The reproductive biology of euglossine-pollinated plants in the natural reserve Nouragues, French Guiana [Elektronische Ressource] / vorgelegt von Heiko Hentrich

Informations

• Publié par: universitat_ulm
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

THE REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF
EUGLOSSINE-POLLINATED PLANTS IN THE
NATURAL RESERVE NOURAGUES, FRENCH GUIANA




DISSERTATION

zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades Dr. rer. nat.
der Fakultät für Naturwissenschaften der Universität Ulm

vorgelegt von
Heiko Hentrich
aus Schwäbisch Hall

Ulm 2008



































Amtierender Dekan: Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Spindler
Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Gottsberger
Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Manfred Ayasse
Tag der Promotion:





























Legend to pictures of the title page:
A B A: Euglossa cf. chalybeata approaching flower of Voyria clavata (Gentianaceae)
C D B: cf. chalybeataRapatea paludosa (Rapateaceae)
C: Exaerete frontalis sucking nectar at a flower of Bonafousia disticha (Apocynaceae)
D: Eulaema bombiformis collecting floral perfume at an inflorescence of
Spathiphyllum humboldtii (Araceae)

Table of contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Summary................................................................................................................. 1
Zusammenfassung ..................................................................................................................19

CHAPTER 1
REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION BY FLORAL SCENT IN THREE SYMPATRIC
EUGLOSSINE-POLLINATED ANTHURIUM AND SPATHIPHYLLUM (ARACEAE)
SPECIES IN FRENCH GUIANA .............................................................................. 49
Abstract................................................................................................................................49
Introduction..........................................................................................................................50
Material & Methods.............................................................................................................52
Results..................................................................................................................................54
Discussion............................................................................................................................63
Acknowledgements..............................................................................................................67
References.......68

CHAPTER 2
FLORAL SCENT COLLECTION AT THE PERFUME FLOWERS OF ANTHURIUM
RUBRINERVIUM (ARACEAE) BY THE KLEPTOPARASITIC ORCHID BEE AGLAE
CAERULEA (EUGLOSSINI) .................................................................................... 73
Introduction..........................................................................................................................73
Material & Methods.............................................................................................................74
Results..................................................................................................................................75
Discussion............................................................................................................................78
Acknowledgments ...............................................................................................................80
References.......81


I Table of contents
CHAPTER 3
DOES SELECTION FAVOR SELFING IN MYCO-HETEROTROPHIC PLANTS? - THE
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF VOYRIA (GENTIANACEAE) SPECIES IN FRENCH
GUIANA................................................................................................................85
Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 85
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 86
Material & Methods ............................................................................................................ 88
Results ................................................................................................................................. 91
Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 106
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 111
References.... 112

CHAPTER 4
THE REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF EUGLOSSINE-POLLINATED UNDERSTORY
PLANTS IN A LOWLAND RAINFOREST IN FRENCH GUIANA – A COMPARATIVE
STUDY.................................................................................................................117
Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 117
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 118
Material & Methods .......................................................................................................... 120
Results ............................................................................................................................... 124
Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 145
Acknowledgments............................................................................................................. 154
References.... 155


Publications from this thesis and contributions of co-authors ........................................ 163
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................164
Curriculum vitae.................................................................................................................. 167

II Summary
SUMMARY
The reproductive biology of euglossine-pollinated plants
in the natural reserve Nouragues, French Guiana

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Tropical lowland rainforests are characterized by a high plant diversity and low population
densities (Kress & Beach 1994, Myers et al. 2000). The wide spacing between conspecifics
(Hubbel & Foster 1983, Ashton 1984, Bawa et al. 1985a) leads to more intense selection for
long-distance pollen flow than in other communities (Janzen 1970, Bawa 1990). Hereby,
plant species of different forest strata have evolved different ways to attain pollen flow, which
is generally attributed to environmental factors (particularly light intensity) and the
stratification of pollen vectors (Bawa 1983, Bawa 1990, Kress & Beach 1994, Kato 2005). In
the forest canopy mass-flowering species dominate, which attract a broad species spectrum of
foraging insects, and are either visited by large numbers of small diverse insects or medium-
to large-sized bees (Frankie et al. 1983, Bawa et al. 1985b, Bawa 1990, Kress & Beach 1994,
Momose et al. 1998). Interplant movement of pollinators is attained by the exact timing of
flowering and nectar production of the conspecifics (Frankie et al. 1976, Frankie et al. 1983,
Bawa et al. 1985b). Usually, blooming of an individual plant takes only a few days and
different plant species are supposed to minimize competition for shared pollinators and
interspecific gene-flow by short, non-overlapping flowering periods (Bawa 1983, Frankie et
al. 1983). Since the risk of inbreeding depression caused by geitonogamy is high, most
species have evolved self-incompatibility or dioecy (Heinrich & Raven 1972, Bawa 1990,
Kress & Beach 1994). In the forest understory flower visitors are not attracted by large floral
displays. Instead, plants are highly specialized in their reproductive biology to specific
pollinators that primarily belong to the guilds of long-billed nectarivorous birds, long-tongued
bees, and beetles (Bawa 1990, Kress & Beach 1994). Beetle-pollinated plants provide their
visitors with food tissue, and achieve cross-pollination by the exact timing of the female and
male blooming periods of different protogynous flowers or protogynous and monoecious
inflorescences (Gottsberger 1970, Gottsberger & Amaral Jr. 1984, Bawa et al. 1985a, Young
1988, Gottsberger 1989, Gottsberger & Silberbauer-Gottsberger 1991, Kress & Beach 1994,
Gottsberger & Silberbauer-Gottsberger 2006). Bird- and bee-pollinated plants produce few
hermaphroditic flowers daily, which supply their visitors with large amounts of nectar. In
order to prevent exploitation of the flowers by indiscriminate foragers, floral resources are
1 Table of contents
hidden in long corolla tubes that are only accessible to the valid pollinators (Heinrich &
Raven 1972, Stiles 1975, Feinsinger 1983, Momose et al. 1998). However, nectar amounts
secreted by each plant are too low to saturate the daily energy requirements of the pollinators
(Heinrich &