Flower colour and size-signals vary with altitude and resulting climate on the tropical-subtropical islands of Taiwan.

Bibliographic Details
Title: Flower colour and size-signals vary with altitude and resulting climate on the tropical-subtropical islands of Taiwan.
Authors: Shrestha, Mani, King-Chun Tai, Dyer, Adrian G., Garcia, Jair E., En-Cheng Yang, Jentsch, Anke, Chun-Neng Wang
Source: Frontiers in Plant Science; 2024, p01-12, 12p
Subject Terms: POLLINATORS, COLOR vision, INSECT pollinators, ALTITUDES, COLOR, FLOWERS, ANGIOSPERMS, TREE-rings
Geographic Terms: TAIWAN
Abstract: The diversity of flower colours in nature provides quantifiable evidence for how visitations by colour sensing insect pollinators can drive the evolution of angiosperm visual signalling. Recent research shows that both biotic and abiotic factors may influence flower signalling, and that harsher climate conditions may also promote salient signalling to entice scarcer pollinators to visit. In parallel, a more sophisticated appreciation of the visual task foragers face reveals that bees have a complex visual system that uses achromatic vision when moving fast, whilst colour vision requires slower, more careful inspection of targets. Spectra of 714 native flowering species across Taiwan from sea level to mountainous regions 3,300 m above sea level (a.s.l.) were measured. We modelled how the visual system of key bee pollinators process signals, including flower size. By using phylogenetically informed analyses, we observed that at lower altitudes including foothills and submontane landscapes, there is a significant relationship between colour contrast and achromatic signals. Overall, the frequency of flowers with high colour contrast increases with altitude, whilst flower size decreases. The evidence that flower colour signaling becomes increasingly salient in higher altitude conditions supports that abiotic factors influence pollinator foraging in a way that directly influences how flowering plants need to advertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Frontiers in Plant Science is the property of Frontiers Media S.A. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Complementary Index
More Details
ISSN:1664462X
DOI:10.3389/fpls.2024.1304849
Published in:Frontiers in Plant Science
Language:English