Floral scents repel facultative flower visitors, but attract obligate ones.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Biological mutualisms rely on communication between partners, but also require protective measures against exploitation. Animal-pollinated flowers need to attract pollinators but also to avoid conflicts with antagonistic consumers. The view of flower visitors as mutualistic and antagonistic agents considers primarily the plants' interest. A classification emphasizing the consumer's point of view, however, may be more useful when considering animal's adaptations to flower visits which may include a tolerance against defensive floral scent compounds.

Methods

In a meta-analysis covering 18 studies on the responses of animals to floral scents, the animals were assigned to the categories of obligate and facultative flower visitors which considers their depende

SUBMITTER: Junker RR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2859918 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature