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Number of Pollinators and Their Visitation Rate Incur Different Intensities of Pollen Limitation in Meconopsis integrifolia

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Abstract—

Pollen limitation commonly exists in the alpine species, yet, experimental estimates on the changeable trajectory of pollen limitation along elevational changes are rarely. We used field observations and supplemental hand pollination treatment to estimate the variation in pollen limitation among five different altitudes populations (from 3600 m.a.s.l. to 4400 m.a.s.l.) in Meconopsis integrifolia in two consecutive years. Correlation analysis was used to estimate which factor incurred the pollen limitation. Hand supplemental pollination indicated that pollen limitation occurred in the studied populations in both years. Pollen limitation was similar among low-elevation populations but doubled in the highest elevation population (4452 m.a.s.l.). The number of pollinators and visitation rate of pollinators were negatively related to the pollen limitation. Our results indicated that number of pollinators and visitation rate of pollinators were the main factors which incurred variation in pollen limitation of M. integrifolia among different altitudes.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would sincerely like to thank Yong Zhou and Zhuo-Wei Feng for assistance in the field works. We would sincerely like to thank Doctor Zhi-Qiang Zhang for suggestions on this paper.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 31370436).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Xihua University, 610039, Chengdu, China

    Yun Wu

  2. College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, 611130, Chengdu, China

    Yun Wu, Han Peng, Qiang Zhang & Guang-Li Liu

  3. Sichuan Aerospace Vocational College, 618300, Deyang, China

    Ni-Wen Zhang

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  1. Yun Wu
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  2. Ni-Wen Zhang
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  3. Han Peng
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  4. Qiang Zhang
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  5. Guang-Li Liu
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Correspondence to Yun Wu.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.

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Yun Wu, Zhang, NW., Peng, H. et al. Number of Pollinators and Their Visitation Rate Incur Different Intensities of Pollen Limitation in Meconopsis integrifolia. Russ J Ecol 50, 504–510 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413619050126

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413619050126

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