Article
Ecology
Samantha Maite de los Santos-Gomez, Dulce Maria Figueroa-Castro, Carlos Castaneda-Posadas
Summary: Pollination syndromes have been shown to predict the groups of pollinators for plant species such as bees, birds, and bats. However, in a study involving nine plant species with varying life cycles, it was found that while six species were visited by effective pollinators, only four were effectively pollinated by the predicted primary or secondary pollinators. Dahlia coccinea and Tigridia pavonia were the only species where the predicted pollinator group was both effective and associated with floral traits. The predictability of pollination syndromes was not observed for annual and perennial plant species.
ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ganju Xiang, Yunyi Jiang, Jinmao Lan, Liuying Huang, Lijun Hao, Zhiqian Liu, Jing Xia
Summary: Plant specialization and pollination network structure have important influences on community assembly. Floral traits, especially when phylogenetically conserved, can predict network structure to a certain extent. This study investigated the relationship between floral traits and network structure in central China using a phylogenetic framework. Results showed that floral size and density indirectly influenced plant specialization and network modularity. Additionally, floral shape, symmetry, and color played roles in pollination sharing and network modularity. These findings contribute to understanding the drivers of local network structure and dynamics.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biology
Jason Laurich, Anna M. O'Brien
Summary: In the common sunflower, the patterns of UV-absorbing pigments are controlled by a newly identified regulatory region and can be influenced by environmental factors.
Article
Plant Sciences
Robyn Faye Powell, James Stephen Boatwright, Cornelia Klak, Anthony Richard Magee
Summary: Pollinator specialization is a major driver of diversification in Conophytum, a genus of plants endemic to the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) in South Africa. Through phylogenetic analysis, it was found that Conophytum can be divided into six clades, with most of them being restricted to the arid parts of the GCFR. The study also revealed that floral traits evolved multiple times, while the timing and type of flowering showed a low phylogenetic signal.
PERSPECTIVES IN PLANT ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zamira Betancourt, Pascual J. Soriano, Hamleth Valois-Cuesta
Summary: Long-billed hummingbirds have a higher probability of transferring pollen from long stamens to short stigmas, while short-billed hummingbirds have a higher probability of transferring pollen from short stamens to long and short stigmas. These findings contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms behind gender specialization.
JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Cristina Adriane de Souza Pontes, Arthur Domingos-Melo, Paulo Milet-Pinheiro, Daniela Maria do Amaral Ferraz Navarro, Tarcila Lima Nadia, Isabel Cristina Machado
Summary: Floral traits in Bignoniaceae are essential for specialized pollination. The study found that the floral traits of Jacaranda rugosa ensure a highly specialized interaction with medium-sized bees through visual, olfactory signaling, and mechanical fit. These traits attract bees and promote male fitness through pollen transfer.
ORGANISMS DIVERSITY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Julian Resasco, Natacha P. Chacoff, Diego P. Vazquez
Summary: Generalist species interactions tend to persist more in time and space, with species' tolerance of environmental variation playing a key role in generalization. The results suggest a role of spatiotemporal environmental variation in organizing species interactions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Grace A. A. Burgin, Olivia Bronzo-Munich, Austin G. G. Garner, Izzy A. A. Acevedo, Robin Hopkins
Summary: Based on empirical data, researchers found that the wildflower Phlox drummondii is primarily pollinated by the butterfly species Battus philenor, supporting the prediction of lepidopteran pollination.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Juan L. L. Celis-Diez, Camila B. B. Garcia, Juan J. J. Armesto, Sebastian Abades, Michael P. D. Garratt, Francisco E. E. Fonturbel
Summary: Wild insects and honeybees play important roles in pollinating avocado trees in Chile. This study found that wild insects accounted for 51.4% of total floral visitation, and their contribution to pollination was greater than that of honeybees, especially during dry years. The presence of honeybees influenced the floral visitor composition and modified plant-pollination network parameters, resulting in biotic homogenization of the interaction network. Future research should focus on ecological intensification practices to promote wild insect visits and evaluate the role of native vegetation as wild pollinator habitat in agricultural landscapes.
