Dataset Information

Temporal variation in pollen dispersal and breeding structure in a bee-pollinated Neotropical tree.

ABSTRACT: Variation among flowering seasons in the time of flowering, synchrony and length of flowering, and fluctuations in the abundance of pollinators may cause a variation in pollen dispersal distance. In this study, we analyzed the temporal variation in pollen dispersal and breeding structure in the Neotropical tree species Tabebuia aurea (Bignoniaceae) and evaluated pollen dispersal between a population inside the reserve and a patch of isolated individuals on the edge of the reserve, and tested the hypothesis that isolated individuals are sinking for pollen. All adult trees (260) within a population of 40 ha and 9 isolated individuals on the edge of the reserve were sampled, and from these adults, 21 open-pollinated progeny arrays were analyzed in 2 flowering seasons (309 seeds in 2004 and 328 in 2005). Genetic analyses were based on the polymorphism at 10 microsatellite loci. A high proportion of self-pollination found in both flowering seasons indicated a mixed-mating system. The mean pollen dispersal distance differed significantly between the two flowering seasons (307.78 m in 2004 and 396.26 m in 2005). Maximum pollen dispersal was 2608 m, but most pollination events (65%) occurred at distances <300 m. Our results also showed that isolated individuals are sinking for pollen, with high pollen flow between the population inside the reserve and individuals on the edge. These results are most likely due to the large pollinator species, which can potentially fly long distances, and also due to temporal variation in individual fecundity and contribution to pollen dispersal.

SUBMITTER: Braga AC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3186249 | biostudies-other | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundMicrobial communities in floral nectar have been shown to be characterized by low levels of species diversity, yet little is known about among-plant population variation in microbial community composition.Methodology/principal findingsWe investigated the microbial community structure (yeasts and bacteria) in floral nectar of ten fragmented populations of the bee-pollinated forest herb Pulmonaria officinalis. We also explored possible relationships between plant population size and microbial diversity in nectar, and related microbial community composition to the distance separating plant populations. Culturable bacteria and yeasts occurring in the floral nectar of a total of 100 plant individuals were isolated and identified by partially sequencing the 16S rRNA gene and D1/D2 domains of the 26S rRNA gene, respectively. A total of 9 and 11 yeast and 28 and 39 bacterial OTUs was found, taking into account a 3% (OTU0.03) and 1% sequence dissimilarity cut-off (OTU0.01). OTU richness at the plant population level (i.e. the number of OTUs per population) was low for yeasts (mean: 1.7, range: 0-4 OTUs0.01/0.03 per population), whereas on average 6.9 (range: 2-13) OTUs0.03 and 7.9 (range 2-16) OTUs0.01 per population were found for bacteria. Both for yeasts and bacteria, OTU richness was not significantly related to plant population size. Similarity in community composition among populations was low (average Jaccard index: 0.14), and did not decline with increasing distance between populations.Conclusions/significanceWe found low similarity in microbial community structure among populations, suggesting that the assembly of nectar microbiota is to a large extent context-dependent. Although the precise factors that affect variation in microbial community structure in floral nectar require further study, our results indicate that both local and regional processes may contribute to among-population variation in microbial community structure in nectar.

Dataset Information

Temporal variation in pollen dispersal and breeding structure in a bee-pollinated Neotropical tree.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets