Teaching nature of science in introductory biology: Impacts on students' acceptance of biological evolution.

The present study investigates the impact of explicit, reflective Nature of Science instruction on students' evolution acceptance, understanding of evolution as a theory, and understanding of Nature of Science in an introductory biology course. Results revealed similar improvement in evolution acceptance in both the treatment and control groups, but also that Nature of Science instruction had disproportionately large impacts on evolution acceptance for women and individuals who already had high acceptance. We also found evidence of relationships between understanding and acceptance of evolution and Nature of Science understanding, particularly the creativity aspect of Nature of Science.

Evolutionary ecology of nectar.

Background: Floral nectar is an important determinant of plant-pollinator interactions and an integral component of pollination syndromes, suggesting it is under pollinator-mediated selection. However, compared to floral display traits, we know little about the evolutionary ecology of nectar. Combining a literature review with a meta-analysis approach, we summarize the evidence for heritable variation in nectar traits and link this variation to pollinator response and plant fitness.

Global change effects on plant-insect interactions: the role of phytochemistry.

Natural and managed ecosystems are undergoing rapid environmental change due to a growing human population and associated increases in industrial and agricultural activity. Global environmental change directly and indirectly impacts insect herbivores and pollinators. In this review, we highlight recent research examining how environmental change factors affect plant chemistry and, in turn, ecological interactions among plants, herbivores, and pollinators.

The chemical ecology of plant-pollinator interactions: recent advances and future directions.

Floral chemistry mediates plant-pollinator interactions through floral scents and reward components. Although improved techniques have increased interest in studying floral volatiles and nectar chemistry, these two foci have generally been studied in isolation. The ecological functions of floral chemistry have been relatively well studied and focused on pollinator behaviour.

Secondary metabolites in floral nectar reduce parasite infections in bumblebees.

The synthesis of secondary metabolites is a hallmark of plant defence against herbivores. These compounds may be detrimental to consumers, but can also protect herbivores against parasites. Floral nectar commonly contains secondary metabolites, but little is known about the impacts of nectar chemistry on pollinators, including bees.

Secondary compounds in floral rewards of toxic rangeland plants: impacts on pollinators.

The study of plant secondary chemistry has been essential in understanding plant consumption by herbivores. There is growing evidence that secondary compounds also occur in floral rewards, including nectar and pollen. Many pollinators are generalist nectar and pollen foragers and thus are exposed to an array of secondary compounds in their diet.

Effects of abiotic factors and species interactions on estimates of male plant function: a meta-analysis.

The majority of angiosperms are hermaphroditic with total fitness comprised of both male and female components of reproduction. However, most studies examining the effects of abiotic factors and species interactions on fitness have focussed on female reproduction, potentially biasing our understanding of the consequences of environmental factors on total fitness. Here, we use meta-analysis to test how environmental factors affect male function.

Consumption of a nectar alkaloid reduces pathogen load in bumble bees.

Diet has a significant effect on pathogen infections in animals and the consumption of secondary metabolites can either enhance or mitigate infection intensity. Secondary metabolites, which are commonly associated with herbivore defense, are also frequently found in floral nectar. One hypothesized function of this so-called toxic nectar is that it has antimicrobial properties, which may benefit insect pollinators by reducing the intensity of pathogen infections.

Farysizyma gen. nov., an anamorphic genus in the Ustilaginales to accommodate three novel epiphytic basidiomycetous yeast species from America, Europe and Asia.

Among many isolates that resulted from four independent surveys of yeasts associated with plants in Brazil, the USA, Portugal and Taiwan, we have characterized eighteen basidiomycetous strains, two of which were conspecific with the type strain of Rhodotorula acheniorum, whereas the remaining sixteen isolates appeared not to correspond to any previously described species. Microsatellite-PCR fingerprinting with primers M13 and (GTG)5 confirmed that the latter strains formed three genetically distinct groups. Each group was considered to represent a distinct species based on nucleotide sequences of the D1/D2 domains of the 26S rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region.

Ecological context influences pollinator deterrence by alkaloids in floral nectar.

Secondary compounds may benefit plants by deterring herbivores, but the presence of these defensive chemicals in floral nectar may also deter beneficial pollinators. This trade-off between sexual reproduction and defense has received minimal study. We determined whether the pollinator-deterring effects of a nectar alkaloid found in the perennial vine Gelsemium sempervirens depend on ecological context (i.

Candida gelsemii sp. nov., a yeast of the Metschnikowiaceae clade isolated from nectar of the poisonous Carolina jessamine.

A new yeast species, Candida gelsemii, is described to accommodate three isolates recovered in Georgia, USA, from the toxic nectar of the Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens). The species resembles other members of the Metschnikowiaceae clade that have been recovered from nectar, but differs in a number of morphological and physiological characteristics. Analysis of rDNA sequences places the new species well into the clade, but in a basal position with respect to a group of Metschnikowia and Candida species known to occur in association with nectars and bees, as well as marine invertebrates.