VARIATION IN POLLEN FLOW WITHIN AND AMONG POPULATIONS OF IPOMOPSIS AGGREGATA.

Abstract

Pollen dispersal is a major component of gene flow in plant populations. It can influence microevolution within and among populations as well as the evolution of floral characters that affect dispersal. Most previous studies have relied on point estimates to characterize dispersal distances, even though there is likely to be substantial intrapopulational and interpopulational variation. We measured variation in pollen dispersal for the hummingbird-pollinated herb Ipomopsis aggregata (Polemoniaceae), using powdered fluorescent dyes to estimate pollen movement. Analysis of 5-6 natural populations in each of three years indicated that mean and mean squared distances of pollen dispersal, measured over the reproductive lifespan of individual plants, varied more than threefold among populations and years. Dispersal distances also shifted over the season within a given population. Unlike the variation among populations, these seasonal changes were associated in part with changes in flower density. The mean distance of pollen dispersal from an individual plant was unrelated to the date of first flowering, but did reflect two floral characters. Plants with higher variance in stamen length across flowers delivered pollen farther on average, as predicted by computer simulations of pollen carryover. Plants with lower mean stamen lengths also delivered pollen farther. Such effects of plant characters on pollen dispersal are a critical prerequisite for dispersal to evolve in response to its effects on fitness.