The pollination syndrome hypothesis has provided a major conceptual framework for how plants and pollinators interact. However, the assumption of specialization in pollination systems and the reliability of floral traits in predicting the main pollinators have been questioned recently. In addition, the relationship between ecological and evolutionary specialization in pollination interactions is still poorly understood. We used data of 62 plant species from three communities across southern Norway to test: (1) the relationships between floral traits and the identity of pollinators, (2) the association between floral traits (evolutionary specialization) and ecological generalization, and (3) the consistency of both relationships across communities. Floral traits significantly affected the identity of pollinators in the three communities in a way consistent with the predictions derived from the pollination syndrome concept. However, hover flies and butterflies visited flowers with different shapes in different communities, which we mainly attribute to among-community variation in pollinator assemblages. Interestingly, ecological generalization depended more on the community-context (i.e. the plant and pollinator assemblages in the communities) than on specific floral traits. While open yellow and white flowers were the most generalist in two communities, they were the most specialist in the alpine community. Our results warn against the use of single measures of ecological generalization to question the pollination syndrome concept, and highlight the importance of community comparisons to assess the pollination syndromes, and to understand the relationships between ecological and evolutionary specialization in plant-pollinator interactions.
Background And Aims: Seed dispersal impacts plant fitness by shaping the habitat and distribution of offspring, influencing population dynamics and spatial genetic diversity. Whether the evolution of dispersal strategies varies across herbaceous life forms (annual, perennial, clonal) is inconclusive. This study examines how seed dispersal strategies vary between annual and perennial populations of Mimulus guttatus (syn.
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, National Engineering Research Center of Rapeseed, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Background: Thermosensitive male sterility (TMS) is a heritable agronomic trait influenced by the interaction between genotype and environment. The anthers of plants are composed of various specialized cells, each of which plays different roles in plant reproduction. In rapeseed (Brassica napus L.
Pollination syndromes are a key component of flowering plant diversification, prompting questions about the architecture of single traits and genetic coordination among traits. Here, we investigate the genetics of extreme floral divergence between naturally hybridizing monkeyflowers, Mimulus parishii (self-pollinated) and M. cardinalis (hummingbird-pollinated).
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Stigma exsertion rate (SER) is a crucial trait that influences the seed production of hybrid rice by determining the outcrossing ability of male sterile lines (MSLs). However, the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying SER are still poorly understood. In this study, we identified 14 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from B805D-MR-16-8-3 (B805D) and Hua6S.
Background: The frequency and intensity of droughts are expected to increase under global change, driven by anthropogenic climate change and water diversion. Precipitation is expected to become more episodic under climate change, with longer and warmer dry spells, although some areas might become wetter. Diversion of freshwater from lakes and rivers and groundwater pumping for irrigation of agricultural fields are lowering water availability to wild plant populations, increasing the frequency and intensity of drought.
