Can resin extraction have an effect on the reproductive biology in burseraceae species?: A global analysis

Abstract

Plant reproductive biology encompasses the study of sexual and asexual reproduction, as well as morphological, physiological, ecological, and genetic aspects influencing these processes. Management can influence reproduction of plants and associated attributes. For economically and culturally important species, it is known that exudates affect biomass of reproductive parts, but limited information is available on how reproductive biology is affected by harvest of exudates. This study reviews the effects of resins extraction in economic and culturally important species of Burseraceae. We conducted a systematic review on studies of floral biology, management, propagation and germination, resource allocation and pollination, hypothesizing that the extraction of exudates negatively impacts the reproductive biology of these plants by altering their mating system, pollination, and reproductive success as a consequence of resource reallocation. We identified that dioecy is the most frequent mating system in Burseraceae plants, and the extraction of exudates negatively affects the reproductive success of the species utilized, since it is related to a decrease in the number of flowers, fruits, and seeds, as well as in the percentage of viability and seed germination. Our review suggests the relevance of conducting studies on the ecophysiological effects of management on resiniferous species. Furthermore, it highlights the difficulty of detecting clear patterns, specific studies should be carried out to corroborate the hypothesis derived from this review. We propose specific strategies that better explore the effect of human management and exudate extraction techniques on vital processes such as germination, development, growth, reproduction, and pollination, in species that are used for this purpose.