A modified petal and stamen dimorphism interact to enhance pollen placement by a buzz-pollinated flower.

Background: Floral adaptations supposedly favour pollen grains to cross the numerous barriers faced during their journey to stigmas. Stamen dimorphism and specialized petals, like the cucculus in the Cassieae tribe (Fabaceae), are commonly observed in flowers that offer only pollen as a resource for bee pollinators. Here, we experimentally investigated whether the stamen dimorphism and cucculus enhance pollen placement on the bee's body.

Post-fire temporal dynamics of plant-pollinator communities in a tropical savanna.

Fire is a major ecological and evolutionary factor promoting biodiversity and maintaining functioning of naturally fire-prone ecosystems. In tropical savannas, plant communities show a set of fire-adapted traits and both flowering and pollination services have the potential to rapidly regenerate after fire, but fire-suppression policies may disrupt this adaptability following potential woody encroachment. Understanding the effects of fire on plant-pollinator interactions are required to advance conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Bee pollination effects on yield and chemical composition of West Indian gherkin fruits (Cucumis anguria L., Cucurbitaceae) in the Brazilian semi-arid region.

Animal pollination plays a key role in global agricultural production and especially of monoecious crops, which are essentially dependent on pollinators. The West Indian gherkin fruit (Cucumis anguria L., Cucurbitaceae) is a monoecious vegetable adaptable to adverse abiotic conditions, resistant to diseases, and rich in minerals and vitamins, thus being a relevant alternative for improving nutritional security of socioeconomically vulnerable populations.

Atlantic flower-invertebrate interactions: A data set of occurrence and frequency of floral visits.

Encounters between flowers and invertebrates are key events for the functioning of tropical forests. Assessing the structure of networks composed of the interactions between those partners leads to a better understanding of ecosystem functioning and the effects of environmental factors on ecological processes. Gathering such data is, however, costly and time-consuming, especially in the highly diverse tropics.