1
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Johnson SD, Midgley JJ, Illing N. The enantiostylous floral polymorphism of Barberetta aurea (Haemodoraceae) facilitates wing pollination by syrphid flies. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:1107-1118. [PMID: 37632775 PMCID: PMC10809052 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Sexual polymorphisms of flowers have traditionally been interpreted as devices that promote cross-pollination, but they may also represent adaptations for exploiting particular pollination niches in local environments. The cross-pollination function of enantiostyly, characterized by flowers having either left- or right-deflected styles, has been uncertain in some lineages, such as the Haemodoraceae, because the positioning of stamens and styles is not always completely reciprocal among morphs. METHODS We examined the floral biology of populations of the poorly known species Barberetta aurea (Haemodoraceae) across its native range in South Africa to establish the general features of its enanatiostylous reproductive system and the agents and mechanism of pollen transfer. RESULTS We confirmed that B. aurea has a system of dimorphic enantiostyly. Style morph ratios varied among populations sampled, but with an overall tendency to being equal. Crossing experiments demonstrated that B. aurea is fully self-compatible, that intra- and inter-morph crosses are equally fertile and that it is wholly dependent on pollinator visits for seed production. Pollination is mainly by syrphid flies that transfer the sticky pollen via their wings, which contact the anthers and stigma precisely as they hover during approach and feeding. The majority of syrphid fly visitors feed on a film of highly concentrated nectar situated at the base of ultraviolet-absorbent 'nectar guides'. Because one of the three stamens is deflected in the same direction as the style, we predicted a high likelihood of intra-morph pollination, and this was corroborated by patterns of transfer of coloured dye particles in cage experiments involving syrphid flies. CONCLUSIONS Barbaretta aurea exhibits dimorphic enantiostyly and, in contrast to most enantiostylous species, which are pollinated by bees, its flowers are specialized for pollination by syrphid flies. The lack of complete reciprocity of the enantiostylous arrangement of sexual organs facilitates both inter- and intra-morph pollen transfer on the wings of these flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven D Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 3209 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Jeremy J Midgley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nicola Illing
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa
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2
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Kudo G. Outcrossing syndrome in alpine plants: Implications for flowering phenology and pollination success. Ecol Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gaku Kudo
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
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3
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Comparative psychophysics of colour preferences in two species of non-eusocial Australian native halictid bees. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2021; 207:657-666. [PMID: 34241711 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01504-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Colour signalling by flowers appears to be the main plant-pollinator communication system observed across many diverse species and locations worldwide. Bees are considered one of the most important insect pollinators; however, native non-eusocial bees are often understudied compared to managed eusocial species, such as honeybees and bumblebees. Here, we tested two species of native Australian non-eusocial halictid bees on their colour preferences for seven different broadband colours with bee-colour-space dominant wavelengths ranging from 385 to 560 nm and a neutral grey control. Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) lanarium demonstrated preferences for a UV-absorbing white (455 nm) and a yellow (560 nm) stimulus. Lasioglossum (Parasphecodes) sp. showed no colour preferences. Subsequent analyses showed that green contrast and spectral purity had a significant positive relationship with the number of visits by L. lanarium to stimuli. Colour preferences were consistent with other bee species and may be phylogenetically conserved and linked to how trichromatic bees processes visual information, although the relative dearth of empirical evidence on different bee species currently makes it difficult to dissect mechanisms. Past studies and our current results suggest that both innate and environmental factors might both be at play in mediating bee colour preferences.
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4
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Prendergast KS, Hogendoorn K. FORUM: Methodological shortcomings and lack of taxonomic effort beleaguer Australian bee studies. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kit S. Prendergast
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Perth, Bentley Western Australia6845Australia
| | - Katja Hogendoorn
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine The University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia5005Australia
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5
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Prendergast KS, Hogendoorn K. FORUM: Methodological shortcomings and lack of taxonomic effort beleaguer Australian bee studies. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kit S. Prendergast
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Perth, Bentley Western Australia6845Australia
| | - Katja Hogendoorn
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine The University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia5005Australia
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6
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McCabe LM, Cobb NS. From Bees to Flies: Global Shift in Pollinator Communities Along Elevation Gradients. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.626124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bees decrease in abundance and richness along elevation gradients, while flies replace bees as the dominant flower visitors in higher elevation systems. We reviewed the existing literature to determine if this global phenomenon of pollinator communities switching from bees to flies occurs at the same place along a temperature gradient. Here we examined five studies that have documented this bee-to-fly transition in the North America, South America, Europe & Australia. We determined where the bee-to-fly transition occurred along a temperature/elevation gradient for each study that ranged from 1.1 to 8.3°C. We found that pollinator communities shifted from bee dominated to fly dominated communities between 4.9 and 5.7°C on all elevation gradients worldwide. This shift in pollinators could substantially impact ecological systems reliant on fly pollination as temperatures continue to warm.
