Journal Article

Floral diversity and the facilitation of pollination

Ghazoul, Jaboury

2006

Overview

1 Multiple-species floral displays have been hypothesized to facilitate pollination by attracting a greater number and/or diversity of pollinators. Here I present experimental confirmation of pollination facilitation among coflowering plants that have morphologically distinct flowers. 2 Pollinator visits to Raphanus raphanistrum, a self-incompatible herbaceous plant, increased when it occurred with one or a combination of Cirsium arvense, Hypericum perforatum and Solidago canadensis than when it occurred alone. 3 Enhanced visitation to R. raphanistrum in mixed species plots was reflected by increased seed production. 4 Facilitative effects in pollination were conditional on the density and evenness of the floral mixture and graded into competition as the relative abundance of R. raphanistrum declined in a two-species mixture. 5 Previously proposed mechanisms for facilitative interactions cannot explain facilitation among florally distinct plant displays. An alternative mechanism of differential but complementary floral rewards is proposed to explain facilitative attraction of pollinators. 6 Facilitation of, and competition for, pollination has implications for regeneration by seed of rare or isolated plants, and of mitigating Allee effects that afflict such populations.

• Publisher: Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd,British Ecological Society,Blackwell Publishing Ltd,Blackwell Science
• Subject: Allee effects / Animal and plant ecology / Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Bees / Biodiversity / Biological and medical sciences / Cirsium arvense / Ecology / England / floral display size / Flowers / Flowers & plants / forbs / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / General aspects / hoverflies / Human ecology / Hypericum perforatum / Importance of Interactions with Biotic Agents / Insect ecology / Insect pollination / plant communities / plant competition / plant density / Plant ecology / plant morphology / Plant reproduction / plant-pollinator interactions / Plants / Pollinating insects / Pollination / pollinator competition / Pollinators / positive interactions / Raphanus raphanistrum / seed productivity / seed set / Solidago canadensis / spatial distribution / species diversity