Distinct effects of pollinator dependence and self-incompatibility on pollen limitation in South African biodiversity hotspots.

ABSTRACT: Global synthesis indicates that limitation of plant fecundity by pollen receipt (pollen limitation) is positively related to regional plant diversity and is higher for self-incompatible than self-compatible species. While self-incompatible species are always dependent on pollinating agents, self-compatible species may be pollinator-dependent or autofertile. This should cause variation in pollen limitation among self-compatible species, with lower pollen limitation in autofertile species because they do not depend on pollinators. We hypothesized that the intensity of pollen limitation in self-incompatible compared with pollinator-dependent self-compatible species should depend on whether pollen limitation is determined more by quantity than quality of pollen received. We compared pollen lim

SUBMITTER: Rodger JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4938053 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature