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Pollinator rarity as a threat to a plant with a specialized pollination system
Citation
Phillips, RD and Peakall, R and Retter, BA and Montgomery, K and Menz, MHM and Davis, BJ and Hayes, C and Brown, GR and Swarts, ND and Dixon, KW, Pollinator rarity as a threat to a plant with a specialized pollination system, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 179, (3) pp. 511-525. ISSN 0024-4074 (2015) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2015 The Linnean Society of London
Abstract
An increasing diversity of highly specialized pollination systems are being discovered, many of which are likely to be vulnerable to anthropogenic landscape modification. Here, we investigate if a specialized pollination system limits the persistence of Caladenia huegelii (Orchidaceae), an endangered species pollinated by sexual deception of thynnine wasps. Once locally common in part of its geographical range, C. huegelii is now largely restricted to small habitat remnants in urban areas. Pollinator surveys coupled with DNA barcoding detected a single pollinator taxon, a small form of Macrothynnus insignis. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that small M. insignis from within the range of C. huegelii are strongly divergent from other wasp populations, suggesting that some reproductive isolation may exist. Although common in intact landscapes outside the range of C. huegelli, small M. insignis individuals were recorded at only 4% of sites in suitable C. huegelii habitat. Accordingly, reproductive success in C. huegelii was low compared with related Caladenia spp., with 33–60% of populations failing to set fruit in any given year. As such, populations are likely to now persist primarily through individual plant longevity rather than reproduction. Due to the low reproductive success of C. huegelii, ongoing human intervention will almost certainly be needed to sustain the species. Future research will need to focus on optimizing hand pollination to maintain reproduction and high seed fitness.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | habitat fragmentation, orchid, sexual deception |
| Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
| Research Group: | Ecology |
| Research Field: | Terrestrial ecology |
| Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
| Objective Group: | Terrestrial systems and management |
| Objective Field: | Terrestrial biodiversity |
| UTAS Author: | Swarts, ND (Dr Nigel Swarts) |
| ID Code: | 103212 |
| Year Published: | 2015 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 25 |
| Deposited By: | Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture |
| Deposited On: | 2015-09-28 |
| Last Modified: | 2017-11-03 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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