Abstract Detail

Pollination Biology

Muir, Jennifer [1], Vamosi, Jana [2].

Generalization alters the probability of plant community invasion.

Species-rich communities are well known to be a double-edged sword: while often thought to be more stable as a consequence of high redundancy in mutualistic interactions, a positive association between native and exotic species richness has also been observed. In animal-pollinated plants, increased species richness may dilute pollinator visitation in the face of a limited pollinator pool. However, the presence of showy exotic plants at low densities may actually facilitate the pollination of natives by attracting generalist pollinators to the community. Here, we model the invasion of a resident plant community with particular interest in whether the allocation to floral display in an exotic plant affects the outcome of competition for pollination with native species on a disturbed landscape, and whether the diversity of species within a community can help or hinder its resistance to invasion. We find that there seems to be an optimal resource trade-off between floral and seed allocation in exotic plants, as invaders with low floral allocation do not attract enough visits for full seed set, and too much floral attraction results in seed limitation. Increased pollinator sharing in the resident community does seem to increase the probability of invasion, presumably because the invader is usurping pollinators from natives that share a common pollinator pool.

Broader Impacts:

1 - University of Calgary, Biological Sciences, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
2 - University Of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, T2N1Z4, Canada

Keywords:
pollination
exotic species
competition
floral display
invasion
pollen limitation
seed limitation
facilitation
seed-flower trade-offs.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics
Session: P
Location: Khorassan Ballroom/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PPL004
Abstract ID:572