Complex floral traits shape pollinator attraction to ornamental plants.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Ornamental flowering plant species are often used in managed greenspaces to attract and support pollinator populations. In natural systems, selection by pollinators is hypothesized to result in convergent multimodal floral phenotypes that are more attractive to specific pollinator taxa. In contrast, ornamental cultivars are bred via artificial selection by humans, and exhibit diverse and distinct phenotypes. Despite their prevalence in managed habitats, the influence of cultivar phenotypic variation on plant attractiveness to pollinator taxa is not well resolved.

Methods

We used a combination of field and behavioural assays to evaluate how variation in floral visual, chemical and nutritional traits impacted overall attractiveness and visitation by pollina

SUBMITTER: Erickson E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9510942 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature