Download PDF
Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2001; 3(1): 62-71
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-11751
Original Paper
Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ·New York

Flower and Fruit Characteristics in Small and Isolated Populations of a Fleshy-Fruited Shrub

J. Kollmann 1 , K. Pflugshaupt 2
  • 1 Department of Ecology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg C., Denmark
  • 2 Geobotanisches Institut ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
Further Information

Publication History

February 14, 2000

December 18, 2000

Publication Date:
31 December 2001 (online)

   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

During a warm period after the last glaciation the fleshy-fruited shrub, Prunus mahaleb, extended its area of distribution from the Mediterranean basin towards central Europe. Under a subsequent cooler climate, and probably increased competition from trees, the species became restricted to steep, south-facing cliffs and scree slopes with a particularly sunny and warm microclimate. Thus, the small relict populations in central Europe have been isolated for about 5000 - 6000 years. To investigate whether or not reproductive traits of P. mahaleb are affected by isolation and population size, several flower and fruit characteristics were sampled in ten populations in Switzerland. A Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) based on these reproductive characteristics differentiated the populations. The first CCA axis was determined by flower size, pollination frequency, pulp and seed mass. This ran parallel to increasing precipitation and decreasing altitude. The second axis correlated with the number of fruits per raceme and seed viability, and ran parallel to increasing sunshine. None of the six flower and fruit variables correlated with population size or with the degree of isolation. However, flower size, pollination frequency, pulp and seed mass showed a negative correlation with altitude. The results suggest that, in populations of P. mahaleb in central Europe, climatic conditions explain more of the observed variation in flower and fruit characteristics than population size or degree of isolation.

Nomenclature

Tutin et al. (1964 - 1980)

Key words

Altitude - flower size - pollination frequency - population size - Prunus mahaleb - pulp and seed mass - seed viability

