Temporal changes in the most effective pollinator of a bromeliad pollinated by bees and hummingbirds
A generalist pollination system may be characterized through the interaction of a plant species with two or more functional groups of pollinators. The spatiotemporal variation of the most effective pollinator is the factor most frequently advocated to explain the emergence and maintenance of general...
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PeerJ Inc.
2020-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/8836.pdf |
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| author | Roberta Luisa Barbosa Leal Marina Muniz Moreira Alessandra Ribeiro Pinto Júlia de Oliveira Ferreira Miguel Rodriguez-Girones Leandro Freitas |
| author_facet | Roberta Luisa Barbosa Leal Marina Muniz Moreira Alessandra Ribeiro Pinto Júlia de Oliveira Ferreira Miguel Rodriguez-Girones Leandro Freitas |
| author_sort | Roberta Luisa Barbosa Leal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A generalist pollination system may be characterized through the interaction of a plant species with two or more functional groups of pollinators. The spatiotemporal variation of the most effective pollinator is the factor most frequently advocated to explain the emergence and maintenance of generalist pollination systems. There are few studies merging variation in floral visitor assemblages and the efficacy of pollination by different functional groups. Thus, there are gaps in our knowledge about the variation in time of pollinator efficacy and frequency of generalist species. In this study, we evaluated the pollination efficacy of the floral visitors of Edmundoa lindenii (Bromeliaceae) and their frequency of visits across four reproductive events. We analyzed the frequency of the three groups of floral visitors (large bees, small bees, and hummingbirds) through focal observations in the reproductive events of 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. We evaluated the pollination efficacy (fecundity after one visit) through selective exposure treatments and the breeding system by manual pollinations. We tested if the reproductive success after natural pollination varied between the reproductive events and also calculated the pollen limitation index. E. lindenii is a self-incompatible and parthenocarpic species, requiring the action of pollinators for sexual reproduction. Hummingbirds had higher efficacy than large bees and small bees acted only as pollen larcenists. The relative frequency of the groups of floral visitors varied between the reproductive events. Pollen limitation has occurred only in the reproductive event of 2017, when visits by hummingbirds were scarce and reproductive success after natural pollination was the lowest. We conclude that hummingbirds and large bees were the main and the secondary pollinators of E. lindenii, respectively, and that temporal variations in the pollinator assemblages had effects on its reproductive success. Despite their lower pollination efficacy, large bees ensured seed set when hummingbirds failed. Thus, we provide evidence that variable pollination environments may favor generalization, even under differential effectiveness of pollinator groups if secondary pollinators provide reproductive assurance. |
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| id | doaj.art-10d4852c437d4c358cfc7a13f4c279b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:21:33Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-10d4852c437d4c358cfc7a13f4c279b52023-12-03T07:15:20ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592020-03-018e883610.7717/peerj.8836Temporal changes in the most effective pollinator of a bromeliad pollinated by bees and hummingbirdsRoberta Luisa Barbosa Leal0Marina Muniz Moreira1Alessandra Ribeiro Pinto2Júlia de Oliveira Ferreira3Miguel Rodriguez-Girones4Leandro Freitas5Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilJardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilJardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilEstación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Almería, SpainJardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilA generalist pollination system may be characterized through the interaction of a plant species with two or more functional groups of pollinators. The spatiotemporal variation of the most effective pollinator is the factor most frequently advocated to explain the emergence and maintenance of generalist pollination systems. There are few studies merging variation in floral visitor assemblages and the efficacy of pollination by different functional groups. Thus, there are gaps in our knowledge about the variation in time of pollinator efficacy and frequency of generalist species. In this study, we evaluated the pollination efficacy of the floral visitors of Edmundoa lindenii (Bromeliaceae) and their frequency of visits across four reproductive events. We analyzed the frequency of the three groups of floral visitors (large bees, small bees, and hummingbirds) through focal observations in the reproductive events of 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. We evaluated the pollination efficacy (fecundity after one visit) through selective exposure treatments and the breeding system by manual pollinations. We tested if the reproductive success after natural pollination varied between the reproductive events and also calculated the pollen limitation index. E. lindenii is a self-incompatible and parthenocarpic species, requiring the action of pollinators for sexual reproduction. Hummingbirds had higher efficacy than large bees and small bees acted only as pollen larcenists. The relative frequency of the groups of floral visitors varied between the reproductive events. Pollen limitation has occurred only in the reproductive event of 2017, when visits by hummingbirds were scarce and reproductive success after natural pollination was the lowest. We conclude that hummingbirds and large bees were the main and the secondary pollinators of E. lindenii, respectively, and that temporal variations in the pollinator assemblages had effects on its reproductive success. Despite their lower pollination efficacy, large bees ensured seed set when hummingbirds failed. Thus, we provide evidence that variable pollination environments may favor generalization, even under differential effectiveness of pollinator groups if secondary pollinators provide reproductive assurance.https://peerj.com/articles/8836.pdfSpatiotemporal variationEffectivenessGeneralist pollination systemPollen limitationFloral reflectanceNectar |
| spellingShingle | Roberta Luisa Barbosa Leal Marina Muniz Moreira Alessandra Ribeiro Pinto Júlia de Oliveira Ferreira Miguel Rodriguez-Girones Leandro Freitas Temporal changes in the most effective pollinator of a bromeliad pollinated by bees and hummingbirds PeerJ Spatiotemporal variation Effectiveness Generalist pollination system Pollen limitation Floral reflectance Nectar |
| title | Temporal changes in the most effective pollinator of a bromeliad pollinated by bees and hummingbirds |
| title_full | Temporal changes in the most effective pollinator of a bromeliad pollinated by bees and hummingbirds |
| title_fullStr | Temporal changes in the most effective pollinator of a bromeliad pollinated by bees and hummingbirds |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temporal changes in the most effective pollinator of a bromeliad pollinated by bees and hummingbirds |
| title_short | Temporal changes in the most effective pollinator of a bromeliad pollinated by bees and hummingbirds |
| title_sort | temporal changes in the most effective pollinator of a bromeliad pollinated by bees and hummingbirds |
| topic | Spatiotemporal variation Effectiveness Generalist pollination system Pollen limitation Floral reflectance Nectar |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/8836.pdf |
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