Plant-animal interactions in suburban environments: implications for floral evolution

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Plant interactions with mutualists and antagonists are crucial for plant ecology and evolution.
• Human landscape modification, such as suburbanization, significantly alters these interactions.
• Understanding these changes is vital for predicting evolutionary trajectories and informing conservation efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of suburbanization on plant-animal interactions in Gelsemium sempervirens.
• To investigate how these altered interactions influence natural selection on floral and defensive traits.
• To explore the role of floral traits in mediating plant responses to suburban environments.

Main Methods:

• Field surveys of Gelsemium sempervirens in suburban and wild sites in the southeastern United States.
• Measurements of plant-animal interactions, including pollination, nectar robbing, and florivory.
• Analysis of floral traits (e.g., corolla length, width) and defensive traits in field and common garden experiments.

Main Results:

• Suburban Gelsemium experienced increased nectar robbing and florivory compared to wild populations.
• Suburban sites showed increased heterospecific pollen transfer but not conspecific pollen transfer.
• Floral traits, particularly corolla dimensions, affected susceptibility to specific animal interactors.

Conclusions:

• Suburbanization reshapes plant-animal interactions, creating novel selection pressures.
• Floral trait evolution in response to suburbanization is complex and potentially constrained by trait correlations.
• Considering the broader geographic context, including urban and wild areas, is essential for understanding contemporary plant-animal interactions and selection.