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7
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Tai KC, Shrestha M, Dyer AG, Yang EC, Wang CN. Floral Color Diversity: How Are Signals Shaped by Elevational Gradient on the Tropical-Subtropical Mountainous Island of Taiwan? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:582784. [PMID: 33391297 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.63xsj3v08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators with different vision are a key driver of flower coloration. Islands provide important insights into evolutionary processes, and previous work suggests islands may have restricted flower colors. Due to both species richness with high endemism in tropical-subtropical environments, and potentially changing pollinator distributions with altitude, we evaluated flower color diversity across the mountainous island of Taiwan in a comparative framework to understand the cause of color diversity. We sampled flower color signaling on the tropical-subtropical island of Taiwan considering altitudes from sea level to 3300 m to inform how over-dispersion, random processes or clustering may influence flower signaling. We employed a model of bee color space to plot loci from 727 species to enable direct comparisons to data sets from continental studies representing Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and also a continental mountain region. We observed that flower color diversity was similar to flowers that exist in mainland continental studies, and also showed evidence that flowers predominantly had evolved color signals that closely matched bee color preferences. At high altitudes floras tend to be phylogenetically clustered rather than over-dispersed, and their floral colors exhibited weak phylogenetic signal which is consistent with character displacement that facilitated the co-existence of related species. Overall flower color signaling on a tropical-subtropical island is mainly influenced by color preferences of key bee pollinators, a pattern consistent with continental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- King-Chun Tai
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - En-Cheng Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Neng Wang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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8
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Doyle T, Hawkes WLS, Massy R, Powney GD, Menz MHM, Wotton KR. Pollination by hoverflies in the Anthropocene. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200508. [PMID: 32429807 PMCID: PMC7287354 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollinator declines, changes in land use and climate-induced shifts in phenology have the potential to seriously affect ecosystem function and food security by disrupting pollination services provided by insects. Much of the current research focuses on bees, or groups other insects together as 'non-bee pollinators', obscuring the relative contribution of this diverse group of organisms. Prominent among the 'non-bee pollinators' are the hoverflies, known to visit at least 72% of global food crops, which we estimate to be worth around US$300 billion per year, together with over 70% of animal pollinated wildflowers. In addition, hoverflies provide ecosystem functions not seen in bees, such as crop protection from pests, recycling of organic matter and long-distance pollen transfer. Migratory species, in particular, can be hugely abundant and unlike many insect pollinators, do not yet appear to be in serious decline. In this review, we contrast the roles of hoverflies and bees as pollinators, discuss the need for research and monitoring of different pollinator responses to anthropogenic change and examine emerging research into large populations of migratory hoverflies, the threats they face and how they might be used to improve sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby Doyle
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Will L. S. Hawkes
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Richard Massy
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Gary D. Powney
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
- Oxford Martin School and School of Geography and Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3BD, UK
| | - Myles H. M. Menz
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Karl R. Wotton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, UK
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9
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Gallagher MK, Campbell DR. Pollinator visitation rate and effectiveness vary with flowering phenology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:445-455. [PMID: 32086803 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Flowering time may influence pollination success and seed set through a variety of mechanisms, including seasonal changes in total pollinator visitation or the composition and effectiveness of pollinator visitors. METHODS We investigated mechanisms by which changes in flowering phenology influence pollination and reproductive success of Mertensia ciliata (Boraginaceae). We manipulated flowering onset of potted plants and assessed the frequency and composition of pollinator visitors, as well as seed set. We tested whether floral visitors differed in their effectiveness as pollinators by measuring pollen receipt and seed set resulting from single visits to virgin flowers. RESULTS Despite a five-fold decrease in pollinator visitation over four weeks, we detected no significant difference in seed set among plants blooming at different times. On a per-visit basis, each bumblebee transferred more conspecific pollen than did a solitary bee or a fly. The proportion of visits by bumblebees increased over the season, countering the decrease in visitation rate so that flowering time had little net effect on seed set. CONCLUSIONS This work illustrates the need to consider pollinator effectiveness, along with changes in pollinator visitation and species composition to understand the mechanisms by which phenology affects levels of pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kate Gallagher
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
- The Botanical Garden, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Diane R Campbell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
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10
