Ref ID: 10135
Ref Type: Journal
Authors: Hingston, A. B., Potts, B. M., and McQuillan, P. B.
Pub Date: 2004
Journal Name: Australian Journal of Botany
Volume: 52
Issue:
Start Page: 353
End Page: 369
ISBN/ISSN:
Keywords: Eucalyptus/Eucalyptus globulus/flower/globulus/Myrtaceae/pollination/service/tree/Labill/insect/birds/ITS/natural/distribution/seed/seed production/production/ground/pollinator/pollen/limitation/trees/outcrossing/consumption/Apis/Apis mellifera/forage
Abstract: Flowers of the commercially important tree Eucalyptus globulus Labill. ssp. globulus were visited by a wide variety of insects and birds within its
natural distribution. Flowers were visited so frequently that most available nectar was consumed, but seed production within 5 m of the ground was
consistently far less than the maximum possible, indicating the presence of large numbers of inefficient pollinators and few efficient pollinators.
Pollen limitation was more severe on fully self-incompatible trees than on partially self-compatible trees, demonstrating that pollinator inefficiency
resulted from infrequent outcrossing rather than inability to deposit pollen on stigmas. The flower visitors that were responsible for almost all nectar
consumption from flowers within 5 m of the ground were insects that were able to permeate cages with 5-mm apertures but not cages with 1-mm
apertures, the most abundant of which was the introduced honeybee Apis mellifera L. These insects contributed less than 20% of the maximum possible seed set, indicating that they were inefficient pollinators. Birds and smaller insects made lesser contributions to seed production, but consumed little nectar within 5 m of the ground. However, anthophilous birds appeared to mostly forage higher in the trees and probably consumed more nectar from, and provided more pollination services to, flowers higher in the trees.
Notes: Entered by Andrew B. Hingston (12/12/2002)
Reprint: Not in File
Program: SPF Genetic Improvement
Project: A1
Deliverable: A1-3.1; A1-3.4
Confidentiality: Public
Availability: Authors
Report: Annual Report 2003/4
Type: Article
Address: hingston@utas.edu.au