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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

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Published on: November 25, 2016

Pollination niche separation in a winter annual community.

J A D Parrish¹, F A Bazzaz¹

¹Department of Botany, University of Illinois, 61801, Urbana, IL, USA.

|March 18, 2017

Summary

Early successional plants, Lactuca scariola and Erigeron annuus, exhibit distinct flowering times and visitor patterns, demonstrating niche separation. This separation is likely a preadaptation, not direct coevolution between these species.

Area of Science:

Ecology
Plant Biology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Selective forces in early and late successional communities influence niche breadth and overlap.
Early successional species often have broader niches and greater overlap due to less intense competition.
Niche separation is a key concept in understanding species coexistence and community structure.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate niche separation in two early successional winter annuals, Lactuca scariola and Erigeron annuus.
To determine if niche separation in flowering time and insect visitation is a result of coevolution between these species.
To explore the potential for preadaptation as a mechanism for niche differentiation.

Main Methods:

Observational study of flowering phenology in Lactuca scariola and Erigeron annuus.

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Monitoring of insect visitor activity in relation to floral opening and closing times.

Analysis of niche separation in flowering time and pollinator visitation patterns.

Consideration of self-fertilization capabilities and species' origins.

Main Results:

Lactuca scariola and Erigeron annuus display clear niche separation in their flowering times.
Lactuca flowers open earlier and close before Erigeron, which flowers mid-morning.
Insect visitation patterns differ, with most visits to Lactuca occurring just before closing, and Erigeron visited during peak activity.

Conclusions:

Niche separation in flowering time and pollinator visitation between Lactuca scariola and Erigeron annuus is evident.
This separation is unlikely to be a result of direct coevolution between these two species, especially given Lactuca's introduced status.
The observed niche separation is likely a preadaptation, possibly arising from coevolution with other species in their respective environments.