Review
Plant Sciences
Carolyn A. Wessinger
Summary: This paper reviews the genetic features of adaptation to hummingbird-adapted flowers and their contribution to evolutionary flexibility, including large-effect substitutions, large mutational targets for adaptation, adaptive introgression, and concentrated architecture.
Article
Ecology
Felipe W. Amorim, Salvador Marino, Priscila Andre Sanz-Veiga, Jeff Ollerton, Paulo Eugenio Oliveira
Summary: This study reveals the intricate pollination mechanism of the South American asclepiad Schubertia grandiflora. Despite its short floral tube, this species exhibits functional specialization on long-tongued hawkmoth pollinators. Long-tongued hawkmoths were consistently recorded as the main floral visitors and the only effective pollinators, relying on highly modified corona and gynostegium, and enlarged nectar chambers to drive visitors and pollination mechanism.
Article
Ecology
Sabrina Aparecida Lopes, Pedro Joaquim Bergamo, Steffani Najara Pinho Queiroz, Jeff Ollerton, Thiago Santos, Andre Rodrigo Rech
Summary: The study found seasonality in HPD, with greater diversity and frequency of heterospecific pollen on stigmas of species flowering in the dry season compared to the rainy season. Stigmas of ecologically generalized species had more heterospecific pollen, while the relationship for ecologically specialized species depended on floral phenotype.
Article
Biology
Marco Todesco, Natalia Bercovich, Amy Kim, Ivana Imerovski, Gregory L. Owens, Oscar Dorado Ruiz, Srinidhi Holalu, Lufiani L. Madilao, Mojtaba Jahani, Jean-Sebastien Legare, Benjamin K. Blackman, Loren H. Rieseberg
Summary: Flowers play a crucial role in pollination and water regulation for plants. UV patterns attract pollinators and help plants conserve water. This study is significant for improving pollination and resilience in cultivated plants.
Article
Ecology
David M. Althoff, Kari A. Segraves
Summary: The study found that in the brood pollination mutualism between yuccas and yucca moths, ovipositor traits evolved at significantly faster rates than tentacular traits, supporting theoretical work suggesting that antagonism is more likely than mutualism to lead to phenotypic divergence.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Suiane Santos Oleques, Tamara Pastori, Tatiana Teixeira de Souza-Chies, Timotheus van der Niet, Steven D. Johnson, Rubem S. Avila Jr
Summary: Pollination in Tritoniopsis parviflora, a South African species, is studied due to its unique oil-producing ability and secretion of both floral oil and nectar. The research reveals temporal segregation in rewards offered by male and female flowers and suggests that the visits by nectar feeding and pollen-collecting bees may supplement seed production in the absence of oil bees.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ian Kiepiel, Steven D. Johnson
Summary: Experimental studies on the foraging preferences of swallowtail butterflies for Clivia miniata flowers reveal that butterflies prefer orange over yellow flowers and are attracted to orange models with a central yellow target “nectar guide.” Additionally, butterflies show a preference for large over small model flowers and tend to alight on upward-facing flowers.
ARTHROPOD-PLANT INTERACTIONS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hannah C. Butler, Ruth J. Cozien, Steven D. Johnson
Summary: This study shows that Scadoxus puniceus relies heavily on sunbirds for pollination, while S. membranaceus is rarely visited by pollinators. The birds play a key role in pollination of S. puniceus due to the adaptation of flower structure and nectar properties, while butterflies have limited effectiveness in pollen transfer.
PLANT SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Hannah C. Butler, Steven D. Johnson
Summary: This study investigated the seed dispersal systems of two South African Scadoxus lilies and found that monkeys are attracted to the ripe fleshy fruits, consuming the flesh and spitting out the seeds. This form of seed dispersal allows seeds to be deposited near the parent plant or carried to distant habitats by monkeys.
Article
Biology
Steven D. Johnson, Keeveshnee Govender
Summary: This study aimed to identify compounds that attract rodents to flowers. The results showed that aliphatic ketones and esters play a key role in attracting rodents.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
I. Kiepiel, M. Brown, S. D. Johnson
Summary: This study investigated the pollination and breeding systems of a tree species called Schotia brachypetala in southern Africa, and found that opportunistic nectarivorous birds played an important role in seed production.
