Journal article
Diverse ecological relations of male gametophyte populations in stylar environments
American journal of botany, Vol.103(3), pp.484-497
03/2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/115071
PMID: 26933012
Abstract
Pollen on a stigma represents a local population of male gametophytes vying for access to female gametophytes in the associated ovary. As in most populations, density-independent and density-dependent survival depend on intrinsic characteristics of male gametophytes and environmental (pistil) conditions. These characteristics and conditions could differ among flowers, plants, populations, and species, creating diverse male-gametophyte population dynamics, which can influence seed siring and production.
For nine species, we characterized the relations of both the mean and standard deviation of pollen-tube number at the style base to pollen receipt with nonlinear regression. Models represented asymptotic or peaked relations, providing information about the incidence and magnitude of facilitation and competition, the spatial and temporal characteristics of competition, and the intensity and relative timing of density-independent mortality.
We infer that pollen tubes of most species competed sequentially, their tips ceasing growth if earlier tubes had depleted stylar space/resources; although two species experienced simultaneous competition. Tube success of three species revealed positive density dependence (facilitation) at low density. For at least four species, density-independent mortality preceded competition. Tube success varied mostly within plants, rather than among plants or conspecific populations. Pollen quality influenced tube success for two of three species; affecting density-independent survival in one and density-dependent performance in the other.
The diverse relations of pollen-tube success to pollen receipt evident among just nine species indicate significant contributions of the processes governing pollen germination and tube growth to the reproductive diversity of angiosperms.
Metrics
5 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Diverse ecological relations of male gametophyte populations in stylar environments
- Creators
- Lawrence D Harder - Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4 Canada harder@ucalgary.caMarcelo A Aizen - Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA-CONICET and Centro Regional Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400 Bariloche, Río Negro, ArgentinaShane A RichardsMichael A Joseph - School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 644236, Pullman, Washington 99164-4236 USAJeremiah W Busch - School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 644236, Pullman, Washington 99164-4236 USA
- Publication Details
- American journal of botany, Vol.103(3), pp.484-497
- Academic Unit
- Biological Sciences, School of
- Publisher
- United States
- Identifiers
- 99900548137301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article