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Tai KC, Shrestha M, Dyer AG, Yang EC, Wang CN. Floral Color Diversity: How Are Signals Shaped by Elevational Gradient on the Tropical-Subtropical Mountainous Island of Taiwan? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:582784. [PMID: 33391297 PMCID: PMC7773721 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.582784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators with different vision are a key driver of flower coloration. Islands provide important insights into evolutionary processes, and previous work suggests islands may have restricted flower colors. Due to both species richness with high endemism in tropical-subtropical environments, and potentially changing pollinator distributions with altitude, we evaluated flower color diversity across the mountainous island of Taiwan in a comparative framework to understand the cause of color diversity. We sampled flower color signaling on the tropical-subtropical island of Taiwan considering altitudes from sea level to 3300 m to inform how over-dispersion, random processes or clustering may influence flower signaling. We employed a model of bee color space to plot loci from 727 species to enable direct comparisons to data sets from continental studies representing Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and also a continental mountain region. We observed that flower color diversity was similar to flowers that exist in mainland continental studies, and also showed evidence that flowers predominantly had evolved color signals that closely matched bee color preferences. At high altitudes floras tend to be phylogenetically clustered rather than over-dispersed, and their floral colors exhibited weak phylogenetic signal which is consistent with character displacement that facilitated the co-existence of related species. Overall flower color signaling on a tropical-subtropical island is mainly influenced by color preferences of key bee pollinators, a pattern consistent with continental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- King-Chun Tai
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Mani Shrestha, ;
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - En-Cheng Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Neng Wang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Chun-Neng Wang,
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11
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Inouye DW. Effects of climate change on alpine plants and their pollinators. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1469:26-37. [PMID: 31025387 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Alpine environments are among the habitats most strongly affected by climate change, and consequently their unique plants and pollinators are faced with the challenge of adapting or going extinct. Changes in temperature and precipitation affect snowpack and snowmelt, resulting in changes in the growing season in this environment where plant growth and pollinator activity are constrained to the snow-free season, which can vary significantly across the landscape if there is significant topographic complexity. As in other ecosystems, the resulting changes in phenology are not uniform among species, creating the potential for altered and new interspecific interactions. New plant and animal species are arriving as lower altitude species move up with warming temperatures, introducing new competitors and generating changes in plant-pollinator interactions. Repeating historical surveys, taking advantage of museum collections, and using new technology will facilitate our understanding of how plants and pollinators are responding to the changing alpine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Inouye
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, Colorado
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12
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Smith GP, Bronstein JL, Papaj DR. Sex differences in pollinator behavior: Patterns across species and consequences for the mutualism. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:971-985. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gordon P. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Arizona Tucson Arizona
| | - Judith L. Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Arizona Tucson Arizona
| | - Daniel R. Papaj
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Arizona Tucson Arizona
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13
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Iwasaki JM, Dickinson KJM, Barratt BIP, Mercer AR, Jowett TWD, Lord JM. Floral usage partitioning and competition between social (Apis mellifera,Bombus terrestris)and solitary bees in New Zealand: Niche partitioning via floral preferences? AUSTRAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jay M. Iwasaki
- Department of Botany; University of Otago; P O Box 56, 479 Great King St. Dunedin 9010 New Zealand
- Department of Zoology; University of Otago; Dunedin New Zealand
| | | | - Barbara I. P. Barratt
- Department of Botany; University of Otago; P O Box 56, 479 Great King St. Dunedin 9010 New Zealand
- Invermay Agricultural Centre; AgResearch Limited; Mosgiel New Zealand
| | | | - Timothy W. D. Jowett
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics; University of Otago; Dunedin New Zealand
| | - Janice M. Lord
- Department of Botany; University of Otago; P O Box 56, 479 Great King St. Dunedin 9010 New Zealand
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14
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Mizunaga Y, Kudo G. A linkage between flowering phenology and fruit-set success of alpine plant communities with reference to the seasonality and pollination effectiveness of bees and flies. Oecologia 2017; 185:453-464. [PMID: 28889327 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3946-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
To clarify the linkage between flowering phenology and pollination success in alpine plant communities, we quantified the seasonality of flower visitors, the temporal transition of floral resources, and the variation in pollination success of alpine plants in northern Japan. Bumble bees, syrphid flies, and non-syrphid flies were the predominant flower visitors. Foraging activity of bumble bees increased toward the late flowering period reflecting the life cycle of colony development. The activity of syrphid flies was sensitive to ambient temperature, while that of non-syrphid flies remained high throughout the season. Flower production of bee-pollinated plants fluctuated significantly between years with a bimodal pattern peaking in the early and late periods, while flower production of fly-pollinated plants was less variable between years. Fruit-set success of bee-pollinated plants increased considerably from the early to the late flowering period, while the trend for fly-pollinated plants was less marked. Three times more visits of dipteran insects are necessary for fly-pollinated plants to achieve fruiting success comparable to bee-pollinated plants. Bumble bees are potentially excellent pollinators, but the visitation frequency is low early in the season. Lower pollination ability of dipteran insects may be compensated for by abundant flower visits. The relationships between flowering phenology and fruit-set success of alpine plant communities highly depend on the type of pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Mizunaga
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan.
