Download or read book Temporal Variation of Floral Reward Can Improve the Pollination Success of a Rare Flowering Plant written by Gita Benadi and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Many pollinating animals visit a variety of flowering plant species. Rare plant species pollinated by such generalists may experience a low quality or quantity of pollination, depending on the pollinators' foraging behaviour. How plants cope with this rarity disadvantage is not well understood. One possibility would be to offer a higher floral reward, for example, a higher nectar sugar concentration. However, since nectar production is costly, rare plants may only be able to increase their nectar concentration for a limited time and offer little reward afterwards. In this study, we performed a laboratory experiment with bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) foraging on artificial flowers of two colours to investigate whether the bees' foraging behaviour produces a rarity disadvantage and if so, whether the rare flower type could improve its pollination success through temporal variation of its nectar sugar concentration, i.e. a temporary increase of nectar sugar followed by a period with low concentration. We found that when both flower colours offered equal rewards, the rare colour received only slightly fewer visits per flower, but had a considerably lower expected pollination success based on the bumblebees' visitation sequences. Temporal variation of the rare colour's sugar concentration increased both the quantity and quality of visits it received. This positive effect was reduced when there were fewer rare flowers or when two bumblebees foraged simultaneously. Our results suggest that temporal variation of floral rewards can alleviate, but not completely eliminate the rarity disadvantage
Download or read book Pollination and Floral Ecology written by Pat Willmer and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2011-07-25 with total page 790 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pollination and Floral Ecology is a very comprehensive reference work to all aspects of pollination biology.
Download or read book Effects of Temperature and Pollinator Availability on Plant Reproductive Success in the Indiana Spring Ephemeral Community written by Asya Robertshaw and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Temperature is a key driver of phenology in both plants and insects, and even small changes in temperature can impact the reproductive success of insect-pollinated plants by influencing access to pollinator services. While it is well-established that temperature variation directly impacts the flowering phenology of many plant species, the mechanisms by which it ultimately influences seed production via the pollinator community are not well understood. Climate change has the potential to disrupt the temporal synchrony between plants and their primary pollinators, especially if the two rely on different seasonal cues for the timing of their life history events. If the plants and their primary pollinators respond differently to environmental change, the plants may switch pollinators (host switching), obtain services or resources from other sources (e.g., self-pollination), or face extinction. The goal of this dissertation was to experimentally test the hypothesis that temperature-mediated variation in flowering time influences seedset by determining access to a pool of active pollinators, and the extent to which a flower experiences competitive or facilitative interactions for pollinators with co-flowering plant species. Three separate field studies were conducted using Claytonia virginica and Anemone acutiloba--members of the spring ephemeral community of deciduous forests in the eastern United States. This plant community is characterized by a brief 4-6 week reproductive period in the late winter and early spring, when the temperatures are rising but the tree canopy has not yet developed, so substantial sunlight still reaches the forest floor. Only a few pollinating insects are tolerant of the low temperatures that characterize early spring in this ecosystem, potentially generating competition for pollinators among co-flowering plants in the community. The first study evaluated the impacts of temperature, phenology, and co-flowering community diversity on the extent of pollen limitation experienced by the perennial herb C. virginica, a relatively abundant member of the spring ephemeral community. The study was conducted over two consecutive years that had markedly different spring temperature patterns. I observed a major advancement in the timing of flowering throughout the plant community in response to the warmer spring temperatures during the second year. However, seedset in C. virginica was not limited by pollen availability and was not influenced by the abundance and diversity of the co-flowering community. The second field experiment investigated temperature as a driver of plant phenology and the effects of shifted phenology on the reproductive output of A. acutiloba--the earliest flowering member of the spring ephemeral community. Individuals of A. acutiloba were transplanted into artificially warmed plots and monitored over two growing seasons. Increasing soil temperature resulted in advanced flowering time by at least 5 days in both years. However, despite this relatively large shift in flowering phenology, seed production in A. acutiloba was not affected by the temperature treatment. The third study evaluated the degree to which C. virginica functions as a "generalist" in the plant-pollinator network. This was done by characterizing the insect pollinator community that occurs in flowering C. virginica populations, and evaluating the relative abundance and diversity of the pollen from different co-flowering species on the bodies of the insects. I found that C. virginica pollen was present on all species of pollinators collected during its flowering period, and its pollen comprised the largest proportion of the total pollen abundance on all species of insect pollinators. Collectively, the results of this dissertation suggest that both C. virginica and A. acutiloba maintain access to sufficient pollinator services across high levels of temperature-mediated variation in flowering phenology and co-flowering community structure. Furthermore, high relative abundances of C. virginica pollen on all of the pollinating insects in the community reflect the generalist strategy of this species within the plant-pollinator network of the spring ephemeral community. While successful pollination in these two species is robust across dramatic shifts in temperature and phenology, I suspect that other species—especially those that are relatively rare, that rely on specialist insect pollinators, or that have narrower flowering windows—could be more likely to be subject to phenological mismatching across years with different temperature profiles. Additional experiments that explicitly compare plant species with different levels of relative abundance, different pollinators, and different phenological windows could make it possible to generate a predictive framework for anticipating which species in a community are most likely to be vulnerable to phenological mismatching with their pollinators in response to climate change.
