SOE 306 Plant Animal Interactions 1 Animal pollination 2 Pollination and pollinators 3 Pollinators in action 4 Seed dispersal 5 Nutrient related interactions Animal pollination a mutualism Pollinators receive food from plants Often nectar or pollen itself Plant have their male gametes transferred to different individuals Primarily observed in angiosperms 80 of species Pollination Syndrome Floral traits associated with a specific abiotic mechanism for pollination or a specific group of animals as pollinators Often a co evolved relationship Angraecum sesquipedale Xanthopan morganii Nectar spur Bee pollination Flowers often tubular or irregular shaped Flowers often blue purple or yellow Copious nectar and pollen Scent is variable Nectar guides often present Natural Light UV Light Bee pollination Flowers often tubular or irregular shaped Flowers often blue purple or yellow Copious nectar and pollen Scent is variable Nectar guides often present Natural Light UV Light Natural Light UV Light Bee pollination Nectar Guides Bee pollination in orchids by pseudocopulation Butterfly pollination Bright colored flowers Copious nectar often in corolla tube Fragrant flowers Landing platforms Beetle pollination Open bowl shaped flowers Often pale colored Little nectar but strong scent Floral structures protected Fly pollination Dark colored flowers often brown Flowers smell like dung or carrion no nectar Lack nectar Nocturnal moth pollination Flowers have long corolla tube Dull colored or white Copious nectar Sweet scent emitted at dusk Bird pollination Large flowers Flowers often red orange or yellow Copious nectar Little or no scent Bird pollination Bat pollination Large flowers Flowers dull colored and open at night Copious pollen and nectar Strong fruitlike or musty scent Bat pollination Pollination Videos Plant Animal Interactions 1 Animal pollination 2 Pollination and pollinators 3 Pollinators in action 4 Seed dispersal 5 Nutrient related interactions Complex Plant Pollinator Interactions Trophic cascade mediated by pollination Trophic cascade influence of consumers predators on populations 2 or more trophic levels apart Experiment adding supplemental pollen determined plants near ponds without fish were pollen limited Data from Knight et al 2005 Threats to pollinators x Threats to pollinators Land use change emerging as key factor Much concern over neonicotinoids although several pollinator declines occurred before introduction Vanbergen et al 2013 Endangered Bee species Rusty patched bumble bee Bombus affinis Pollinators Contribute 24 billion to US economy 15 billion from bees alone Plant Animal Interactions 1 Animal pollination 2 Pollination and pollinators 3 Pollinators in action 4 Seed dispersal 5 Nutrient related interactions Seed Dispersal by Animals Zoochory Epizoochory Endozoochory Epizoochory Adhesive fruits Frugivore Seed Dispersal Plants balance protecting seeds with attracting dispersers Unripe fruit with repellent or toxic compounds Mildly toxic ripe fruit to encourage frugivore dispersal Hard seed coat resistant to digestion Laxative to speed passage Some seeds require digestion for germination Type of scarification weakening of seed coat Granivory Consumption or damage of seeds by animals seed predation Seeds must escape for germination success Seed dispersal by ants Eliasomes fleshy structures attached to seeds rich in lipids protiens Seeds carried to nest eliasome consumed by ant larvae Seed then dumped underground in ant nests a favorable site Convergent evolution in hundreds of plant lineages Afzelia africana African mahogany Trillium recurvatum prairie trillium Eastern redcedar dispersal Juniperus virginiana Holthuijzen et al 1987 Diploendozoochory Seed dispersal by predators that eat frugivores Sarasola et al 2016 Plant Animal Interactions 1 Animal pollination 2 Pollination and pollinators 3 Pollinators in action 4 Seed dispersal 5 Nutrient related interactions Soil Animals Break down detritus Mix and aerate soil Deer Yarding Deer gather in sheltered areas in winter Concentrates excreta rich in nitrogen Animal effects on nitrogen l i o s Cryptantha flava Murray et al 2014 In deer use Peek and Forseth 2003 Carnivorous Plants Snap Trap Sticky Trap Drosera capensis Cephalotus follicularis Carnivorous Plants Pit Trap Experiments show nutrition effects x Venus flytrap Dionaea muscipula Shrew Loo Plant attracts rodents with nectar Shrew leaves droppings in the pitcher Nepenthes raja Pitcher plant bat roost x Nepenthes hemsleyana Next lecture Herbivory and Plant Defense