Consequences of interspecific and intraspecific variation in floral scent for pollinator attraction, plant reproduction, and plant-pollinator interaction rewiring

不同种类的花，花香各不相同。即使是同一物种的不同个体，通常也会有微妙的不同化学物质组合，这些化学物质结合在一起就构成了它们的气味特征。在这项工作中，我们将解决两个问题。首先，花香的细微变化如何影响传粉者的吸引和随后的植物繁殖成功？其次，一些香味组合是否对野生蜜蜂特别有吸引力，从而使一些花获得更好的授粉服务和繁殖优势？回答这些问题将有助于了解传粉者提供的重要生态系统服务。具体地说，结果将更好地理解花香在传粉者吸引中的作用，以及花香变化对植物成功的影响。此外，这项研究将为旨在维持和恢复植物群落和传粉者群落的管理决策提供信息，特别是在环境变化的背景下。这项工作的成果将广泛传播给公众、土地管理人员和科学界。公众将通过国家公共土地日活动和国家传粉者周活动，重点关注健康的传粉者和传粉者栖息地。这个项目将在美国蒙大拿州的一片山地野花草地上解决这些问题。具体地说，这项研究将调查不同物种和不同个体之间花香对授粉服务和使用自然生长植物繁殖的影响。其次，研究人员将试验使用3D打印的模型花，用于操纵花香的实验。自然生长的花香将被应用于3D打印模型花，传粉者对这些模型的吸引力将与具有相同花香的真实花朵进行比较。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Floral scent varies among flowers of different species. Even different individuals of the same species often have subtly different combinations of chemicals that combine to make up their scent profiles. In this work we will address two questions. First, how do subtle variations in floral scent affect pollinator attraction and subsequent plant reproductive success? Second, are some scent combinations especially attractive to wild bees, thereby giving some flowers better pollination services and a reproductive edge? Answering these questions will shed light on the important ecosystem service provided by pollinators. Specifically, results will provide a better understanding of the role of floral scent in pollinator attraction and the consequences of variation in floral scent for plant success. Further, this research will inform management decisions intended to maintain and restore plant and pollinator communities, especially in the context of environmental change. The results of this work will be broadly disseminated to the public, land managers, and the scientific community. The public will be engaged through National Public Lands Day events and National Pollinator Week events focused on healthy pollinators and pollinator habitat.This project will address these questions in a montane wildflower meadow in Montana, USA. Specifically, the research will investigate the consequences of among-species and among-individual variation in floral scent for pollination services and plant reproduction using naturally-growing plants. Second, the researchers will pilot the use of 3-D printed model flowers for use in experiments that manipulate floral scent. Floral scents from naturally-growing flowers will be applied to 3-D printed model flowers and pollinator attraction to these models will be compared to real flowers with the same floral scents.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.