Plant-Animal Interactions Flashcards
Types of interactions
- Herbivory
- Protection against herbivores
- Pollination
- Seed dispersal
- Plant carnivory
What is the estimated value of pollination?
$168.75 billion in 2009
What is pollination?
Pollen movement from anther to stigma
What is the other name for wind pollination
Anemophily
What is insect pollination called?
Entomophily
Features of wind pollination
Abiotic
Gymnosperms and some flowering plants (grasses, trees) use wind pollination
Flowers are small and grouped together
Not very efficient method (chancy and wasteful)
Biotic pollination
Animal pollination Usually a mutualism Insects - bees, wasps, butterflies Birds - hummingbirds, honey creepers Mammals - monkeys, bats, mice Other - slugs, reptiles, frogs
What is floral advertising?
Advert requires that there is a signal that animals can detect
And there must be a reward for learning to detect the signal
Different animals have different senses so signalling must vary
Different pigments produced by plants for flower colour
Carotenoids
Flavonoids: flavonols and anthocyanins
Bilirubin
Betalains
Carotenoids
Found in daffodils Important in photosynthesis Can help dissipate excess light (photoprotective) Amount of carotenoid determines colour Found in flowers and fruits
Flavonoids
Flavonols and anthocyanins
Usually synthesised and stored in vacuoles
Host of different functions
Importance in defence against pathogens
Part of signalling pathway in rhizobia
Protect against high levels of UV by producing antioxidants (anthocyanin)
Also can form complexes with metal ions and help plants survive in metal-contaminated soil
Colour of anthocyanins
Vivid red and oranges
Colour of flavonols
Mainly reflect UV, so cannot be seen by humans but important for insect/bird pollinators
Can act as a colourless co-factor (contributes to flower colour by stabilising anthocyanins or other pigments in the flower
Bilirubin
Bluish colour of bruises (metal-based pigment)
Betalains
Colour of deep red beetroot
Found in some cacti species
Shape of cells on petals
Difference between conical cells or flat cells on surface of petal changes colour of petal
What colours can a bee see
UV, blue and green photoreceptors (trichromatic)
Flower that uses echolocation
Marcgravia evenia
Disc-shaped leaf
Ring of flowers, shedding pollen
Cup-like nectaries
What else is a tactical cue to bees besides colour?
Flower petal microtexture
Co-evolution in animal-plant interaction
- Plants evolve elaborate methods to attract animal pollinators
- Animals evolved specialised body parts and behaviours that aid interaction with flowers
False floral advertising example
Orchid Chiloglottis trapeziformis deceives male Neozeleboria cryptoides wasps into thinking they are mating with a females
Chiloglottone js the active component that is produced by the orchid and female wasps
Pollinator syndromes
Pollination by beetles: cantharophily Pollination by bats: chiropterogamy Pollination by water: hydrophily Pollination by bees: melittophily Pollination by ants: myrmecophily Pollination by birds: ornithogamy Pollination by butterflies: pyschophily
Pollination by bees
Melittophily
They live on the nectar and feed larvae the pollen
Guided by sight, smell and touch
Flowers predominantly pollinated by bees usually have landing platforms
Radially symmetric / zygomorphic
Flowers are yellow or blue with UV nectar guides
Pollination by birds
Ornithogamy They live on the nectar Large orange or red tubular flowers Dilute nectar secreted during the day Usually odourless