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Nectarless flowers: ecological correlates and evolutionary stability
Juilee D Thakar1, Krushnamegh Kunte, Anisha K Chauhan
1Life Research Foundation, 10 Pranav Soc., 1000/6-C, Navi Peth, 411 030 Pune, India.
Oecologia
|July 3, 2003
Summary
Flowers may evolve to cheat pollinators by not producing nectar. Field data and modeling show nectarless flowers are common and an evolutionary stable ratio exists, influenced by pollinator behavior.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Botany
Background:
- Animal-pollinated flowers rely on pollinators for reproduction.
- Pollinators cannot assess nectar presence before visiting, creating an opportunity for flowers to cheat by withholding nectar.
- A mixed strategy of nectarful and nectarless flowers may be an evolutionarily stable strategy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the
Main Methods:
- Field data collected from 28 plant species.
- Statistical analysis of correlations between nectarless flower prevalence and floral/ecological variables.
- Modeling of cost-benefits for cheating strategies.
Main Results:
- Nectarless flowers were found in 24 out of 28 species studied.
- Evidence supports the nectarless flower (cheater) hypothesis over competing explanations.
- An evolutionary stable ratio of nectarless to nectarful flowers was demonstrated through modeling.
Conclusions:
- The prevalence of nectarless flowers suggests a common cheating strategy in plant reproduction.
- Pollinator density and learning are key factors determining the equilibrium ratio of nectarless flowers.
- This strategy highlights the complex co-evolutionary dynamics between plants and their pollinators.
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