Pollinator functional group abundance and floral heterogeneity in an agroecological context affect mating patterns in a self-incompatible wild plant.

ABSTRACT:

Premise

Restoration of seminatural field margins can elevate pollinator activity. However, how they support wild plant gene flow through interactions between pollinators and spatiotemporal gradients in floral resources remains largely unknown.

Methods

Using a farm-scale experiment, we tested how mating outcomes (expected heterozygosity and paternity correlation) of the wild, self-incompatible plant Cyanus segetum transplanted into field margins (sown wildflower or grass-legume strips) were affected by the abundance of different pollinator functional groups (defined by species traits). We also investigated how the maternal plant attractiveness, conspecific pollen donor density, and heterospecific floral richness and density interacted with pollinator functional group abundanc

SUBMITTER: Labonte A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11659934 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature