How does land-use affect intraspecific variation in flower traits and subsequently plant-pollinator interactions and pollination? (IntraFlor)

种内变异是进化的基石，也是物种局部适应以及它们对环境变化的适应能力的先决条件。种内变异也可以强烈地影响生物之间的相互作用，因为相互作用发生在个体水平上，并取决于个体相互作用伙伴的特定表型。在IntraFlor，我们的目标是了解个体表型变异(即种内变异)对相互作用模式和相互作用结果的重要性，重点是草原上开花植物与传粉者的相互作用。之前的研究和我们在生物多样性探索实验室草原地块收集的初步数据表明，土地利用和管理类型对那些已知影响传粉者访问模式从而影响植物-传粉者相互作用的花卉性状的种内变异有很大影响。在IntraFlor，我们希望(I)进一步调查和量化草原管理和种群遗传多样性对这些花卉性状的种内变异的影响，以及(Ii)揭示植物种群/群落内和植物种群/群落之间的这种特性可塑性对个体传粉者行为和植物繁殖适合度的影响。在三个工作包(WP)中，我们将：(I)量化不同类型的草原管理、当地种群遗传多样性和选定植物物种的形态、生理和化学花卉性状跨空间和时间的种内变异之间的相关性；(Ii)调查花卉性状的种内变异如何与个体传粉者的觅食模式相关；以及(Iii)确定种内性状变异如何影响个体植物授粉成功的差异。我们将结合现场的形态和生理测量(例如，展示尺寸、花朵高度、花瓣颜色)与实验室对化学特征(例如，花香、花粉化学)以及植物种群的遗传结构和多样性的分析。性状的表型变异对传粉者行为和授粉成功的影响将通过田间观察和温室实验来确定。从IntraFlor获得的见解将极大地增强我们对花卉性状的种内差异和土地利用之间的相互作用如何影响个体传粉者行为、随后的相互作用模式以及授粉的生态系统功能的理解。

Intraspecific variation constitutes a cornerstone for evolution and a prerequisite for the local adaptation of species and thus their resilience against environmental change. Intraspecific variation can also strongly influence interactions between organisms, because interactions happen at the individual level and depend on the specific phenotypes of individual interaction partners. In IntraFlor, we aim to understand the importance of variation in individual phenotypes (i.e. intraspecific variation) for interaction patterns and interaction outcomes, focusing on flowering plant-pollinator interactions in grasslands. Previous studies and our own preliminary data collected at the grassland plots of the Biodiversity Exploratories indicate strong effects of land-use and management type on intraspecific variation in those flower traits that are known to affect pollinator visitation patterns and thus plant-pollinator interactions. In IntraFlor, we want to (i) further investigate and quantify the effect of grassland management and population genetic diversity on intraspecific variation in these flower traits, and (ii) unravel the consequences of such trait plasticity within and between plant populations/communities for individual pollinator behavior and plant reproductive fitness. Within three working packages (WP), we will: (i) quantify correlations between different types of grassland management, local population genetic diversity and intraspecific variation in morphological, physiological and chemical flower traits of selected plant species across space and time, (ii) investigate how intraspecific variation in flower traits relates to foraging patterns of individual pollinators, and (iii) determine how intraspecific trait variation affects differences in pollination success of individual plants. We will combine morphological and physiological measurements (e.g. display size, flower height, petal color) on-site with laboratory analyses of chemical traits (e.g. flower scent, pollen chemistry) and of the genetic structure and diversity of plant populations. Effects of phenotypic variation in traits on pollinator behavior and pollination success will be determined through field observations and a greenhouse experiment. Insights gained from IntraFlor will greatly enhance our understanding of how the interaction between intraspecific variation in floral traits and land-use affect individual pollinator behavior, subsequent interaction patterns and thus the ecosystem function of pollination.