
pp. 490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noushka Reiter ◽  
Björn Bohman ◽  
Marc Freestone ◽  
Graham R. Brown ◽  
Ryan D. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Orchid Species ◽  
Late Afternoon ◽  
Nectar Foraging ◽  
Pollinator Species ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Pollination Strategy ◽  
Pollination Systems

Prior to undertaking conservation translocations of plants with specialised pollination systems, it is important to ensure the presence of pollinators at recipient sites. Here, for two threatened species, Caladenia concolor Fitzg. and Caladenia arenaria Fitzg. (Orchidaceae), we determine (i) the pollination strategy used, (ii) which floral visitors are involved in pollination, and (iii) whether the pollinator species are present at potential translocation sites. For both orchid species, pollination was primarily achieved by nectar-foraging thynnine wasps, with a single species responsible for pollination in C. concolor, whereas C. arenaria utilised at least two species to achieve pollination. Both orchid species secreted meagre quantities of sucrose on the upper surface of the labellum. Visits to C. concolor occurred primarily in the late afternoon, with some wasps perching on the flowers overnight. Surveys revealed that pollinators were present at all extant populations and most potential translocation sites for both orchids. The specialisation on one pollinator species in C. concolor means that the distribution of the pollinator needs to be considered for conservation translocations. With C. arenaria, the risk of hybridisation with other Caladenia that are known to share one of its pollinator species needs to be taken into account when selecting translocation sites.

scholarly journals Pollen adaptation to ant pollination: a case study from the Proteaceae

2020 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Delnevo ◽  
Eddie J van Etten ◽  
Nicola Clemente ◽  
Luna Fogu ◽  
Evelina Pavarani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Set ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Relative Effect ◽  
The Other ◽  
Pollen Load ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Ant Pollination ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Floral Visitors

Abstract Background and Aims Ant–plant associations are widely diverse and distributed throughout the world, leading to antagonistic and/or mutualistic interactions. Ant pollination is a rare mutualistic association and reports of ants as effective pollinators are limited to a few studies. Conospermum (Proteaceae) is an insect-pollinated genus well represented in the south-western Australia biodiversity hotspot, and here we aimed to evaluate the role of ants as pollinators of C. undulatum. Methods Pollen germination after contact with several species of ants and bees was tested for C. undulatum and five co-flowering species for comparison. We then sampled the pollen load of floral visitors of C. undulatum to assess whether ants carried a pollen load sufficient to enable pollination. Lastly, we performed exclusion treatments to assess the relative effect of flying- and non-flying-invertebrate floral visitors on the reproduction of C. undulatum. For this, we measured the seed set under different conditions: ants exclusion, flying-insects exclusion and control. Key Results Pollen of C. undulatum, along with the other Conospermum species, had a germination rate after contact with ants of ~80 % which did not differ from the effect of bees; in contrast, the other plant species tested showed a drop in the germination rate to ~10 % following ant treatments. Although ants were generalist visitors, they carried a pollen load with 68–86 % of suitable grains. Moreover, ants significantly contributed to the seed set of C. undulatum. Conclusions Our study highlights the complexity of ant–flower interactions and suggests that generalizations neglecting the importance of ants as pollinators cannot be made. Conospermum undulatum has evolved pollen with resistance to the negative effect of ant secretions on pollen grains, with ants providing effective pollination services to this threatened species.

The Floral Microbiome: Plant, Pollinator, and Microbial Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 363-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Vannette
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Pollinator Attraction ◽  
Plant Variation ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Floral Phenotype ◽  
Bacteria And Fungi ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Microbial Effects

Flowers at times host abundant and specialized communities of bacteria and fungi that influence floral phenotypes and interactions with pollinators. Ecological processes drive variation in microbial abundance and composition at multiple scales, including among plant species, among flower tissues, and among flowers on the same plant. Variation in microbial effects on floral phenotype suggests that microbial metabolites could cue the presence or quality of rewards for pollinators, but most plants are unlikely to rely on microbes for pollinator attraction or reproduction. From a microbial perspective, flowers offer opportunities to disperse between habitats, but microbial species differ in requirements for and benefits received from such dispersal. The extent to which floral microbes shape the evolution of floral traits, influence fitness of floral visitors, and respond to anthropogenic change is unclear. A deeper understanding of these phenomena could illuminate the ecological and evolutionary importance of floral microbiomes and their role in the conservation of plant–pollinator interactions.

Effects of ants on pollinator performance in a distylous pericarpial nectary-bearing Rubiaceae in Brazilian Cerrado

Sociobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Bruno De Sousa-Lopes ◽  
Eduardo Soares Calixto ◽  
Eduardo Soares Calixto ◽  
Helena Maura Torezan-Silingardi ◽  
Helena Maura Torezan-Silingardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indirect Cost ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Effective Protection ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Floral Phenology ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Pollinator Performance ◽  
Pollination Systems

