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Soil water and nutrient availability interactively modify pollinator-mediated directional and correlational selection
Yun Wu1, Guangli Liu2, Nina Sletvold3
1School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Xihua University, Chengdu, 610039, China.
The New Phytologist
|October 14, 2022
Summary
Abiotic factors like water and nutrients significantly influence pollinator selection on floral traits in Primula tibetica. Their combined effects, rather than additive ones, shape plant evolution.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Plant Science
Background:
- Abiotic factors' effects on pollinator-mediated selection are poorly understood.
- Understanding these interactions is crucial for predicting plant evolutionary responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interactive effects of water and nutrient availability on pollinator-mediated selection.
- To examine how these factors influence floral traits in Primula tibetica.
Main Methods:
- A factorial experiment manipulated pollination and nutrient availability.
- Conducted across two common garden sites with varying soil water content.
Main Results:
- Both water and nutrient availability impacted floral trait expression.
- Hand pollination boosted seed production most under high water and nutrient conditions, suggesting joint limitation.
- Pollinators drove directional and correlational selection on plant height and flower number.
- Selection strength was interactively influenced by water and nutrient availability, with nonadditive effects observed.
Conclusions:
- Resource limitation affects Primula tibetica's response to pollen availability.
- Nutrient or water addition can trigger pollinator-mediated selection.
- The interplay between water and nutrients in mediating selection is nonadditive.
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