The timing of visits by large and small bees differentially affects pollination success in Mimulus ringens.

Autor: Mitchell RJ; Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, 44325, OH, USA., Starvaggi D; Akron Public Schools, Akron, 44310, OH, USA., Fitzgerald V; Miami University, Oxford, 45056, OH, USA., Karron JD; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53211, WI, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: American journal of botany [Am J Bot] 2024 Jul; Vol. 111 (7), pp. e16375. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 14.
DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16375
Abstrakt: Premise: Cross-fertilization in most flowering plants is facilitated by mobile animals that transport pollen while foraging for floral rewards. The contributions of different visitors can vary widely, depending on the amount of pollen transferred during a single visit and on the frequency and timing of the visits of each pollinator taxon.
Methods: We used three approaches to measure the pollination value of bees that visit Mimulus ringens: pollinator interviews, field population observations, and caging studies.
Results: The single-visit effectiveness of small bees (primarily Halictidae) was only half that of larger bees (primarily Bombus) for pollen delivery and removal. In five field populations, we found substantial temporal and spatial variation in visitation and pollination. In most sites big bees were active before 08:00 hours, and by 10:00-11:00 hours, stigmas were usually fully pollinated and closed, and little pollen remained in anthers. Small bees seldom visited before 10:00 hours. Excluding big bees from plants confirmed that pollination is reduced and delayed in this ecological context.
Conclusions: Big bees are the primary pollinators of M. ringens, accounting for at least 75% of seed production. Not only are they more effective per visit, in most situations they also visit before small bees become active. Although small bees are not usually important pollinators of M. ringens, they have the potential to partially replace them as a "fail-safe" pollinator in contexts where big bees are not abundant. In a world where pollinator abundance is declining, such backup pollinators may be important for maintaining plant reproduction.
(© 2024 The Author(s). American Journal of Botany published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Botanical Society of America. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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