Microbial diversity in the floral nectar of Linaria vulgaris along an urbanization gradient.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Microbes are common inhabitants of floral nectar and are capable of influencing plant-pollinator interactions. All studies so far investigated microbial communities in floral nectar in plant populations that were located in natural environments, but nothing is known about these communities in nectar of plants inhabiting urban environments. However, at least some microbes are vectored into floral nectar by pollinators, and because urbanization can have a profound impact on pollinator communities and plant-pollinator interactions, it can be expected that it affects nectar microbes as well. To test this hypothesis, we related microbial diversity in floral nectar to the degree of urbanization in the late-flowering plant Linaria vulgaris. Floral nectar was collected from twen

SUBMITTER: Bartlewicz J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4815126 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature