ABR: Selection on Corolla Size By Flower Enemies--Impact on Male Fitness

ABR：花敌对花冠尺寸的选择--对男性健康的影响

• 批准号: 0087412
• 负责人: Candace Galen
• 金额: $ 4.47万
• 依托单位: University of Missouri-Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-03-01 至 2003-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0087412&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: ABR; Selection; Corolla; Size; Flower

0087412GalenThis project addresses the maintenance of genetically based variation in characteristics related to an organism's fitness. In flowering plants, flower size represents an important trait of this kind. Pollinators typically favor plants with large flowers. Yet in nearly all species that have been studied, genes for small flowers persist. The experiments described in the present study will test whether small-flowered plants persist in nature because their flowers are more cryptic to predators. In particular, the research will test whether escape from insect predation enhances the pollen donation success of small-flowered individuals. Research will focus on a model system for studying floral evolution in the wild, the alpine wildflower Polemonium viscosum. Alpine organisms are considered early warning systems for biotic effects of climate change. By monitoring the intensity of insect predation on flowers of a common alpine wildflower, this project provides data on the severity of insect damage to plants in alpine environments. Findings also have implications for optimizing fruit and seed yield in insect-pollinated crop species including strawberries, apples and cotton. Breeding programs aimed at maximizing pollinator attraction in these crops may have inadvertent negative effects on fruit production due to responses of flower predators.

0087412Galen这个项目致力于维持与生物体适应性相关的特征中的遗传变异。 在开花植物中，花的大小代表了这种重要的特征。 传粉者通常喜欢花大的植物。然而，在几乎所有被研究的物种中，小花的基因都存在。 本研究中描述的实验将测试小花植物是否在自然界中持续存在，因为它们的花对捕食者来说更神秘。 特别是，这项研究将测试是否逃避昆虫捕食提高花粉捐赠成功的小花个体。 研究将集中在一个模型系统，用于研究野生植物的进化，高山野花Polemonium viscosum。 高山生物被认为是气候变化生物影响的预警系统。 通过监测昆虫对一种常见的高山野花的捕食强度，该项目提供了高山环境中昆虫对植物损害严重程度的数据。研究结果还对优化昆虫授粉作物物种（包括草莓，苹果和棉花）的果实和种子产量具有影响。 育种计划旨在最大限度地提高这些作物的传粉者的吸引力，可能会无意中对水果生产的负面影响，由于花卉捕食者的反应。