Competition of a nectar-robbing bumble bee with a legitimate forager and its consequences for female reproductive success of Fuchsia magellanica
Date
2018-09-14
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Abstract
In pollination systems, competition can cause floral visitors to adopt behaviors at high densities that may antagonize floral reproduction. I evaluated the density-dependence of nectar robbing by a short-tongued bumble bee, Bombus terrestris, and its consequences for both competition with an effective pollinator, Bombus dahlbomii, and female reproduction by the shrub Fuchsia magellanica. Daily sampling documented an abrupt, density-dependent transition from no robbing to almost exclusive robbing by B. terrestris. Robbing facilitated flower visitation by B. terrestris while aggravating its competition with B. dahlbomii. Nectar depletion and flower damage caused by robbing reduced pollen receipt by F. magellanica flowers, depressed pollen-tube success and reduced fruit quantity and quality. This research demonstrates that by modifying floral conditions to suit their foraging needs nectar robbers can gain a competitive advantage over effective pollinators, possibly promoting their long-term decline, while also compromising reproduction by the affected plant species.
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Keywords
competition, mutualism, Pollination, nectar robbing, antagonism, density-dependence, Invasive species
Citation
Rosenberger, N. M. (2018). Competition of a nectar-robbing bumble bee with a legitimate forager and its consequences for female reproductive success of Fuchsia magellanica (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/33042