A negative association between nectar standing crop and pollen transfer suggests nectar functions as a manipulator of pollinating bats.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Nectar standing crop has a fundamental role in controlling pollinator movements between flowers and individuals within a population. In bat pollination systems, plants take advantage of the cognitive abilities of nectarivorous bats, which integrate complex perceptions of the quality and spatial distribution of resources. Here, we propose that associations between standing crop and pollen transfer help to reveal the role of nectar as a manipulator of pollinator behaviour.

Methods

We used Harpochilus neesianus Ness (Acanthaceae), a bat-pollinated shrub from the Brazilian Caatinga, as a model system to assess nectar removal effects and standing crop, respectively, over the night and to test associations between the amount of nectar available to pollinators,

SUBMITTER: Domingos-Melo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9992937 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature