Kurzfassung

Aroids (Araceae) belong to the most species-rich and most abundant herbaceous plant families in tropical rainforests, and are a major element in the composition and the ecology of tropical ecosystems. The distribution of many closely-related aroid taxa is overlapping, which raises the question, how congeneric species may coexist in the same area without interfering in each other’s reproductive biology. Studies of single tropical aroid species have shown that their floral perfume attracts...Aroids (Araceae) belong to the most species-rich and most abundant herbaceous plant families in tropical rainforests, and are a major element in the composition and the ecology of tropical ecosystems. The distribution of many closely-related aroid taxa is overlapping, which raises the question, how congeneric species may coexist in the same area without interfering in each other’s reproductive biology. Studies of single tropical aroid species have shown that their floral perfume attracts species-specific pollinators, which suggests that floral perfume plays a major role in the isolation of species. Since existing field studies only investigated single aroid taxa, no published data about reproductive isolation mechanisms of entire plant communities of this family exist.
In our project, we will study the reproductive biology of several sympatric aroid species of the genera Anthurium, Monstera, and Spathiphyllum in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve (Veracruz, Mexico) with the aim to reveal the plants’ reproductive isolation mechanisms. We will observe flower visitors, carry out scent baiting experiments, and analyze floral perfumes to see, if each species has a distinct floral perfume composition that attracts species-specific pollinators that do not overlap with pollinators of the other species. We will carry out artificial interspecific outcrossings in every genus to determine if the plants developed genetic incompatibility mechanisms to avoid hybridization. Moreover, we will document the flowering phenology and we will map the position of the plants to assess possible phenological and spatial isolation barriers.» weiterlesen» einklappen