Ornithophilous and Chiropterophilous Pollination in Musa itinerans (Musaceae), a Pioneer Species in Tropical Rain Forests of Yunnan, Southwestern China1 |
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Authors: | Ai-Zhong Liu De-Zhu Li Hong Wang W. John Kress |
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Affiliation: | Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China;Department of Botany, MRC–166, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560–0166, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | The role of bats and sunbirds in the pollination ecology of Musa itinerans Cheesman (Musaceae) was studied in the tropical seasonal rain forests of Xishuangbanna, southern Yunnan, China. It was found that both long–tongued fruit bats (Macroglossus sobrinus) and sunbirds (Arachnothera longirostris) were effective pollinators of M. itinerans. Nectar production had two peaks, one during the day and one during night (0800–1200 h and 2000–2400 h), which allowed the two different foragers to visit at specific times. The visitation patterns of the two foragers coincided with both flowering time and nectar production. By measuring the differences in fruit weight and seed production among different bagging experiments, we found that birds and bats were equally effective as pollinators of this species. |
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Keywords: | chiropterophily Musa itinerans ornithophily pioneer species pollination ecology Yunnan |
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