The dual role of floral traits: Pollinator attraction and plant defense

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dc.contributorVirginia Techen
dc.contributor.authorIrwin, Rebecca E.en
dc.contributor.authorAdler, Lynn S.en
dc.contributor.authorBrody, Alison K.en
dc.contributor.departmentBiological Sciencesen
dc.date.accessed2014-01-08en
dc.date.accessioned2014-01-10T20:07:55Zen
dc.date.available2014-01-10T20:07:55Zen
dc.date.issued2004-06en
dc.description.abstractPlants are under siege from a diversity of enemies that consume both leaf and floral parts. Plants resist damage to leaves in a variety of ways, and we now have a rich literature documenting how plants defend themselves against herbivore attack. In contrast, the mechanisms by which plants resist enemies that consume floral parts or resources are much less known, even though damage to floral tissue usually has tighter links to plant fitness than damage to leaf tissue. Many plants experience nectar robbing, whereby floral visitors remove nectar from flowers, often without pollinating. Nectar robbers can reduce plant fitness to degrees comparable to, or even surpassing, reduction by herbivores. However, because nectar attracts both pollinators and nectar robbers, plants face a dilemma in defending against nectar robbers without also deterring pollinators. Here, we extend the conceptual framework of resistance to herbivores to include resistance to nectar robbers, focusing on nectar traits. We review published data and find that an array of nectar traits may deter robbers without deterring pollinators. Although resistance traits against robbers have been broadly identified, the costs and benefits of these traits in terms of plant fitness remain poorly understood. We present data showing that a nectar trait (dilute nectar) might directly, as well as indirectly, benefit plant fitness by deterring nectar-robbing bumble bees of Ipomopsis aggregata without deterring hummingbird pollinators. However, the magnitude of any plant fitness benefit will depend on the degree to which plants are pollen- vs. resource-limited in a given year. The results of our work offer both conceptual and empirical insight into how plants cope with attack by nonpollinating floral visitors through a relatively unexplored trait, nectar.en
dc.identifier.citationRebecca E. Irwin, Lynn S. Adler, and Alison K. Brody 2004. THE DUAL ROLE OF FLORAL TRAITS: POLLINATOR ATTRACTION AND PLANT DEFENSE. Ecology 85:1503–1511. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/03-0390en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1890/03-0390en
dc.identifier.issn0012-9658en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/24802en
dc.identifier.urlhttp://www.esajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1890/03-0390en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherEcological Society of Americaen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectBombus occidentalisen
dc.subjecthumble beeen
dc.subjectherbivoryen
dc.subjectIpomopsis aggregataen
dc.subjectnectaren
dc.subjectconcentrationen
dc.subjectnectar robbingen
dc.subjectplant dejenseen
dc.subjectpollinationen
dc.subjectresistanceen
dc.subjectipomopsis-aggregata polemoniaceaeen
dc.subjectinduced resistanceen
dc.subjectcatalpa-speciosaen
dc.subjectnectar thievesen
dc.subjectscarlet-giliaen
dc.subjecttoxic nectaren
dc.subjectherbivoryen
dc.subjectfitnessen
dc.subjecthummingbirden
dc.subjectevolutionen
dc.subjectEnvironmental Sciences & Ecologyen
dc.titleThe dual role of floral traits: Pollinator attraction and plant defenseen
dc.title.serialEcologyen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden

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