Yearly fluctuations of flower landscape in a Mediterranean scrubland: Consequences for floral resource availability.

Species flower production and flowering phenology vary from year to year due to extrinsic factors. Inter-annual variability in flowering patterns may have important consequences for attractiveness to pollinators, and ultimately, plant reproductive output. To understand the consequences of flowering pattern variability, a community approach is necessary because pollinator flower choice is highly dependent on flower context. Our objectives were: 1) To quantify yearly variability in flower density and phenology; 2) To evaluate whether changes in flowering patterns result in significant changes in pollen/nectar composition. We monitored weekly flowering patterns in a Mediterranean scrubland community (23 species) over 8 years. Floral resource availability was estimated based on field measures of pollen and nectar production per flower. We analysed inter-annual variation in flowering phenology (duration and date of peak bloom) and flower production, and inter-annual and monthly variability in flower, pollen and nectar species composition. We also investigated potential phylogenetic effects on inter-annual variability of flowering patterns. We found dramatic variation in yearly flower production both at the species and community levels. There was also substantial variation in flowering phenology. Importantly, yearly fluctuations were far from synchronous across species, and resulted in significant changes in floral resources availability and composition at the community level. Changes were especially pronounced late in the season, at a time when flowers are scarce and pollinator visitation rates are particularly high. We discuss the consequences of our findings for pollinator visitation and plant reproductive success in the current scenario of climate change.

Floral advertisement scent in a changing plant-pollinators market.

Plant-pollinator systems may be considered as biological markets in which pollinators choose between different flowers that advertise their nectar/pollen rewards. Although expected to play a major role in structuring plant-pollinator interactions, community-wide patterns of flower scent signals remain largely unexplored. Here we show for the first time that scent advertisement is higher in plant species that bloom early in the flowering period when pollinators are scarce relative to flowers than in species blooming later in the season when there is a surplus of pollinators relative to flowers. We also show that less abundant flowering species that may compete with dominant species for pollinator visitation early in the flowering period emit much higher proportions of the generalist attractant ß-ocimene. Overall, we provide a first community-wide description of the key role of seasonal dynamics of plant-specific flower scent emissions, and reveal the coexistence of contrasting plant signaling strategies in a plant-pollinator market.

A syrphid fly uses olfactory cues to find a non-yellow flower.

Syrphid flies are frequent flower visitors, but little is known about the cues they use to find flowers. We determined the importance of visual and olfactory cues in a flight cage bioassay using Cirsium arvense (Asteraceae) flower heads and experienced Episyrphus balteatus (Diptera, Syrphidae). We tested the response of antennae of the flies to headspace inflorescence scent samples by using gas chromatography coupled to electroantennography (GC-EAD). The bioassays revealed that both sexes of experienced flies rely on olfactory, not visual, cues to find C. arvense flower heads. The GC-EAD measurements demonstrated that male and female flies have olfactory receptors for several of the compounds emitted by the inflorescences. These electroantennographic-active compounds may be responsible for the attraction of flies to the C. arvense flower heads. Among the compounds eliciting an antennal response are methyl salicylate and 2-phenylethanol, which were previously described as syrphid attractants. Overall, our study demonstrates for the first time that a syrphid fly uses olfactory and not visual cues to find a pollen/nectar host-plant.