Easy technique for assessing pollination rates in the genus <i>Erica</i> reveals road impact on bird pollination in the Cape fynbos, South Africa

Geerts, Sjirk; Pauw, Anton

doi:10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02201.x

Cited by 42 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…This consistent result is highly improbable if dust exposure had no effect on pollen receipt. Furthermore, the fact that we observed the same pattern with experimental hand dusting implicates dust, rather than other effects of roads or features correlated with roads (e.g., Geerts and Pauw 2011;Suárez-Esteban et al 2014), as a major (perhaps sole) cause of reduced pollen receipt.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Effects of Road Dust on the Pollination and Reproduction of Wildflowers

Waser

Price

Casco

et al. 2017

International Journal of Plant Sciences

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Editor: Janette Steets Premise of research. Dust particles and pollen grains are similar in size. Dust deposition might therefore influence the pollination and reproduction of flowering plants. Little is known about such effects, however, despite more general interest in ecological effects of dust.Methodology. We used observational and experimental methods to explore whether dust generated by traffic on unpaved roads affects the amounts of pollen received and numbers of seeds produced by four species of native wildflowers in the western United States.Pivotal results. Flowers of Nuttall's larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum), scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata), Lewis flax (Linum lewisii), and sulphur paintbrush (Castilleja sulphurea) growing 1-2 m from a road received substantially more dust and less pollen than those growing 40-50 m away. We observed the same pattern when we transplanted individuals of the first two species into pots and placed pots near to compared with far from a road. Experimental "hand dusting" of scarlet gilia and Lewis flax plants also reduced stigma pollen loads to a degree that resembled the average effect of road proximity for those species. On the other hand, numbers of seeds per flower ("seed set") did not vary consistently for any species as a function of road proximity or hand-dusting treatment.Conclusions. Several mechanisms might contribute to the different effects of dust on pollen loads and seed set. We discuss four possible mechanisms, which we refer to as pollen excess, pollen quality, resource limitation, and compensatory herbivory. These mechanisms suggest avenues for further study of dust, pollination, and plant reproduction with this and other systems.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Effects of Road Dust on the Pollination and Reproduction of Wildflowers

Waser

Price

Casco

et al. 2017

International Journal of Plant Sciences

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“…Paved roads can have contrasting effects on plant pollination. For example, they can reduce the frequency of pollinating birds visiting flowers (Geerts & Pauw 2011; but see Magrach, Guitián, & Larrinaga 2011;Francis, Kleist, Ortega, & Cruz 2012). On the other hand, roadsides often host flourishing grasslands that provide suitable habitats for diverse and abundant populations of pollinators (Hopwood 2008;Noordijk, Delille, Schaffers, & Sýkora 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unpaved roads disrupt the effect of herbivores and pollinators on the reproduction of a dominant shrub

Suárez‐Esteban

Delibes

Fedriani

2014

Basic and Applied Ecology

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Anthropogenic linear developments, such as trails and firebreaks, also called soft linear developments (SLD), can influence animal behavior, altering the ecological interactions in which animals are involved. For example, SLD can affect the behavior of pollinators and herbivores, but little is known about the combined effect of these three elements on plant reproduction.We evaluated the combined effect of SLD, insect pollinators and herbivores (ungulates) on three reproductive output variables (fruit set, seed set, and seed mass) of a Mediterranean shrub (Halimium halimifolium). We considered two different habitats (SLD verges vs. adjacent scrublands), two scenarios of herbivory (with and without ungulates), and three scenarios of pollinator activity (without pollinators, with manual pollination and with natural pollination).SLD had contrasting effects on H. halimifolium reproduction. In the absence of herbivores, overall fruit set was lower in the verges of SLD than in adjacent scrublands, probably due to lower flower pollination rates. Where herbivores were present, overall fruit set was similar between habitats, because ungulate browsing was lower in SLD verges than in adjacent scrublands. The quantity and weight of seeds per fruit was similar in both habitats, probably because all fertilized flowers received similar amounts of pollen.SLD can alter the interaction among pollinators, herbivores and plants, leading to changes in the reproductive performance of the latter. These changes can have strong negative impacts on endangered plants that rely on fruit and seed production to persist. However, SLD verges could be safe places for plants particularly sensitive to herbivory by ungulates. ZusammenfassungAnthropogene lineare Landschaftselemente wie Wanderwege oder Feuerschneisen können das Verhalten von Tieren beeinflussen und damit die ökologischen Interaktionen, an denen die Arten beteiligt sind, verändern. Diese grünen linearen Strukturen (GLS) können beispielsweise das Verhalten von Bestäubern und Herbivoren beeinflussen, aber wenig ist über den gemeinsamen Effekt dieser drei Elemente auf die Reproduktion von Pflanzen bekannt.

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“…Available data raise expectations of negative effects on pollination by birds in South Africa and bumblebees in North America (Bhattacharya et al . ; Geerts & Pauw ). In addition, diesel exhaust causes disruption of odour recognition by bees (Girling et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pollination of lark daisy on roadsides declines as traffic speed increases along an Amazonian highway

2016

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Ecological disturbances caused by roadways have previously been reported, but traffic speed has not been addressed. We investigate effects of traffic speed on pollination of Centratherum punctatum (Asteraceae) along an Amazonian highway roadside. We hypothesised that frequency of flower visitors, duration of single visits and pollen deposition on stigmas will vary negatively as traffic speed increases. After measuring vehicle velocities, we classified three road sections as low-, mid- and high-velocity traffic. The main pollinator bee, Augochlora sp., visited C. punctatum inflorescences with decreasing frequency from low- to high-velocity roadside sections, whereas the nectar thief butterflies did the opposite. Duration of single visits by bees and butterflies was shorter, and arrival of pollen on C. punctatum stigmas was lower, in high- than in low-velocity roadside. Air turbulence due to passing vehicles increases with velocity and disturbed the flower visitors. Overall, results support that traffic velocity negatively affects foraging of flower visitors and the pollination of C. punctatum on roadsides.

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Easy technique for assessing pollination rates in the genus Erica reveals road impact on bird pollination in the Cape fynbos, South Africa

Cited by 42 publications

References 48 publications

Effects of Road Dust on the Pollination and Reproduction of Wildflowers

Effects of Road Dust on the Pollination and Reproduction of Wildflowers

Unpaved roads disrupt the effect of herbivores and pollinators on the reproduction of a dominant shrub

Pollination of lark daisy on roadsides declines as traffic speed increases along an Amazonian highway

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