Article
Plant Sciences
Carolina Diller, Miguel Castaneda-Zarate, Steven D. Johnson
Summary: Honeybees are poor pollinators of Aloe ferox due to their deposition of low-quality self pollen, leading to decreased seed production. Lack of movement among individual honeybees during foraging is a likely explanation for this.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sam McCarren, Jeremy J. Midgley, Steven D. Johnson
Summary: This study explores the function of flower orientation and its adaptation to pollinator mouthparts. The results demonstrate that different long-proboscid fly families have an impact on flower orientation, which may serve as a mechanism for reproductive isolation among sympatric plant species.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lawrence D. Harder, Steven D. Johnson
Summary: The production of pollen and ovules varies with different mating systems in angiosperms. This study analyzed the associations between pollen-transfer efficiency, pollinator dependence, and differences in pollen and ovule numbers. The results showed that pollen number decreased with pollen-transfer efficiency, while ovule number did not significantly change.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Annemarie Heiduk, Irina Brake, Adam Shuttleworth, Steven D. Johnson
Summary: Kleptomyiophily is a specialized form of floral mimicry where flowers imitate wounded insects to attract kleptoparasitic flies as pollinators. In this study, Ceropegia gerrardii was found to chemically mimic injured honey bees to attract kleptoparasitic flies and reward them with a secretion similar to the haemolymph.
Article
Ecology
Hannah C. Butler, Steven D. Johnson
Summary: Most plants rely on animals to ingest their fruits and disperse their seeds, but some plants have fruits with seeds that are too large or toxic to be eaten. In this study, we investigated the seed dispersal of Haemanthus deformis, a lily species found in South Africa. We found that birds and rodents mainly consumed the fruits, removing the pulp and discarding the seeds. Dispersal occurred both within and among bush clumps, with longer distances achieved by birds and scatter-hoarding rodents. Seedling survival was highest in bush clumps with shade being important for survival. Seeds with removed pulp germinated faster than intact seeds. This plant shows directed seed dispersal with birds and rodents contributing to dispersal within favorable bush clumps.
Article
Plant Sciences
S. McCarren, S. D. Johnson, G. L. Theron, A. Coetzee, R. Turner, J. Midgley
Summary: Differences in floral traits might play a role in reproductive isolation between two Erica species in South Africa. The two sister species, Erica shannonea and Erica ampullacea, have overlapping flowering phenology but are pollinated by different species of flies due to differences in flower orientation. Both species require pollinator visits for seed production and are therefore potentially influenced by pollinators in flower evolution.
Article
Plant Sciences
J. C. F. Cardoso, S. D. Johnson, P. E. Oliveira
Summary: In many flowers, resupination plays a crucial role in pollination by positioning the flower upside down, and incomplete resupination is predicted to lead to reduced pollination.
Article
Biology
Steven D. Johnson, Lawrence D. Harder
Summary: The success of flowering plants in reproducing relies heavily on how efficiently pollen is removed from flowers and transferred to conspecific stigmas. This study analyzed pollen fates and their correlates for 228 species, revealing that the efficiency of pollen removal and transfer varied depending on the type of pollen-dispersal unit and the pollinator species involved. Factors such as nectar production also influenced pollen removal efficiency. These findings emphasize the important role of floral traits, particularly pollen packaging, in determining pollen dispersal outcomes and highlight the under-appreciated pollination efficiency of non-grooming pollinators.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Suiane Santos Oleques, Tamara Pastori, Tatiana Teixeira de Souza-Chies, Timotheus van der Niet, Steven D. Johnson, Rubem S. Avila Jr
Summary: Pollination in Tritoniopsis parviflora, a South African species, is studied due to its unique oil-producing ability and secretion of both floral oil and nectar. The research reveals temporal segregation in rewards offered by male and female flowers and suggests that the visits by nectar feeding and pollen-collecting bees may supplement seed production in the absence of oil bees.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Clara de Vega, Chris J. Thorogood, Rafael G. Albaladejo, Franck Rakotonasolo, Nina Hobbhahn, Florent Martos, Priscilla M. Burgoyne, Steven D. Johnson
PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET
(2023)