Besides the eff ectiveness of floral visitors, to better understand pollination systems is necessary to consider the role of predators. Ants are ubiquitous on the vegetation, especially on plants bearing extrafloral (EFNs) and pericarpial nectaries (PNs). Both EFNs and PNs reward ants which in turn provide to plants effective protection against herbivores. However, ants can also repel pollinators and cause an indirect cost for the plant partner, although the role of ants on pollinators’ performance has rarely been assessed in Neotropics, mainly on PN-bearing plants. Here, our main aim was, through an experimental field study in terms of ant’s presence versus absence, to test the hypothesis that ants dissuade floral visitors by decreasing the time spent during visits on the PN-bearing Declieuxia fruticosa. Additionally, we recorded floral phenology, and quantified and qualified floral visits. We showed that bees were the most frequent pollinators and the presence of ants dissuades them. In ant presence, pollinators were on average 30% faster than without ants. Since D. fruticosa produces fruits mainly after cross-pollination, the role of ants may be profi table to plants as they induce pollinators to do shorter visits and search for other fl owers in conspecifi c plants. Therefore, pollinators avoid stay at longer on plants with ants in order to avoid attacks, which may contribute to plant outcrossing. However, whether positive or negative the effects of ants on D. fruticosa reproduction are, they remain to be studied.

scholarly journals Pollination success in three tropical dry forest orchid species from Mexico: insights from floral display, visitation rates, and flower micromorphology

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yazmín M. Miranda-Molina ◽  
Edgar J. González ◽  
Judith Márquez-Guzmán ◽  
Jorge Meave ◽  
Eduardo A. Pérez García
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Floral Display ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Deposition Rates ◽  
Pollination Success ◽  
Visitation Rates ◽  
Orchid Pollination ◽  
Floral Micromorphology ◽  
Floral Visitors

Background: Despite long-lasting efforts to disentangle the drivers of orchid pollination, pollination success in tropical dry forest orchids remains largely unknown. Questions and hypothesis: How successful are pollination in three tropical dry forest orchids? How is pollination influenced by floral display and floral rewards (as suggested by floral micromorphology)? We hypothesized a positive effect of floral display on pollinia removal and deposition rates. Studied species: Barkeria whartoniana (C. Schweinf.) Soto Arenas, Clowesia dodsoniana E. Aguirre, and Cyrtopodium macrobulbon (La Llave & Lex.) G.A. Romero & Carnevali. Study site and dates: Nizanda (Oaxaca), Mexico; flowering periods of 2013 and 2014. Methods: We calculated pollinia removal and deposition rates, identified floral visitors and analyzed flower microstructure to search for structures potentially producing rewards. Floral display was measured through number of open flowers, and number and length of inflorescences, and its effect on pollination success was assessed through linear modeling. Results: Pollinia removal rates were higher than deposition rates, and floral display was related to pollination success in C. dodsoniana only. Visitation rates were low for the three species and most visitors were not true pollinators. The three species possess potentially secreting structures, but for B. whartoniana and C. macrobulbon these rewards are likely part of the pollinator deception mechanism. Conclusions: The generalized low pollination success implies the need for high population densities of both interacting parts. We emphasize the need for integrated evaluations of different aspects of the plant-pollinator interaction.

scholarly journals High species richness of native pollinators in Brazilian tomato crops

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 506-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Silva-Neto ◽  
L. L. Bergamini ◽  
M. A. S. Elias ◽  
G. L. Moreira ◽  
J. M. Morais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Central Brazil ◽  
High Species Richness ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Effective Pollinators

Abstract Pollinators provide an essential service to natural ecosystems and agriculture. In tomatoes flowers, anthers are poricidal, pollen may drop from their pore when flowers are shaken by the wind. However, bees that vibrate these anthers increase pollen load on the stigma and in fruit production. The present study aimed to identify the pollinator richness of tomato flowers and investigate their morphological and functional traits related to the plant-pollinator interaction in plantations of Central Brazil. The time of anthesis, flower duration, and the number and viability of pollen grains and ovules were recorded. Floral visitors were observed and collected. Flower buds opened around 6h30 and closed around 18h00. They reopened on the following day at the same time in the morning, lasting on average 48 hours. The highest pollen availability occurred during the first hours of anthesis. Afterwards, the number of pollen grains declined, especially between 10h00 to 12h00, which is consistent with the pollinator visitation pattern. Forty bee species were found in the tomato fields, 30 of which were considered pollinators. We found that during the flowering period, plants offered an enormous amount of pollen to their visitors. These may explain the high richness and amount of bees that visit the tomato flowers in the study areas. The period of pollen availability and depletion throughout the day overlapped with the bees foraging period, suggesting that bees are highly effective in removing pollen grains from anthers. Many of these grains probably land on the stigma of the same flower, leading to self-pollination and subsequent fruit development. Native bees (Exomalopsis spp.) are effective pollinators of tomato flowers and are likely to contribute to increasing crop productivity. On the other hand, here tomato flowers offer large amounts of pollen resource to a high richness and amount of bees, showing a strong plant-pollinator interaction in the study agroecosystem.

scholarly journals Vertical and horizontal distribution of pollination systems in cerrado fragments of central Brazil

2007 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Quintas Martins ◽  
Marco Antônio Batalha
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Significant Variation ◽  
Horizontal Distribution ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Vertical Variation ◽  
Pollination System ◽  
Cerrado Vegetation ◽  
Central Brazil ◽  
Vertical And Horizontal Distribution ◽  
Pollination Systems

In fragments of the cerrado, we determined the frequency of pollination systems and analyzed their spatial distribution. We placed 38 transects, sampling 2,280 individuals and 121 species. As expected in Neotropical regions, bee-pollination was the most frequent pollination system. We found a decrease in the frequency of plants pollinated by beetles towards the fragment interior. Similarly, we found significant variation in relation to height just for the bats; there was an increase in the frequency of plants pollinated by bats towards the higher heights. In general, we found no horizontal and vertical variation in the pollination systems, probably as consequence of the more open physiognomy of the cerrado vegetation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document