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Nectar alkaloids decrease pollination and female reproduction in a native plant.

Lynn S Adler1, Rebecca E Irwin

  • 1Department of Plant, Soil and Insect Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. lsadler@ent.umass.edu

Oecologia
|October 21, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Nectar alkaloids in Gelsemium sempervirens negatively impacted plant reproduction by reducing pollen receipt and seed weight. These findings suggest nectar compounds can be costly, with spatial variation influencing their selective effects.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Plant Science

Background:

  • Floral visitors, including pollinators and antagonists, shape floral trait evolution and plant fitness.
  • Nectar's role in pollinator attraction is well-studied, but its effects on floral antagonists and the impact of non-sugar nectar components are less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of nectar alkaloids on plant reproduction in Gelsemium sempervirens.
  • To determine how nectar alkaloid manipulation influences pollinator and floral antagonist behavior.
  • To assess the interaction between nectar alkaloids and pollination on female reproductive success.

Main Methods:

  • Manipulated nectar alkaloid (gelsemine) levels in wild Gelsemium sempervirens.
  • Implemented hand-pollination treatments to study trait interactions.
  • Measured pollen deposition, pollen removal, nectar robbing, fruit set, and seed weight.

Main Results:

  • High nectar gelsemine significantly reduced conspecific pollen receipt and the proportion of conspecific pollen received.
  • Nectar alkaloids did not affect nectar robbing but reduced pollen removal (male reproduction estimate) non-significantly.
  • Fruit set was pollen-limited, but the effect of nectar alkaloids on fruit set varied spatially and was not significant.
  • High nectar gelsemine significantly reduced seed weight through a mechanism independent of pollen limitation.

Conclusions:

  • Nectar alkaloids in this system appear more costly than beneficial, negatively impacting plant reproduction.
  • Spatial variation in trait effects and interactions can influence the selective impact of nectar composition.