Pollination biology of melittophilous legume tree species in the Atlantic Forest in Southeast Brazil

Mardiore Pinheiro,Marlies Sazima,Vinicius Lourenço Garcia de Brito

doi:10.1590/0102-33062018abb0078

Abstract

This study describes the floral phenology and morphology, reproductive biology and pollinators for eight legume tree species, Schizolobium parahyba, Senna macranthera, and Senna multijuga (Caesalpinioideae), as well as Andira fraxinifolia, Lonchocarpus cultratus, Pterocarpus violaceus, Swartzia oblata, and S. simplex (Papilionoideae), in the Atlantic Forest in Southeast Brazil. All the studied species showed an annual flowering pattern, and almost all are of the cornucopia-flowering type, with the only exception being Swartzia oblata, which was of the steady-state type. In general, the legume flowers studied are conspicuous, mostly medium-sized, and offer nectar and/or pollen as a resource. Self-incompatibility associated with the production of many flowers and consequent pollen discounting due to self-pollination may contribute to low fruit set of these species in natural conditions. Fifty bee species were recorded visiting the flowers, with medium to large-sized Apidae bees, such as Bombus morio, and species of Xylocopa, Centridini and Euglossina, which were among the most frequent visitors and major pollinators. These bees showed high floral constancy, thus they are significant to the reproductive success of these tree species. This study provides information regarding the interactions between bees and these eight legume species and evaluates the importance of pollinators for their sexual reproduction.

Highlights

In Neotropical forests, the majority of tree species studied for their breeding system have been found to be selfincompatible; they are mostly dependent on animals for their pollination and reproduction which probably increases the level of specialization in such places (Ollerton et al 2006; 2011)
This study describes the floral phenology and morphology, reproductive biology and pollinators for eight legume tree species, Schizolobium parahyba, Senna macranthera, and Senna multijuga (Caesalpinioideae), as well as Andira fraxinifolia, Lonchocarpus cultratus, Pterocarpus violaceus, Swartzia oblata, and S. simplex (Papilionoideae), in the Atlantic Forest in Southeast Brazil
This study was conducted in the Atlantic Forest area in the Serra do Mar State Park (SMSP), Núcleo Picinguaba (NP), municipality of Ubatuba, São Paulo state, Southeast Brazil

Summary

Introduction

In Neotropical forests, the majority of tree species studied for their breeding system have been found to be selfincompatible; they are mostly dependent on animals for their pollination and reproduction which probably increases the level of specialization in such places (Ollerton et al 2006; 2011). Studies point that landscape changes resulting from anthropogenic disturbance, as habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, are one of the primary threats to pollination services (Potts et al 2010; Thomann et al 2013) In this sense, studies of the interactions between plants and their pollinators can provide useful information to understanding ecological and evolutionary relationships of species (Mitchell et al 2009) as well as to conserving species in threatened habitats (Mayer et al 2011). Pollination biology of melittophilous legume tree species in the Atlantic rainforest Forest in southeastern Brazil studied and not encompass the taxonomic and functional diversity of this ecosystem The absence of this kind of study is mainly due to difficulties in reaching the flowers in the canopy (Prata-de-Assis-Pires & Freitas 2008; Rocca & Sazima 2008). Only a few studies to date have described the pollinators of some ornithophilous species in the canopy (Rocca et al 2006; Rocca & Sazima 2008), as well as the pollinators and reproductive biology of some melittophilous legume tree species (Borges et al 2008; Prata-de-Assis-Pires & Freitas 2008; Wolowski & Freitas 2010; Amorim et al 2013, Ávila et al 2015), and the bee visitors of some mass flowering tree species (Ramalho 2004; Brito & Sazima 2012)

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Results

Conclusion