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Florally rich habitats reduce insect pollination and the reproductive success of isolated plants.

ABSTRACT: Landscape heterogeneity in floral communities has the potential to modify pollinator behavior. Pollinator foraging varies with the diversity, abundance, and spatial configuration of floral resources. However, the implications of this variation for pollen transfer and ultimately the reproductive success of insect pollinated plants remains unclear, especially for species which are rare or isolated in the landscape. We used a landscape-scale experiment, coupled with microsatellite genotyping, to explore how the floral richness of habitats affected pollinator behavior and pollination effectiveness. Small arrays of the partially self-compatible plant Californian poppy (Eschscholzia californica) were introduced across a landscape gradient to simulate rare, spatially isolated populations. The effects on pollinator activity, outcrossing, and plant reproduction were measured. In florally rich habitats, we found reduced pollen movement between plants, leading to fewer long-distance pollination events, lower plant outcrossing, and a higher incidence of pollen limitation. This pattern indicates a potential reduction in per capita pollinator visitation, as suggested by the lower activity densities and richness of pollinators observed within florally rich habitats. In addition, seed production reduced by a factor of 1.8 in plants within florally rich habitats and progeny germination reduced by a factor of 1.2. We show this to be a consequence of self-fertilization within the partially self-compatible plant, E. californica. These findings indicate that locally rare plants are at a competitive disadvantage within florally rich habitats because neighboring plant species disrupt conspecific mating by co-opting pollinators. Ultimately, this Allee effect may play an important role in determining the long-term persistence of rarer plants in the landscape, both in terms of seed production and viability. Community context therefore requires consideration when designing and implementing conservation management for plants which are comparatively rare in the landscape.

SUBMITTER: Evans TM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5574791 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Florally rich habitats reduce insect pollination and the reproductive success of isolated plants.

Evans Tracie M TM Cavers Stephen S Ennos Richard R Vanbergen Adam J AJ Heard Matthew S MS

Ecology and evolution 20170711 16

Landscape heterogeneity in floral communities has the potential to modify pollinator behavior. Pollinator foraging varies with the diversity, abundance, and spatial configuration of floral resources. However, the implications of this variation for pollen transfer and ultimately the reproductive success of insect pollinated plants remains unclear, especially for species which are rare or isolated in the landscape. We used a landscape-scale experiment, coupled with microsatellite genotyping, to ex ...[more]

PMID: 28861252

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Project description:Apomixis evolves from a sexual background and usually is linked to polyploidization. Pseudogamous gametophytic apomicts, which require a fertilization to initiate seed development, of various ploidy levels frequently co-occur with their lower-ploid sexual ancestors, but the stability of such mixed populations is affected by reproductive interferences mediated by cross-pollination. Thereby, reproductive success of crosses depends on the difference in ploidy levels of mating partners, that is, on tolerance of deviation from the balanced ratio of maternal versus paternal genomes. Quality of pollen can further affect reproductive success in intercytotype pollinations. Cross-fertilization, however, can be avoided by selfing which may be induced upon pollination with mixtures of self- and cross-pollen (i.e., mentor effects). We tested for reproductive compatibility of naturally co-occurring tetraploid sexuals and penta- to octoploid apomicts in the rosaceous species Potentilla puberula by means of controlled crosses. We estimated the role of selfing as a crossing barrier and effects of self- and cross-pollen quality as well as maternal: paternal genomic ratios in the endosperm on reproductive success. Cross-fertilization of sexuals by apomicts was not blocked by selfing, and seed set was reduced in hetero- compared to homoploid crosses. Thereby, seed set was negatively related to deviations from balanced parental genomic ratios in the endosperm. In contrast, seed set in the apomictic cytotypes was not reduced in hetero- compared to homoploid crosses. Thus, apomictic cytotypes either avoided intercytotype cross-fertilization through selfing, tolerated intercytotype cross-fertilizations without negative effects on reproductive success, or even benefitted from higher pollen quality in intercytotype pollinations. Our experiment provides evidence for asymmetric reproductive interference, in favor of the apomicts, with significantly reduced seed set of sexuals in cytologically mixed populations, whereas seed set in apomicts was not affected. Incompleteness of crossing barriers further indicated at least partial losses of a parental genomic endosperm balance requirement.

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Florally rich habitats reduce insect pollination and the reproductive success of isolated plants.

Publications

Florally rich habitats reduce insect pollination and the reproductive success of isolated plants.

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