Download or read book Food Exploitation By Social Insects written by Stefan Jarau and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2009-05-21 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Omnipresent in virtually all terrestrial ecosystems and of undisputed ecological and economical importance, the study of social insects is an area that continues to attract a vast number of researchers. As a consequence, a huge amount of information about their biology and ecology has accumulated. Distilling this scattered information into a highly
Download or read book Status of Pollinators in North America written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2007-05-13 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pollinators-insects, birds, bats, and other animals that carry pollen from the male to the female parts of flowers for plant reproduction-are an essential part of natural and agricultural ecosystems throughout North America. For example, most fruit, vegetable, and seed crops and some crops that provide fiber, drugs, and fuel depend on animals for pollination. This report provides evidence for the decline of some pollinator species in North America, including America's most important managed pollinator, the honey bee, as well as some butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds. For most managed and wild pollinator species, however, population trends have not been assessed because populations have not been monitored over time. In addition, for wild species with demonstrated declines, it is often difficult to determine the causes or consequences of their decline. This report outlines priorities for research and monitoring that are needed to improve information on the status of pollinators and establishes a framework for conservation and restoration of pollinator species and communities.
Download or read book Multitrophic Level Interactions written by Teja Tscharntke and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002-03-21 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the complex interactions between plants, their herbivores and natural enemies.
Download or read book Real Gardens Grow Natives written by Eileen M Stark and published by Mountaineers Books. This book was released on 2014-09-24 with total page 645 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CLICK HERE to download sample native plants from Real Gardens Grow Natives For many people, the most tangible and beneficial impact they can have on the environment is right in their own yard. Aimed at beginning and veteran gardeners alike, Real Gardens Grow Natives is a stunningly photographed guide that helps readers plan, implement, and sustain a retreat at home that reflects the natural world. Gardening with native plants that naturally belong and thrive in the Pacific Northwest’s climate and soil not only nurtures biodiversity, but provides a quintessential Northwest character and beauty to yard and neighborhood! For gardeners and conservationists who lack the time to read through lengthy design books and plant lists or can’t afford a landscape designer, Real Gardens Grow Natives is accessible yet comprehensive and provides the inspiration and clear instruction needed to create and sustain beautiful, functional, and undemanding gardens. With expert knowledge from professional landscape designer Eileen M. Stark, Real Gardens Grow Natives includes: * Detailed profiles of 100 select native plants for the Pacific Northwest west of the Cascades, plus related species, helping make plant choice and placement. * Straightfoward methods to enhance or restore habitat and increase biodiversity * Landscape design guidance for various-sized yards, including sample plans * Ways to integrate natives, edibles, and nonnative ornamentals within your garden * Specific planting procedures and secrets to healthy soil * Techniques for propagating your own native plants * Advice for easy, maintenance using organic methods
Download or read book Plant animal Interactions written by Warren G. Abrahamson and published by McGraw-Hill Companies. This book was released on 1989 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thorough coverage of multitrophic-level plant-animal interactions. Discusses a wide range of significant aspects, such as herbivore-plant interactions (with coverage of insects as well as mammals), carnivorous plant ecology and evolution, pollination and population dispersal agents, plant communities as habitats for animals, interactions in agroecosystems, and coevolution.
Download or read book The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution written by John N. Thompson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2005-06-15 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coevolution—reciprocal evolutionary change in interacting species driven by natural selection—is one of the most important ecological and genetic processes organizing the earth's biodiversity: most plants and animals require coevolved interactions with other species to survive and reproduce. The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution analyzes how the biology of species provides the raw material for long-term coevolution, evaluates how local coadaptation forms the basic module of coevolutionary change, and explores how the coevolutionary process reshapes locally coevolving interactions across the earth's constantly changing landscapes. Picking up where his influential The Coevolutionary Process left off, John N. Thompsonsynthesizes the state of a rapidly developing science that integrates approaches from evolutionary ecology, population genetics, phylogeography, systematics, evolutionary biochemistry and physiology, and molecular biology. Using models, data, and hypotheses to develop a complete conceptual framework, Thompson also draws on examples from a wide range of taxa and environments, illustrating the expanding breadth and depth of research in coevolutionary biology.
