Resource reallocation patterns within Sagittaria trifolia inflorescences following differential pollination

Area of Science:

• Plant ecology
• Reproductive biology
• Life history theory

Background:

• Resource allocation to reproduction is crucial for plant life history tradeoffs.
• Understanding resource movement among flowers after pollination is vital but understudied.
• Patterns of resource reallocation to reproductive organs require empirical investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate resource redistribution within inflorescences under varying pollination intensities.
• To determine how differential pollination affects reproductive success in Sagittaria trifolia.

Main Methods:

• Conducted supplemental and controlled pollination on individual flowers and entire inflorescences of Sagittaria trifolia.
• Compared fruiting probability, seed production, and average seed mass across different pollination treatments.
• Examined resource reallocation patterns in both simple and complex inflorescences.

Main Results:

• Supplemental pollination of a single flower increased its fruiting probability and fruit set percentage.
• Inflorescence-level supplemental pollination did not enhance overall plant reproduction.
• Supplemental pollination had no significant effect on reproductive success in complex inflorescences' lateral or main branches.

Conclusions:

• Evidence suggests resource reallocation to single, pollen-supplemented flowers in simple inflorescences.
• Resource movement between main and lateral branches in complex inflorescences is unlikely, indicating branches act as physiological units.
• Single-flower pollination can overestimate pollen limitation, potentially skewing perceptions of plant reproductive status.