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Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
Published on: November 25, 2016
Pollinator visitation patterns strongly influence among-flower variation in selfing rate
Jeffrey D Karron1, Karsten G Holmquist, Rebecca J Flanagan
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 53201, USA. karron@uwm.edu
Annals of Botany
|February 17, 2009
Summary
Bumble-bee pollination of Mimulus ringens flowers leads to increased selfing rates for later probed flowers. This floral visitation sequence significantly impacts mating systems and offspring genetic diversity.
Area of Science:
- Plant reproductive biology
- Pollination ecology
- Evolutionary genetics
Background:
- Adjacent flowers on Mimulus ringens displays exhibit significant variation in selfing rates.
- Pollinator behavior, specifically consecutive probing of flowers on a display, is hypothesized to drive this variation.
- Limited pollen carryover in Mimulus ringens suggests self-pollen receipt increases with successive probes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally test the hypothesis that pollinator visitation sequences influence selfing rates within Mimulus ringens floral displays.
- To quantify the relationship between the order of flower probes and the resulting selfing rate for individual fruits.
Main Methods:
- Established linear arrays of Mimulus ringens plants with unique genetic markers to track paternity.
- Observed single bumble-bees foraging on each array, recording the sequence of floral visits.
- Genotyped 3000 progeny from 120 fruits to assign paternity and calculate selfing rates.
Main Results:
- The order of pollinator probes significantly affected individual fruit selfing rates.
- Selfing rates increased from 21% for the first probed flower to 78% for the fourth probed flower.
Conclusions:
- Consecutive flower probing by bumble-bees leads to increased geitonogamous (within-display selfing) pollen deposition.
- This heterogeneity in selfing rates creates variation in sibship genetic composition.
- Such genetic variation may influence seedling competition and the manifestation of inbreeding depression.
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