Plasticity in Ipomopsis flower color and nectar production over space and time in response to water availability
Abstract
Climate change is altering water availability in subalpine ecosystems. Shifts in snowmelt timing and summer monsoonal precipitation, which alter soil moisture, have the capacity to elicit plastic responses in plants. Plasticity in floral traits such as nectar production and flower color can impact pollen transfer and thus fitness in Ipomopsis aggregata, since these traits have been shown to play an important role in facilitating pollinator visitation. Understanding how these traits vary spatially and temporally in response to changes in water availability will better inform how I. aggregata will persist and be distributed in the future. Two studies were conducted to assess variation in nectar production and flower color: a long-term study analyzed temporal variation and a short-term study assessed spatial variation within populations. Snowmelt date and total summer precipitation were used as a proxy for water availability in the long-term study, and soil moisture was used in the short term study. Results from the short-term study suggest there are no significant effects of soil moisture on either flower color or nectar production. Conversely, the long-term study indicates both measures of water availability interacted to impact nectar production and flower color. These results indicate that floral traits respond to variation in water availability across years, however, it is unclear whether these shifts impact pollinator visitation.
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References (21)
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