Direct and Indirect Effects of Foliar Herbivory on Floral Traits, Insect Pollination, and Male and Female Plant Fitness

这项工作的主要目的是研究食草动物的损害如何同时影响雄性植物的适应性（产生的种子数量）和雌性植物的适应性（产生的种子数量）。这些实验的结果将有助于解决几个有争议的领域，并将为研究植物、食草动物和传粉者之间的关系提供一个新的角度。一个争议是，从植物适应性的角度来看，一些植物似乎能够完全补偿食草性。适应度通常是通过植物的种子生产来估计的，但这里采用的方法将检查整个植物的适应度。初步数据表明，植物的分配可能从雄性适应度（花粉、花蜜和花瓣的产生）转向雌性适应度（种子的产生）。由于这些变化，植物可能不会真正补偿叶片的损害，因为受损植物产生的种子数量可能会减少，即使总种子数量保持不变。这一建议也有助于当前的理论，将涉及授粉的过程与那些涉及食草的过程联系起来。例如，如果受损的植物适应性较低，因为它们对传粉者的吸引力较低，那么自然选择可能会对植物对损害的反应起作用。特别是，传粉者的需求，无论是通过奖励还是通过所需的线索，都可能影响植物如何分配资源以应对损害。有效传粉者的种类和它们的需要可能决定是受损植物开出的同等质量的花更少，还是它们开出的花和未受损植物一样多，但质量较低（即更小，回报更少）。这些都是值得进一步研究的令人兴奋的新领域。这项工作的一个目标是确定植物的雄性和雌性适合度在多大程度上受到食草对叶片的影响。许多农作物由于叶片受损而减产。一般认为，草本作物产量下降是由于植物可利用资源减少（通过叶面积减少），而不是由于授粉减少（尽管果园种植者多年来一直知道良好授粉的重要性）。这项工作的结果可能更清楚地阐明草食降低产量的机制。这项研究可能表明，对于一定程度的损害，增加传粉者的访视比减少草食动物损失的叶面积能更好地提高作物的数量或质量。向植物喷洒传粉者引诱剂（如“蜂香”之类的产品）可能比喷洒杀虫剂更能提高产量，尤其是杀虫剂对益虫有毒。这项研究可能提出一种农药的替代品或补充。

9407362 Strauss/Conner The main goal of this work is to examine how damage by herbivores affects both male plant fitness (number of seeds sired) and female fitness (number of seeds produced) simultaneously. Results from these experiments will contribute to several areas of controversy, and will provide a new angle to examining the relationships between plants, herbivores and pollinators. One controversy is how some plants seem to be able to compensate completely for herbivory in terms of plant fitness. Fitness has classically been estimated through seed production in plants, but the approach taken here will examine total plant fitness. Preliminary data suggest that plants may shift allocation from aspects of male fitness (pollen, nectar and petal production) to female fitness (seed production). Because of these shifts, plants may not truly compensate for leaf damage, since the number of seeds sired by damaged plants may be reduced, even if total seed number remains the same. This proposal also contributes to current theory by linking the processes involved with pollination to those with herbivory. For example, if damaged plants have lower fitness because they are less attractive to pollinators, then natural selection may act on plant response to damage. In particular, the needs of pollinators, either through rewards or through required cues, may shape how plants allocate resources for damage. The kinds of effective pollinator species and their needs may determine whether damaged plants produce fewer flowers of equal quality, or whether they produce as many flowers as undamaged plants, but some of lower quality (i.e., smaller, with fewer rewards). These are exciting new areas that merit further investigation. One goal of this work is to determine the degree to which male versus female fitness in plants is affected by herbivory to leaves. Many crop plants suffer reduced yield as a result of leaf damage. It is generally assumed that reduced yie ld in herbaceous crops is a result of fewer resources available to plants (through loss of leaf area) rather than the result of diminished pollination (although orchard growers have known for years of the importance of good pollination). results from this work may elucidate more clearly the mechanisms through which herbivory reduces yield. This research may indicate that for a given level of damage, crop quantity or quality could be better improved by increasing pollinator visitation rather than by reducing leaf area lost to herbivores. Spraying plants with pollinator attractants (e.g., products like "Bee Scent") may improve yield more than by spraying with pesticides, especially since pesticides can be toxic to beneficial insects. This research may suggest an alternative or supplement to pesticides.