Interannual fluctuations in floral longevity, pollinator visitation and pollination limitation of an alpine plant (Gentiana straminea Maxim., Gentianaceae) at two altitudes in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau |
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Authors: | Y-W Duan T-F Zhang J-Q Liu |
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Institution: | (1) Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, Qinghai, P. R. China;(2) MOE Key Laboratory of Arid and Grassland Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, P. R. China;(3) Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming, 650204, Yunnan, P. R. China;(4) Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, P. R. China |
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Abstract: | Prolonged floral longevity and bumblebees as dominate pollinators in alpine ecosystem have been suggested to overcome pollination
limitation of alpine plants arising from the decrease of pollinator activity with increasing altitude. However, this conclusion
has never been examined in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), the highest and largest plateau in the world. In this study,
we intended to test year-to-year correlations between floral longevity, visiting frequency and pollen limitation of this species
between two populations (at 3200 m and 4000 m) of Gentiana straminea in this plateau. Pollinator exclusion elongated both male and female phases greatly at both sites, and durations of both
male and female phases in natural condition varied greatly over three years. The visiting frequency of bumblebees varied greatly
at the higher altitude, but seemed to be stable at the lower altitude. Seed production was pollination limited in both populations
in most studied years. The floral durations, pollinator frequency and pollination limitation showed no significant and consistent
variations with the increase of altitude. The previous hypothesis that the prolonged floral longevity of alpine plants can
compensate for low levels of pollinator visitation therefore could not be confirmed, and our results further suggested that
in the QTP platform, the altitude shows no consistent effect on the reproductive performance of this species, despite that
the fluctuation of visit frequency intensified at the higher altitude. |
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Keywords: | Visiting frequency bumblebee pollination pollination limitation alpine plants |
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