Secondary compounds in floral rewards of toxic rangeland plants: impacts on pollinators

Abstract

The study of plant secondary chemistry has been essential in understanding plant consumption by herbivores. There is growing evidence that secondary compounds also occur in floral rewards, including nectar and pollen. Many pollinators are generalist nectar and pollen foragers and thus are exposed to an array of secondary compounds in their diet. This review documents secondary compounds in the nectar or pollen of poisonous rangeland plants of the western United States and the effects of these compounds on the behavior, performance, and survival of pollinators. Furthermore, the biochemical, physiological, and behavioral mechanisms by which pollinators cope with secondary compound consumption are discussed, drawing parallels between pollinators and herbivores. Finally, three avenues of future research on floral reward chemistry are proposed. Given that the majority of flowering plants require animals for pollination, understanding how floral reward chemistry affects pollinators has implications for plant reproduction in agricultural and rangeland habitats.

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