scholarly journals Floral Scents of a Deceptive Plant Are Hyperdiverse and Under Population-Specific Phenotypic Selection

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Gfrerer ◽  
Danae Laina ◽  
Marc Gibernau ◽  
Roman Fuchs ◽  
Martin Happ ◽  
...  

Floral scent is a key mediator in plant-pollinator interactions. However, little is known to what extent intraspecific scent variation is shaped by phenotypic selection, with no information yet in deceptive plants. In this study, we collected inflorescence scent and fruit set of the deceptive moth fly-pollinated Arum maculatum L. (Araceae) from six populations north vs. five populations south of the Alps, accumulating to 233 samples in total, and tested for differences in scent, fruit set, and phenotypic selection on scent across this geographic barrier. We recorded 289 scent compounds, the highest number so far reported in a single plant species. Most of the compounds occurred both north and south of the Alps; however, plants of the different regions emitted different absolute and relative amounts of scent. Fruit set was higher north than south of the Alps, and some, but not all differences in scent could be explained by differential phenotypic selection in northern vs. southern populations. This study is the first to provide evidence that floral scents of a deceptive plant are under phenotypic selection and that phenotypic selection is involved in shaping geographic patterns of floral scent in such plants. The hyperdiverse scent of A. maculatum might result from the imitation of various brood substrates of its pollinators.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gfrerer Eva ◽  
Laina Danae ◽  
Gibernau Marc ◽  
Fuchs Roman ◽  
Happ Martin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTFloral scent is a key mediator in plant-pollinator interactions; however, little is known to what extent intraspecific scent variation is shaped by phenotypic selection, with no information yet in deceptive plants. We recorded 291 scent compounds in deceptive moth fly-pollinated Arum maculatum from various populations north vs. south of the Alps, the highest number so far reported in a single plant species. Scent and fruit set differed between regions, and some, but not all differences in scent could be explained by differential phenotypic selection in northern vs. southern populations. Our study is the first to provide evidence that phenotypic selection is involved in shaping geographic patterns of floral scent in deceptive plants. The hyperdiverse scent of A. maculatum might result from the plant’s imitation of various brood substrates of its pollinators.


Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Herbert Braunschmid ◽  
Robin Guilhot ◽  
Stefan Dötterl

Floral scent is an important trait in plant–pollinator interactions. It not only varies among plant species but also among populations within species. Such variability might be caused by various non–selective factors, or, as has been shown in some instances, might be the result of divergent selective pressures exerted by variable pollinator climates. Cypripedium calceolus is a Eurasian deceptive orchid pollinated mainly by bees, which spans wide altitudinal and latitudinal gradients in mainly quite isolated populations. In the present study, we investigated whether pollinators and floral scents vary among different latitudes. Floral scents of three C. calceolus populations in the Southern Alps were collected by dynamic headspace and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). These data were completed by previously published scent data of the Northern Alps and Scandinavia. The scent characteristics were compared with information on pollinators recorded for present study or available in the literature. More than 80 scent compounds were overall recorded from plants of the three regions, mainly aliphatics, terpenoids, and aromatics. Seven compounds were found in all samples, and most samples were dominated by linalool and octyl acetate. Although scents differed among regions and populations, the main compounds were similar among regions. Andrena and Lasioglossum species were the main pollinators in all three regions, with Andrena being relatively more abundant than Lasioglossum in Scandinavia. We discuss natural selection mediated by pollinators and negative frequency–dependent selection as possible reasons for the identified variation of floral scent within and among populations and regions.


Ecology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 875-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M. Kay ◽  
Douglas W. Schemske

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1846) ◽  
pp. 20162218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masayoshi K. Hiraiwa ◽  
Atushi Ushimaru

Functional diversity loss among pollinators has rapidly progressed across the globe and is expected to influence plant–pollinator interactions in natural communities. Although recent findings suggest that the disappearance of a certain pollinator functional group may cause niche expansions and/or shifts in other groups, no study has examined this prediction in natural communities with high plant and pollinator diversities. By comparing coastal pollination networks on continental and oceanic islands, we examined how community-level flower visit patterns are influenced by the relative biomass of long-tongued pollinators (RBLP). We found that RBLP significantly correlated with pollinator functional diversity and was lower in oceanic than in continental islands. Pollinator niches shifted with decreasing RBLP, such that diverse species with various proboscis lengths, especially short-tongued species, increasingly visited long-tubed flowers. However, we found no conspicuous negative impacts of low RBLP and the consequent niche shifts on pollinator visit frequencies to flowers in oceanic island communities. Notably, fruit set significantly decreased as RBLP decreased in a study plant species. These results suggest that niche shifts by other functional groups can generally compensate for a decline in long-tongued pollinators in natural communities, but there may be negative impacts on plant reproduction.


2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (8) ◽  
pp. 647-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.T. Ngo ◽  
A.C. Mojica ◽  
L. Packer

Coffee (genus Coffea  L.) is one of the most critical global agricultural crops. Many studies have focused on coffee plants and their associated insects. This review will summarize work specifically relating to coffee plant – pollinator interactions. We review the current status of coffee as a worldwide commodity, botanical aspects of coffee, and insects associated with coffee pollination, and we assess the current understanding of the role of different pollinator taxa in increasing fruit set and yield.


