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Pollinator niche-partitioning among eight coexisting dipterocarp species in Sabah

Pollinator niche-partitioning among eight coexisting dipterocarp species in Sabah. Linking life-history trade-offs to population genetic structure in tropical forest trees: implications for maintenance of species richness.

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Pollinator niche-partitioning among eight coexisting dipterocarp species in Sabah

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  1. Pollinator niche-partitioning among eight coexisting dipterocarp species in Sabah Linking life-history trade-offs to population genetic structure in tropical forest trees: implications for maintenance of species richness Colin R. Maycock1, Penny Gardner1,Eyen Khoo2, Chris Kettle3, Jaboury Ghazoul3 & David F.R.P. Burslem1 1 University of Aberdeen 2 Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department 3 ETH, Zurich

  2. Background

  3. Pollinator body size Flower size Key predictions Specialized pollination systems • Coexisting dipterocarps partition available pollinators either in time (sequential flowering) or in space (differentiation of pollinator communities among dipterocarp species) • Across dipterocarp species, pollinator body size correlates positively with flower size, pollinator foraging range and mean pollen dispersal distance

  4. Location of study site Trails 41 km of trails Plots 68.5 ha Alluvial 2 x 13.8 ha Sandstone All reproductive Dipts 30 cm dbh canopy spp 50 cm dbh emergent spp Methods • Pollinator exclusion experiment • Characterization of flower visitor communities

  5. Pollinator exclusion experiment • GPS trees with developing flower buds • Select trees • maximize range of inter-tree distances • climbability (SRT & Doubled RT) • 6 trees species (3 trees in 2006) • 3 treatments & a control • Open pollination = all pollinators = control • 5 mm mesh bags ≠ large pollinators • 2 mm mesh bags ≠ medium & large pollinators • 0.2 mm mesh bags ≠ All pollinators = Apomixis • 10 sets of bags per tree • Monitored weekly • 8 species • S. xanthophylla, S. multiflora & S. leprosula = 2 flowerings

  6. Flower visitors & pollinators • Flypaper traps • 24 hr sweep net sampling • Flower collections • Direct observations • 3-5 trees/species • Ordinal sorts • +/- pollen ongoing • Systematic descriptions and an image library

  7. Large flower visitors excluded

  8. Large & moderate flower visitors excluded

  9. All flower visitors excluded

  10. Interpretation • 5 mm mesh • D. grandiflorus & S. johorensis • 2 mm mesh • D. grandiflorus,P. tomentella & S. smithiana, & S. johorensis • 0.2 mm mesh • D. grandiflorus,S. johorensis & P. tomentella • S. smithiana • Other spp. • Why still getting seed set if excluding all flower visitors?

  11. Thrips hawaiiensis

  12. Ordinal sorts of sweep net samples Increasing flower size

  13. Ideas • Dipterocarps probably have a generalized pollination system • Thrips play a part, but so do other insects • Thrips are non-specific • Different strategies in different species • S. leprosula • Hand crossing suggests self-compatibility in this species • ~ 1.5 million flowers of S. leprosula receive pollen, but only 10,000s develop into fruit • Post-fertilization maternal selection? • D. grandiflorus • Pre-fertilization self rejection? • E.g. Pollen-tube guidance mechanism

  14. Acknowledgements • Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department • NERC - funding • EPU & EPUN – research permission Jeisin teaching Chris HP techniques Anis and I practicing rescue techniques

  15. Thank you - Any questions? Most important outcome from the project; Marcolm DOB: 31st August 2007 KK, Sabah

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