Download or read book Deciphering Chemical Language of Plant Communication written by James D. Blande and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-26 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an overview of the intricacies of plant communication via volatile chemicals. Plants produce an extraordinarily vast array of chemicals, which provide community members with detailed information about the producer’s identity, physiology and phenology. Volatile organic chemicals, either as individual compounds or complex chemical blends, are a communication medium operating between plants and any organism able to detect the compounds and respond. The ecological and evolutionary origins of particular interactions between plants and the greater community have been, and will continue to be, strenuously debated. However, it is clear that chemicals, and particularly volatile chemicals, constitute a medium akin to a linguistic tool. As well as possessing a rich chemical vocabulary, plants are known to detect and respond to chemical cues. These cues can originate from neighbouring plants, or other associated community members. This book begins with chapters on the complexity of chemical messages, provides a broad perspective on a range of ecological interactions mediated by volatile chemicals, and extends to cutting edge developments on the detection of chemicals by plants.
Download or read book Morphology of Flowers and Inflorescences written by Focko Weberling and published by CUP Archive. This book was released on 1992-09-03 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Pollinators and Pollination written by Jeff Ollerton and published by Pelagic Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2021-01-18 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unique and personal insight into the ecology and evolution of pollinators, their relationships with flowers, and their conservation in a rapidly changing world. The pollination of flowers by insects, birds and other animals is a fundamentally important ecological function that supports both the natural world and human society. Without pollinators to facilitate the sexual reproduction of plants, the world would be a biologically poorer place in which to live, there would be an impact on food security, and human health would suffer. Written by one of the world’s leading pollination ecologists, this book provides an introduction to what pollinators are, how their interactions with flowers have evolved, and the fundamental ecology of these relationships. It explores the pollination of wild and agricultural plants in a variety of habitats and contexts, including urban, rural and agricultural environments. The author also provides practical advice on how individuals and organisations can study, and support, pollinators. As well as covering the natural history of pollinators and flowers, the author discusses their cultural importance, and the ways in which pollinator conservation has been portrayed from a political perspective. The book draws on field work experiences in South America, Africa, Australia, the Canary Islands and the UK. For over 30 years the author has spent his career researching how plants and pollinators evolve relationships, how these interactions function ecologically, their importance for society, and how we can conserve them in a rapidly changing world. This book offers a unique and personal insight into the science of pollinators and pollination, aimed at anyone who is interested in understanding these fascinating and crucial ecological interactions.
Download or read book Narcissus and Daffodil written by Gordon R Hanks and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2002-04-18 with total page 453 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Narcissus and Daffodil is the first book to provide a complete overview of the genus Narcissus. Prized for centuries in western Europe as an ornamental plant, it has recently attracted attention as a source of potentially valuable pharmaceuticals. In eastern European countries, however, Narcissus and other Amaryllidaceae have been valued as a sourc
Download or read book Biology of Floral Scent written by Natalia Dudareva and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2006-03-27 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As with nearly all living creatures, humans have always been attracted and intrigued by floral scents. Yet, while we have been manufacturing perfumes for at least 5000 years to serve a myriad of religious, sexual, and medicinal purposes, until very recently, the limitation of our olfactory faculty has greatly hindered our capacity to clearly and ob
Download or read book Pollination Biology written by Dharam P. Abrol and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-10-05 with total page 812 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book has a wider approach not strictly focused on crop production compared to other books that are strictly oriented towards bees, but has a generalist approach to pollination biology. It also highlights relationships between introduced and wild pollinators and consequences of such introductions on communities of wild pollinating insects. The chapters on biochemical basis of plant-pollination interaction, pollination energetics, climate change and pollinators and pollinators as bioindicators of ecosystem functioning provide a base for future insights into pollination biology. The role of honeybees and wild bees on crop pollination, value of bee pollination, planned honeybee pollination, non-bee pollinators, safety of pollinators, pollination in cages, pollination for hybrid seed production, the problem of diseases, genetically modified plants and bees, the role of bees in improving food security and livelihoods, capacity building and awareness for pollinators are also discussed.
Download or read book Nectaries and Nectar written by Susan W. Nicolson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-04-18 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nectar is the most important reward offered by plants to pollinating animals. This book is a modern and interdisciplinary text on nectar and nectaries, prompted by the expansion of knowledge in ecological and molecular fields, and the strong recent interest in pollination biology. The topics covered vary widely: they include historical aspects, the structure and ultrastructure of nectaries and relationships to plant systematics, the dynamics of nectar secretion, nectar chemistry and the molecular biology of defence proteins, and more.
Download or read book Cognitive Ecology of Pollination written by Lars Chittka and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2005-08-22 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Important breakthroughs have recently been made in our understanding of the cognitive and sensory abilities of pollinators, such as how pollinators perceive, memorize, and react to floral signals and rewards; how they work flowers, move among inflorescences, and transport pollen. These new findings have obvious implications for the evolution of floral display and diversity, but most existing publications are scattered across a wide range of journals in very different research traditions. This book brings together outstanding scholars from many different fields of pollination biology, integrating the work of neuroethologists and evolutionary ecologists to present a multidisciplinary approach.
