Ecological implications of a flower size/number trade-off in tropical forest trees.

Chris J Kettle,Colin R Maycock,Rahayu Sukmaria Haji Sukri,David F R P Burslem,Jaboury Ghazoul,Eyen Khoo,Pete M Hollingsworth,Jerome Chave

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0016111

Chris J Kettle, Colin R Maycock + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016111

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Abstract

BackgroundIn angiosperms, flower size commonly scales negatively with number. The ecological consequences of this trade-off for tropical trees remain poorly resolved, despite their potential importance for tropical forest conservation. We investigated the flower size number trade-off and its implications for fecundity in a sample of tree species from the Dipterocarpaceae on Borneo.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe combined experimental exclusion of pollinators in 11 species, with direct and indirect estimates of contemporary pollen dispersal in two study species and published estimates of pollen dispersal in a further three species to explore the relationship between flower size, pollinator size and mean pollen dispersal distance. Maximum flower production was two orders of magnitude greater in small-flowered than large-flowered species of Dipterocarpaceae. In contrast, fruit production was unrelated to flower size and did not differ significantly among species. Small-flowered species had both smaller-sized pollinators and lower mean pollination success than large-flowered species. Average pollen dispersal distances were lower and frequency of mating between related individuals was higher in a smaller-flowered species than a larger-flowered confamilial. Our synthesis of pollen dispersal estimates across five species of dipterocarp suggests that pollen dispersal scales positively with flower size.Conclusions and Their SignificanceTrade-offs embedded in the relationship between flower size and pollination success contribute to a reduction in the variance of fecundity among species. It is therefore plausible that these processes could delay competitive exclusion and contribute to maintenance of species coexistence in this ecologically and economically important family of tropical trees. These results have practical implications for tree species conservation and restoration. Seed collection from small-flowered species may be especially vulnerable to cryptic genetic erosion. Our findings also highlight the potential for differential vulnerability of tropical tree species to the deleterious consequences of forest fragmentation.

Highlights

Angiosperms manifest a wide array of floral displays, from species that produce only a single large flower per plant, to those that produce hundreds of tiny flowers on many inflorescences per individual
Our study suggests that a trade-off exists between flower size and number that, coupled with a positive scaling between flower size and pollination success, reduces the variance in per tree fruit production between species
We have shown that species with small flowers produce them in greater numbers, but these flowers are pollinated by small-bodied insects that are less likely to disperse pollen over long distances

Summary

Introduction

Angiosperms manifest a wide array of floral displays, from species that produce only a single large flower per plant, to those that produce hundreds of tiny flowers on many inflorescences per individual. The attractiveness of these different floral displays is closely coupled to mating system, the type and breadth of pollinators and individual fecundity [1,2]. Interactions between plants and their pollinators have received limited attention as a driver of species diversity in tropical tree communities [14,15,16].

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