Effects of clumping of <i> Delphinium barbeyi </i> on pollination

Abstract

The spatial clustering of plants occurs for a variety of reasons, including the evolution of concentrated floral displays to attract more pollination. Within clusters, traits that attract pollinators may differ from non-cluster conditions– such as increasing floral display size andscent, which can cause an increase in pollinator visitation, which in turn increase the reproductive success of plants. In this study I focused on plant neighborhood density, one potential driver of pollination, to further understand pollination systems in times of change and challenge to these structures. More specifically, I examined the question of whether higher density clumping of Delphinium barbeyi increases pollination, and at what spatial scales this effect occurs. I used drone remote sensing, and spatial analysis to choose research sites and measure global densities of D. barbeyi, and collected additional data on local density with manual measurements. In order to measure pollination, I used pollen count, determined through pollen smashing. I found that the most significant global density that impacts the pollination of D. barbeyi is at a 40 meter to 70 meter scale, when comparing global scales of 20 meters to 80 meters. The relationship between pollen count and global density along with pollen count and local density were both found to be significant across scales of 20 meters to 80 meters. In addition, after adding plant fitness to the regression, the relationship across all scales remained significant.

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