Do flower phenology and traits vary across species provenances and impact plant-pollinator interactions?

Bauer, Tatia Adelinde Fay (2021) Do flower phenology and traits vary across species provenances and impact plant-pollinator interactions? Masters thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

The response of plant-pollinator interactions to climate change is a growing body of research. Pollinators are key components of most terrestrial systems, and most plants depend on these mutualisms for reproduction. This common garden study aimed to understand how climate provenance is associated with the phenology of flowering and floral traits, and subsequently how the variation in phenology and floral traits is associated with the abundance and richness of pollinator functional groups. Eight populations of ten common forb species were collected across a climate gradient in the southwestern US and planted in a common garden. Populations were measured for phenology and floral traits (abundance, corolla dimensions) and observed for interactions with insect visitors. Regression analyses were conducted to determine whether population trait variation was predicted by provenance climate, with subsequent correlation analyses to determine if pollinator responses (richness, activity) were associated with trait variation. The majority of the ten forb species demonstrated some degree of trait variation that was predicted by climate; however, the direction and degree of response was variable among species. Compared to the high degree of climate-trait associations within the study plant species, there were few significant responses detected within the pollinator community. However, a small subset of phenological and floral traits impacted pollinator functional group richness/abundance; namely, date of peak floral output and peak floral abundance. These traits were variable between provenances and predicted by climate source, suggesting that climate influence on traits can have a direct implication for some plant-pollinator mutualisms.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	Common garden; Forb; Restoration; Plant-pollinator interactions; Southwest (U.S.); Climate change;
Subjects:	Q Science > QK Botany
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences > Biological Sciences
Date Deposited:	21 Feb 2022 17:20
Last Modified:	19 May 2023 08:30
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/5722

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