Effects of Experimental Water Addition on Floral Nectar Traits

Abstract

Plant-pollinator interactions rely on the exchange of nectar and pollen for pollination services. Nectar traits can be influenced by changes in abiotic factors such as water availability, and such variation may in turn influence interactions with pollinators. This experiment investigated how the nectar traits in subalpine plant species responded to increased water availability compared to control conditions. We collected data on three components of floral nectar traits: nectar volume (µl), nectar sugar concentration (mg/µl), and total nectar sugar (mg) for four different wildflower species: Delphinium nuttallianum (Ranunculaceae), Delphinium barbeyi (Ranunculaceae), Eremegone congesta (Caryophyllaceae), and Erigeron speciosus (Asteraceae). Delphinium nuttalianum, Delphinium barbeyi, and Erigeron speciosus all showed no pattern between the control and water addition plots, suggesting these species can maintain nectar traits across variable water availability conditions. Erigeron speciosus showed a marginal increase in sugar content, which was not previously predicted in our hypotheses. We found that Eremegone congesta was the most sensitive to changes in water availability, with a significant decrease in nectar volume and sugar content due to water addition treatment.

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