Geographic patterns and pollination ecotypes in Claytonia virginica |
| |
Authors: | Alison J. Parker Neal M. Williams James D. Thomson |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. University of Toronto, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada;2. University of California‐Davis, Department of Entomology, Davis, California 95616 |
| |
Abstract: | Geographical variation in pollinators visiting a plant can produce plant populations adapted to local pollinator environments. We documented two markedly different pollinator climates for the spring ephemeral wildflower Claytonia virginica: in more northern populations, the pollen‐specialist bee Andrena erigeniae dominated, but in more southern populations, A. erigeniae visited rarely and the bee‐fly Bombylius major dominated. Plants in the northern populations experienced faster pollen depletion than plants in southern populations. We also measured divergent pollen‐related plant traits; plants in northern populations produced relatively more pollen per flower and anther dehiscence was more staggered than plants in southern populations. These plant traits might function to increase pollen dispersal via the different pollen vectors. |
| |
Keywords: | Fly pollination native bees pollen depletion pollinator‐mediated selection pollen presentation |
|
|