| | - Gaku Kudo
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
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15
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16
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Shrestha M, Lunau K, Dorin A, Schulze B, Bischoff M, Burd M, Dyer AG. Floral colours in a world without birds and bees: the plants of Macquarie Island. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2016; 18:842-50. [PMID: 27016399 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We studied biotically pollinated angiosperms on Macquarie Island, a remote site in the Southern Ocean with a predominately or exclusively dipteran pollinator fauna, in an effort to understand how flower colour affects community assembly. We compared a distinctive group of cream-green Macquarie Island flowers to the flora of likely source pools of immigrants and to a continental flora from a high latitude in the northern hemisphere. We used both dipteran and hymenopteran colour models and phylogenetically informed analyses to explore the chromatic component of community assembly. The species with cream-green flowers are very restricted in colour space models of both fly vision and bee vision and represent a distinct group that plays a very minor role in other communities. It is unlikely that such a community could form through random immigration from continental source pools. Our findings suggest that fly pollination has imposed a strong ecological filter on Macquarie Island, favouring floral colours that are rare in continental floras. This is one of the strongest demonstrations that plant-pollinator interactions play an important role in plant community assembly. Future work exploring colour choices by dipteran flower visitors would be valuable.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - K Lunau
- Institut für Sinnesökologie, Department Biologie, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - A Dorin
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - B Schulze
- Institut für Sinnesökologie, Department Biologie, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - M Bischoff
- Chemical Plant Ecology, University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - M Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - A G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
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17
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Iwasaki JM, Barratt BIP, Lord JM, Mercer AR, Dickinson KJM. The New Zealand experience of varroa invasion highlights research opportunities for Australia. AMBIO 2015; 44:694-704. [PMID: 26133152 PMCID: PMC4591231 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-015-0679-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 03/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/06/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is implicated as a major disease factor in honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations worldwide. Honey bees are extensively relied upon for pollination services, and in countries such as New Zealand and Australia where honey bees have been introduced specifically for commercial pollinator services, the economic effects of any decline in honey bee numbers are predicted to be profound. V. destructor established in New Zealand in 2000 but as yet, Australia remains Varroa-free. Here we analyze the history of V. destructor invasion and spread in New Zealand and discuss the likely long-term impacts. When the mite was discovered in New Zealand, it was considered too well established for eradication to be feasible. Despite control efforts, V. destructor has since spread throughout the country. Today, assessing the impacts of the arrival of V. destructor in this country is compromised by a paucity of data on pollinator communities as they existed prior to invasion. Australia's Varroa-free status provides a rare and likely brief window of opportunity for the global bee research community to gain understanding of honey bee-native pollinator community dynamics prior to Varroa invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay M Iwasaki
- Department of Botany, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
| | - Barbara I P Barratt
- Department of Botany, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
- Invermay Agricultural Centre, Puddle Alley, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, 9053, New Zealand.
| | - Janice M Lord
- Department of Botany, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
| | - Alison R Mercer
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
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18
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McGimpsey VJ, Lord JM. In a world of white, flower colour matters: A white-purple transition signals lack of reward in an alpineEuphrasia. AUSTRAL ECOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vicky J. McGimpsey
- Department of Botany; University of Otago; PO Box 56 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand
| | - Janice M. Lord
- Department of Botany; University of Otago; PO Box 56 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand
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19
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Polce C, Garratt MP, Termansen M, Ramirez-Villegas J, Challinor AJ, Lappage MG, Boatman ND, Crowe A, Endalew AM, Potts SG, Somerwill KE, Biesmeijer JC. Climate-driven spatial mismatches between British orchards and their pollinators: increased risks of pollination deficits. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:2815-28. [PMID: 24638986 PMCID: PMC4285753 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how climate change can affect crop-pollinator systems helps predict potential geographical mismatches between a crop and its pollinators, and therefore identify areas vulnerable to loss of pollination services. We examined the distribution of orchard species (apples, pears, plums and other top fruits) and their pollinators in Great Britain, for present and future climatic conditions projected for 2050 under the SRES A1B Emissions Scenario. We used a relative index of pollinator availability as a proxy for pollination service. At present, there is a large spatial overlap between orchards and their pollinators, but predictions for 2050 revealed that the most suitable areas for orchards corresponded to low pollinator availability. However, we found that pollinator availability may persist in areas currently used for fruit production, which are predicted to provide suboptimal environmental suitability for orchard species in the future. Our results may be used to identify mitigation options to safeguard orchard production against the risk of pollination failure in Great Britain over the next 50 years; for instance, choosing fruit tree varieties that are adapted to future climatic conditions, or boosting wild pollinators through improving landscape resources. Our approach can be readily applied to other regions and crop systems, and expanded to include different climatic scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Polce
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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Campbell DR, Bischoff M. Selection for a floral trait is not mediated by pollen receipt even though seed set in the population is pollen-limited. Funct Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diane R. Campbell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California; Irvine; CA; 92697,; USA
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