2017 ◽  
Vol 149 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-376
Author(s):  
Ryohei Kubo ◽  
Masato Ono

AbstractThe rewarding orchid, Cremastra appendiculata (Orchidaceae), has a strong floral scent and is pollinated by long-tongued bumble bee queens (Bombus diversus tersatus Smith; Hymenoptera: Apidae). The response of queens of B. diversus tersatus to the scent of C. appendiculata was investigated using a gas chromatography–electroantennographic detector system and Y-tube olfactometer. Gas chromatography–electroantennographic detector analysis of flower extracts showed that seven compounds (nerol, methyl decanoate, methyl dodecanoate, methyl tetradecanoate, methyl hexadecanoate, ethyl dodecanoate, and ethyl tetradecanoate) elicited antennal responses from B. diversus tersatus queens. Further, Y-tube olfactometer test results showed that queens significantly preferred both the flower extracts and synthetic mixture of seven EAD active compounds compared with pentane (a solvent control). These results suggest that floral scents play an important role in attracting queens and promote successful pollination.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hélène Barras ◽  
Olivia Martius ◽  
Luca Nisi ◽  
Katharina Schroeer ◽  
Alessandro Hering ◽  
...  

Abstract. In Switzerland, hail regularly occurs in multi-day hail clusters. The atmospheric conditions prior to and during multi-day hail clusters are described and contrasted to the conditions prior to and during isolated hail days. The analysis focuses on hail days that occurred between April and September 2002–2019 within 140 km of the Swiss radar network. Hail days north and south of the Alps are defined using a minimum area threshold of a radar-based hail product. Multi-day clusters are defined as 5-day windows containing 4 or 5 hail days and isolated hail days as 5-day windows containing a single hail day. The reanalysis ERA-5 is used to study the large-scale flow in combination with objectively identified cold fronts, atmospheric blocking events, and a weather type classification. Both north and south of the Alps, isolated hail days have frequency maxima in May and August-September whereas clustered hail days occur mostly in July and August. Composites of atmospheric variables indicate a more stationary and meridionally amplified atmospheric flow both north and south of the Alps during multi-day hail clusters. On clustered hail days north of the Alps, blocks are more frequent over the North Sea, and surface fronts are located farther from Switzerland than on isolated hail days. Clustered hail days north of the Alps are also characterized by significantly higher convective available potential energy (CAPE) values, warmer daily maximum surface temperatures, and higher atmospheric moisture content than isolated hail days. Hence, both stationary flow conditions and anomalous amounts of moisture are necessary for multi-day hail clusters on the north side. In contrast, differences in CAPE on the south side between clustered hail days and isolated hail days are small. The mean sea level pressure south of the Alps is significantly deeper, the maximum temperature is colder, and local moisture is significantly lower on isolated hail days. Both north and south of the Alps, the upper-level atmospheric flow over the eastern Atlantic is meridionally more amplified three days prior to clustered hail days than prior to isolated days. Moreover, Moreover blocking occurs prior to more than 10 % of clustered hail days over Scandinavia, but no blocks occur prior to isolated hail days. Half of the clustered hail days south of the Alps are also clustered north of the Alps. On hail days clustering only south of the Alps, fronts are more frequently located on the Alpine ridge, and local low- level winds are stronger. The temporal clustering of hail days is coupled to specific synoptic- and local- scale flow conditions, this information may be exploited for short to medium-range forecasts of hail in Switzerland.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua-Ying Wang ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Jian-Hua Dong ◽  
Hao Wu ◽  
Yuan-Hong Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract The floral scent of plants plays a key role in plant reproduction through the communication between plants and pollinators. Aquilegia as a model species for studying evolution, however, there have been few studies on the floral scents and relationships between floral scents and pollination for Aquilegia taxa. In this study, three types of solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) fiber coatings (DVB/PDMS, CAR/PDMS, DVB/CAR/PDMS) were evaluated for their performance in extracting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from flowers of Aquilegia amurensis, which can to contribute to the future studies of elucidating the role of floral scents in the pollination process. In total, 55 VOCs were identified, and among them, 50, 47 and 45 VOCs were extracted by the DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber, CAR/PDMS fiber and DVB/PDMS fibers, respectively. Only 30 VOCs were detected in A. japonica taxa. Furthermore, the relative contents of 8 VOCs were significant different (VIP > 1 and p < 0.05) between the A. amurensis and A. japonica. Therefore, the results can be applied in new studies of the relationships between the chemical composition of floral scents and the processes of attraction of pollinator. It may provide new ideas for rapid evolution and frequent interspecific hybridization of Aquilegia


Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 489 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
MICHAEL HOHLA ◽  
KONRAD PAGITZ ◽  
GERGELY KIRÁLY

Rubus ser. Rhamnifolii includes apomictic polyploid species, which occur in north-western and central Europe, with rare outposts to eastern central Europe. A regionally distributed tetraploid species of the series occurring north and south of the Eastern Alps in Austria and Germany, Rubus noricus is described here. The new species is morphologically compared with similar taxa of the series, moreover, comprehensive iconography, data on distribution and ecology are presented.


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