SGER: The Role of Insects in the Pollination of the Endangered Cycas Micronesica of Guam

SGER：昆虫在关岛濒危密克罗尼西亚苏铁授粉中的作用

• 批准号: 0646896
• 负责人: Thomas Marler
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Guam
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-10-01 至 2008-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0646896&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SGER; Role; Insects; Pollination; Endangered

Cycads (Cycadales) are one of the most ancient lineages of the existing gymnosperms, and they are one of the few insect-pollinated gymnosperms. Thus, they may be an important link to understanding the evolution of ancient insect pollination mutualisms. Because the genus Cycas is thought to be the most ancient of the cycads and has a different female structure compared with other cycads), gaining knowledge of its pollination systems is especially important in this area. Recently, the Asian cycad scale, Aulacaspis yasumatusi, a pest of cycads, was introduced into Guam. It has been rapidly devastating the highly susceptible Cycas micronesica, Guam's only native gymnosperm. This plant is considered a keystone species because of its influence on the chemistry of all terrestrial, aquatic, and marine habitats due to its interactions with nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria in the roots. Its loss may have a cascading, detrimental impact on the environment. Extinction of this cycad would mean losing this unique scientific resource not only for the study of the evolution of insect pollination systems but also for studying many ecological interactions. Only a few pockets of uninfested forest remain on Guam, and without major intervention, all plants will be lost within the next few of years. The goal is to study the pollination ecology of C. micronesica, to determine the role of insects, a fly and a moth, and wind in the pollination process and to determine insect visitors on male and female cones from Cycas of Palau and from one other Mariana Island such as Rota. The broader impacts of this project focus on conservation efforts on the island of Guam. Information on the pollination ecology of C. micronesica is critical to identifying priorities for conservation. In addition, results from the project will fill a current gap in our general understanding of the evolution of pollination mutualisms.

苏铁（Cycadales）是现存裸子植物中最古老的谱系之一，也是为数不多的昆虫授粉裸子植物之一。因此，它们可能是了解古代昆虫授粉互利共生进化的重要环节。由于苏铁属被认为是最古老的苏铁科植物，并且与其他苏铁科植物相比具有不同的雌性结构，因此了解其授粉系统在该领域尤为重要。最近，亚洲苏铁鳞片Aulacaspis yasumatusi（一种苏铁害虫）被引入关岛。它迅速摧毁了高度易受影响的密克罗尼苏铁，这是关岛唯一的本土裸子植物。这种植物被认为是关键物种，因为它与根部固氮蓝藻相互作用，对所有陆地、水生和海洋生境的化学产生影响。它的损失可能会对环境产生连锁性的有害影响。这种苏铁的灭绝意味着失去这种独特的科学资源，不仅用于研究昆虫授粉系统的进化，而且还用于研究许多生态相互作用。关岛只剩下几片未受感染的森林，如果不进行重大干预，所有植物都将在未来几年内消失。目标是研究密克罗尼西亚的授粉生态学，以确定昆虫、苍蝇、飞蛾和风在授粉过程中的作用，并确定来自帕劳苏铁和其他马里亚纳岛（如罗塔）的雄性和雌性球果上的昆虫访客。该项目的更广泛影响集中在关岛的保护工作上。有关密克罗尼西亚花授粉生态的信息对于确定保护重点至关重要。此外，该项目的结果将填补目前我们对授粉互利共生演化的一般理解的空白。