Quantifying the Role of Pollinator Mediated Selection in the Evolution of Pollination Syndromes in Silene (Caryophyllaceae)

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This project will quantify whether flower traits such as shape, color, scent, floral display, and nectar rewards reflects an adaptive response by plants to specific animals pollinators. Three Silene species (carnation family) will be investigated that differ in flower traits and a priori appear to be adapted to different types of animal pollinators, including bees, moths and hummingbirds. Through observations and manipulations we will determine how important different pollinators are to the reproductive success of each species and whether a particular group of pollinators actually selects for the present suite of floral traits found in each of the three species.The goal of the project is to understand the role of pollinators in promoting floral diversity in the plant kingdom. For example, flowers visited by hummingbirds are generally red, scentless and flower during the day, while moth pollinated flowers are often white, richly fragrant and open at night. Thus we hope to quantify whether hummingbirds and moths favor plants that have greater expression of traits associated with either hummingbird or moth pollination and whether this leads to greater reproductive success of the plants. Whether we find that a species is successfully pollinated by many types of animals or only by specific pollinators will have conservation implications. In the former scenario, the loss of animals may decrease plant reproductive success. However, in the later case, the loss of specific pollinators my result in the loss of a plant species.