Does pollination interact with the abiotic environment to affect plant reproduction?

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Plant Biology
• Global Change Biology

Background:

• Environmental factors, both abiotic and biotic, impact plant reproduction.
• Interactions between these factors are crucial for understanding plant responses to global change.
• Soil moisture (abiotic) and pollination (biotic) are key factors affecting plant reproduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if pollination's effect on plant reproduction is modulated by soil moisture.
• To understand how these interacting factors respond to global change drivers.
• To examine the interplay between biotic and abiotic components in plant reproductive success.

Main Methods:

• Pollen supplementation experiments were conducted on two species (Delphinium nuttallianum, Hydrophyllum fendleri) over four years.
• A factorial experiment crossed water addition with pollen supplementation.
• Measurements included fruit set, seeds per fruit, seeds per plant, and stomatal conductance.

Main Results:

• Hydrophyllum fendleri reproduction showed pollen limitation, independent of soil moisture.
• Water addition increased soil moisture and stomatal conductance in both species.
• The impact of pollen addition on fruit production depended on watering treatment for H. fendleri only.

Conclusions:

• Evidence for biotic interaction depending on abiotic conditions was limited to one reproductive aspect in one species.
• The findings suggest complex and sometimes unexpected interactions between abiotic and biotic factors.
• Further research into these interactions is vital for predicting plant reproduction under global change.