Abstract
Caragana korshinskii Kom. has a significant function in desert-grassland revegetation in arid regions. Plant reproduction in arid regions can be restricted due to inadequate pollen receipt and reduced pollen transfer. An assessment of pollination success as a result of pollen limitation and pollinator visitation in various C. korshinskii populations is presently lacking. We thus tested three different treatments (pollen addition, control, and procedural control) to elucidate how pollen limitation affects seed numbers per flower in C. korshinskii. We also determined the effect of pollinator visit frequency on seeds per flower. Our results demonstrated that there was a higher proportion of open flowers and mature fruits in the managed population than in the natural population. Pollen addition significantly increased seed number per flower, and pollen limitation was determined to be a significant limiting factor in seed production. Furthermore, Apis mellifera was determined to be the principal pollinator, and pollinator visitation frequency was significantly correlated with open flower number. Our findings also demonstrated that pollinator visitation rate and seed production were positively correlated. Management and pollinator visitation could affect seed production, which may explain the higher seeds per flower in the managed population compared with the natural population.
Highlights
As plants are immobile, they depend on abiotic or biotic vectors to facilitate pollen transfer for sexual reproduction[1], which has shaped floral attraction and plant mating systems[1]
Managed populations and evaluate the correlation between pollinator visitation frequency and open flower number, and (3) determine how the seed production of C. korshinskii is impacted by pollinator visitation
The findings show that the vegetation density (VD), vegetation height (VH), and aboveground plant biomass (AGB) of the managed patch were significantly increased in comparison to those in the natural patch
Summary
They depend on abiotic or biotic vectors to facilitate pollen transfer for sexual reproduction[1], which has shaped floral attraction and plant mating systems[1]. The pollination success of a plant can be hampered by an inadequate or insufficient supply of pollen, called “pollen limitation”[4]. There are both ecological and evolutionary determinants and consequences for pollen limitation[1]. The aims of the present study were to (1) assess the floral trait differences between natural and managed populations, (2) establish the potential impact of pollen limitation on seeds per flower in both natural www.nature.com/scientificreports/. Managed populations and evaluate the correlation between pollinator visitation frequency and open flower number, and (3) determine how the seed production of C. korshinskii is impacted by pollinator visitation
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