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Updated: May 17, 2026

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
Published on: November 25, 2016
Asymmetric and frequency-dependent pollinator-mediated interactions may influence competitive displacement in two
Ryan Briscoe Runquist1, Maureen L Stanton
1Department of Plant Biology, University of Minnesota, 250 Biological Sciences Center, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA. rbriscoe@umn.edu
Abstract:
A plant species immigrating into a community may experience a rarity disadvantage due to competition for the services of pollinators. These negative reproductive interactions have the potential to lead to competitive displacement or exclusion of a species from a site. In this study, we used one- and two-species arrays of potted plants to test for density and frequency dependence in pollinator-mediated and above-ground intraspecific and interspecific competition between two species of Limnanthes that have overlapping ranges, but rarely occur in close sympatry. There were asymmetric competitive effects; the species responded differently to their frequency within 16-plant replacement series arrays. Limnanthes douglasii rosea experienced stronger reductions in lifetime and per-flower fertility, likely due to pollinator-mediated competition with Limnanthes alba. This effect may be linked to asymmetrical competition through heterospecific pollen transfer. This study demonstrates that pollinator-mediated competition may discourage establishment of L. d. rosea in sites already occupied by its congener.
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Frequency-dependent Selection
Pollination and Flower Structure
Hybrid Zones
Predator-Prey Interactions
Types of Selection
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