Abstract Detail

Macroevolution

Curran, Bridget [1], Jolles, Diana [2].

Resource partitioning among co-occurring buzz pollinated species in New England.

Buzz pollination is a morphologically diverse pollination syndrome, so we might not expect co-occurring species with this syndrome to experience selection for divergent flowering times. Plant species in New England with this pollination mode collectively occur across just five families, grow in a diversity of habitats, and flower from March until November. Our study focuses on variation in buzz pollinated species phenologies and whether (a) plants with similar floral characteristics flower concurrently or not, and if (b) plant species in sympatry avoid competition by flowering at different times. We annotated iNaturalist observations of buzz pollinated species occurring in New England with phenology information, then summarized these data to determine flowering times. We used ANOVA to test whether species occurring sympatrically exhibited significant differences in floral characteristics such as flower orientation, shape, size, and symmetry. We also tested whether plant species occurring in the same habitat types exhibited significant differences in flowering times. In this talk, we discuss how to interpret patterns of divergence in flowering times and what these patterns can tell us about the selection pressures acting on pollen/pollinator resources in New England habitats.

1 - Plymouth State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 17 High Street, MSC48, Plymouth, NH, 03264, United States
2 - Plymouth State University, Department of Biological Sciences, MSC 48, 17 High Street, Plymouth, NH, 03264, United States

Keywords:
buzz-pollination
phenology
pollinators
partitioning
New England
habitat
pollen
Pollination syndrome.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: MACRO1, Macroevolution I
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2020
Time: 3:45 PM
Number: MACRO1004
Abstract ID:790
Candidate for Awards:None