Water deficit changes patterns of selection on floral signals and nectar rewards in the common morning glory
(2023) In AoB Plants 15(5).- Abstract
Understanding whether and how resource limitation alters phenotypic selection on floral traits is key to predict the evolution of plant-pollinator interactions under climate change. Two important resources predicted to decline with our changing climate are pollinators and water in the form of increased droughts. Most work, however, has studied these selective agents separately and in the case of water deficit, studies are rare. Here, we use the common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) to investigate the effects of experimental reduction in pollinator access and water availability on floral signals and nectar rewards and their effects on phenotypic selection on these traits. We conducted a manipulative experiment in a common garden, where... (More)
Understanding whether and how resource limitation alters phenotypic selection on floral traits is key to predict the evolution of plant-pollinator interactions under climate change. Two important resources predicted to decline with our changing climate are pollinators and water in the form of increased droughts. Most work, however, has studied these selective agents separately and in the case of water deficit, studies are rare. Here, we use the common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) to investigate the effects of experimental reduction in pollinator access and water availability on floral signals and nectar rewards and their effects on phenotypic selection on these traits. We conducted a manipulative experiment in a common garden, where we grew plants in three treatments: (1) pollinator restriction, (2) water reduction and (3) unmanipulated control. Plants in pollinator restriction and control treatments were well-watered compared to water deficit. We found that in contrast to pollinator restriction, water deficit had strong effects altering floral signals and nectar rewards but also differed in the direction and strength of selection on these traits compared to control plants. Water deficit increased the opportunity for selection, and selection in this treatment favoured lower nectar volumes and larger floral sizes, which might further alter pollinator visitation. In addition, well-watered plants, both in control and pollinator deficit, showed similar patterns of selection to increase nectar volume suggesting non-pollinator-mediated selection on nectar. Our study shows that floral traits may evolve in response to reduction in water access faster than to declines in pollinators and reinforces that abiotic factors can be important agents of selection for floral traits. Although only few experimental selection studies have manipulated access to biotic and abiotic resources, our results suggest that this approach is key for understanding how pollination systems may evolve under climate change.
(Less)
- author
- García, Yedra LU ; Dow, Benjamin S. and Parachnowitsch, Amy L.
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023-10-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Drought, Ipomoea purpurea, phenotypic selection, pollen limitation, resource limitation
- in
- AoB Plants
- volume
- 15
- issue
- 5
- article number
- plad061
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:37899982
- scopus:85172926644
- ISSN
- 2041-2851
- DOI
- 10.1093/aobpla/plad061
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.
- id
- 2cc6e689-72d0-4efa-b46d-3679f28306bc
- date added to LUP
- 2024-03-27 14:38:43
- date last changed
- 2024-04-24 18:39:16
@article{2cc6e689-72d0-4efa-b46d-3679f28306bc,
abstract = {{<p>Understanding whether and how resource limitation alters phenotypic selection on floral traits is key to predict the evolution of plant-pollinator interactions under climate change. Two important resources predicted to decline with our changing climate are pollinators and water in the form of increased droughts. Most work, however, has studied these selective agents separately and in the case of water deficit, studies are rare. Here, we use the common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) to investigate the effects of experimental reduction in pollinator access and water availability on floral signals and nectar rewards and their effects on phenotypic selection on these traits. We conducted a manipulative experiment in a common garden, where we grew plants in three treatments: (1) pollinator restriction, (2) water reduction and (3) unmanipulated control. Plants in pollinator restriction and control treatments were well-watered compared to water deficit. We found that in contrast to pollinator restriction, water deficit had strong effects altering floral signals and nectar rewards but also differed in the direction and strength of selection on these traits compared to control plants. Water deficit increased the opportunity for selection, and selection in this treatment favoured lower nectar volumes and larger floral sizes, which might further alter pollinator visitation. In addition, well-watered plants, both in control and pollinator deficit, showed similar patterns of selection to increase nectar volume suggesting non-pollinator-mediated selection on nectar. Our study shows that floral traits may evolve in response to reduction in water access faster than to declines in pollinators and reinforces that abiotic factors can be important agents of selection for floral traits. Although only few experimental selection studies have manipulated access to biotic and abiotic resources, our results suggest that this approach is key for understanding how pollination systems may evolve under climate change.</p>}},
author = {{García, Yedra and Dow, Benjamin S. and Parachnowitsch, Amy L.}},
issn = {{2041-2851}},
keywords = {{Drought; Ipomoea purpurea; phenotypic selection; pollen limitation; resource limitation}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{10}},
number = {{5}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{AoB Plants}},
title = {{Water deficit changes patterns of selection on floral signals and nectar rewards in the common morning glory}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plad061}},
doi = {{10.1093/aobpla/plad061}},
volume = {{15}},
year = {{2023}},
}