Ref ID: 10710
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: 3
Start Page: 371
End Page: 379
ISBN/ISSN:
Keywords: bee/Eucalyptus/Eucalyptus globulus/globulus/insect/Myrtaceae/native/native insect/pollinator/swift parrot/production/fitness/pollination/service/cost/plant/endangered/Lathamus discolor/tree/Labill/Tasmania/seed/flower/seed production/species/Apis/Apis mellifera/Bombus terrestris/commercial/seed orchard/character/birds
Abstract: It has been argued that the production of sufficient nectar to attract bird pollinators would evolve if the fitness benefits accruing from pollination
services by birds, compared with insects, outweighed the cost of increased allocation of photosynthate to nectar. This hypothesis implies that the
pollination services provided by birds must be considerably better than those provided by insects with which the plant has evolved. Consistent with
this, we found that the endangered native swift parrot Lathamus discolor (Shaw) was a very effective pollinator of the native tree Eucalyptus
globulus Labill. in Tasmania, facilitating an average of 76% of the maximum possible seed set for open-pollinated flowers in just one visit to a flower, whereas single flower visits by native insects did not facilitate any seed production. Flowers visited once by either species of introduced social bees, the honeybee Apis mellifera L. or the bumblebee Bombus terrestris (L.), produced less than 7% of the maximum possible seed set for open-pollinated flowers. Hence, easily managed social bees appear to be poor substitutes for bird pollinators in commercial seed orchards of this tree. We propose three possible reasons why this largely bird-pollinated tree has not evolved characters that deter insects from removing nectar.
Notes:
Reprint: In File
Program: SPF Genetic Improvement
Project: A1
Deliverable:
Confidentiality: Confidential to All Partners
Availability:
Report: Annual Report 2003/4
Type:
Address: andrew.hingston@utas.edu.au