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Is there spatial variation in phenotypic selection on floral traits in a generalist plant–pollinator system?

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Abstract

The selective role of pollinators on the floral phenotype has been identified as the main force behind angiosperm diversification. However, in generalized plant–pollinator interactions this association may not be that evident, since pollinator assemblages vary in composition among populations, possibly influencing the direction and intensity of floral trait selection. In this study we determine whether there was spatial variation in pollinator assemblages and the selective forces they exert in ten populations of Alstroemeria ligtu var. simsii. We characterized the whole pollinator assemblage in ten populations, quantified four floral attraction traits and determined potential selection targets in each of the study populations. Our results revealed that populations differed in the composition of their pollinator assemblages, and the pollinators with the highest visitation rates also differed among populations. Using phenotypic selection analysis we detected significant differentials and selection gradients only in two of the ten populations, for corolla tube length and ratio of the nectar guide. The spatial variation in selection showed that linear selection acting upon these traits differed significantly among the studied populations. Our study indicates that selection can be detected in generalized plant–pollinator systems and brings new evidence of phenotypic selection variation in space for this endemic plant species. Future studies are needed to determine whether the selective patterns described here are consistent over time and whether they produce evolutionary change in the populations under study.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to L. Contreras, D. Lillo, M. Zuñiga, T. Poch, V. Durán and M.J. Ramírez who assisted us in the fieldwork, and I. Sepulveda who helped in the organization of the data and the construction of Fig. 1. We thank V. Duran for providing photographs. This study was supported by the FONDECYT 11110120 Grant awarded to AG. We are grateful to the Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) and the Jardín Botánico Nacional of Chile for granting permits to work on their lands. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile

    Alejandra V. González, Catalina González-Browne & Patricia Salinas

  2. Centro GEMA-Genómica, Ecología y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide 5750, 8580745, Santiago, Chile

    Maureen Murúa

  3. Fundación Flores, Ministro Carvajal 30, 7500801, Providencia, Santiago, Chile

    Maureen Murúa

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  1. Alejandra V. González
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  2. Catalina González-Browne
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  3. Patricia Salinas
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  4. Maureen Murúa
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Correspondence to Maureen Murúa.

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González, A.V., González-Browne, C., Salinas, P. et al. Is there spatial variation in phenotypic selection on floral traits in a generalist plant–pollinator system?. Evol Ecol 33, 687–700 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-019-10002-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-019-10002-7

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