References

  • 01 Ågren,  J.. (1996);  Population size, pollinator limitation, and seed set in the self-incompatible herb Lythrum salicaria. .  Ecology. 77 1779-1790
    Google Scholar
  • 02 Arroyo,  M. T. K.,, Armesto,  J. J.,, and Primack,  R. B.. (1985);  Community studies in pollination ecology in the high temperate Andes of central Chile. II. Effect of temperature on visitation rates and pollination possibilities.  Plant Systematics and Evolution. 149 187-203
    Google Scholar
  • 03 Bundesamt für Landestopographie . (1982) Klimaatlas der Schweiz. Bern; BFL
    Google Scholar
  • 04 Burga,  C. A., and Perret,  R.. (1998) Vegetation und Klima der Schweiz seit dem jüngeren Eiszeitalter. Thun; Ott
    Google Scholar
  • 05 Cipollini,  M. L., and Levey,  D. J.. (1991);  Why some fruits are green when they are ripe: carbon balance in fleshy fruits.  Oecologia. 88 371-377
    Google Scholar
  • 06 Colas,  B.,, Olivieri,  I.,, and Riba,  M.. (1997);  Centaurea corymbosa, a cliff-dwelling species tottering on the brink of extinction: a demographic and genetic study.  Proceedings National Academy Sciences USA. 94 3471-3476
    Google Scholar
  • 07 Collinge,  S. K.. (1996);  Ecological consequences of habitat fragmentation: implications for landscape architecture and planning.  Landscape and Urban Planning. 36 59-77
    Google Scholar
  • 08 Debussche,  M., and Isenmann,  P.. (1989);  Fleshy fruit characters and the choices of bird and mammal seed dispersers in a Mediterranean region.  Oikos. 56 327-338
    Google Scholar
  • 09 Ellenberg,  H.. (1988) Vegetation ecology of central Europe. Cambridge; Cambridge University Press
    Google Scholar
  • 10 Fenner,  M.. (1985) Seed ecology. London; Chapman and Hall
    Google Scholar
  • 11 Fischer,  M., and Matthies,  D.. (1998 a);  Effects of population size on performance in the rare plant Gentianella germanica. .  Journal of Ecology. 86 195-204
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Fischer,  M., and Matthies,  D.. (1998 b);  RAPD variation in relation to population size and plant fitness in the rare Gentianella germanica (Gentianaceae).  American Journal of Botany. 85 811-819
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Gittins,  R.. (1985) Canonical analysis. A review with applications in ecology. Berlin; Springer
    Google Scholar
  • 14 Goulson,  D.,, Stout,  J. C.,, Hawson,  S. A.,, and Allen,  J. A.. (1998);  Floral display size in comfrey, Symphytum officinale L. (Boraginaceae): relationships with visitation by three bumblebee species and subsequent seed set.  Oecologia. 113 502-508
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Guitián,  J.. (1993);  Why Prunus mahaleb (Rosaceae) produces more flowers than fruits.  American Journal of Botany. 80 1305-1309
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Guitián,  J.. (1994);  Selective fruit abortion in Prunus mahaleb (Rosaceae).  American Journal of Botany. 81 1555-1558
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Guitián,  J.,, Fuentes,  M.,, Bermejo,  T.,, and López,  B.. (1992);  Spatial variation in the interactions between Prunus mahaleb and frugivorous birds.  Oikos. 63 125-130
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Guitián,  J.,, Guitián,  P.,, and Sánchez,  J. M.. (1993);  Reproductive biology of two Prunus species (Rosaceae) in the northwest Iberian peninsula.  Plant Systematics and Evolution. 185 153-165
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Haeupler,  H., and Schönfelder,  P.. (1989) Atlas der Farn- und Blütenpflanzen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Stuttgart; Ulmer
    Google Scholar
  • 20 Herrera,  C. M.. (1984);  A study of avian frugivores, bird-dispersed plants, and their interaction in Mediterranean scrublands.  Ecological Monographs. 54 1-23
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Herrera,  C. M.. (1987);  Vertebrate-dispersed plants of the Iberian peninsul: a study of fruit characteristics.  Ecological Monographs. 57 305-331
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Herrera,  C. M.. (1989);  Frugivory and seed dispersal by carnivorous mammals, and associated fruit characteristics in undisturbed Mediterranean habitats.  Oikos. 55 250-262
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Herrera,  C. M., and Jordano,  P.. (1981);  Prunus mahaleb and birds: the high-efficiency seed dispersal system of a temperate fruiting tree.  Ecological Monographs. 51 203-218
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Herrera,  C. M.,, Jordano,  P.,, Guitián,  J.,, and Traveset,  A.. (1998);  Annual variability in seed production by woody plants and the masting concept: Reassessment of principles and relationship to pollination and seed dispersal.  American Naturalist. 152 576-594
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Holderegger,  R.. (1997);  Recent perspectives in conservation biology of rare plants.  Bulletin of the Geobotanical Institute ETH. 63 109-116
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Hoppes,  W. G.. (1987);  Pre- and postforaging movements of frugivorous birds in an eastern deciduous forest woodland, USA.  Oikos. 49 281-290
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Huenneke,  L. F.. (1991) Ecological implications of genetic variation in plant populations. Genetics and conservation of rare plants. Falk, D. A. and Holsinger, K. E., eds. Oxford; Oxford University Press pp. 31-44
    Google Scholar
  • 28 Hulme,  P. E.. (1997);  Post-dispersal seed predation and the establishment of vertebrate dispersed plants in Mediterranean scrublands.  Oecologia. 111 91-98
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Inouye,  D. W., and Pyke,  G. H.. (1988);  Pollination biology in the Snowy Mountains of Australia: comparison with montane Colorado, USA.  Australian Journal of Ecology. 13 191-210
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Jordano,  P.. (1993);  Pollination biology of Prunus mahaleb L.: deferred consequences of gender variation for fecundity and seed size.  Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 50 65-84
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Jordano,  P.. (1994);  Spatial and temporal variation in the avian-frugivore assemblage of Prunus mahaleb: patterns and consequences.  Oikos. 71 479-491
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Jordano,  P.. (1995);  Frugivore-mediated selection on fruit and seed size: birds and St. Lucie's cherry, Prunus mahaleb. .  Ecology. 76 2627-2639
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Jordano,  P., and Godoy,  J. A.. (2000);  RAPD variation and population genetic structure in Prunus mahaleb (Rosaceae), an animal-dispersed tree.  Molecular Ecology. 9 1293-1305
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Jordano,  P., and Schupp,  E. W.. (2000);  Seed disperser effectiveness: the quantity component and patterns of seed rain for Prunus mahaleb. .  Ecological Monographs. 70 591-615
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Kahmen,  S., and Poschlod,  P.. (2000);  Populations size, plant performance, and genetic variation in the rare plant Arnica montana L. in the Rhön, Germany.  Basic and Applied Ecology. 1 43-51
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Kelly,  P. E., and Larson,  D. W.. (1997);  Dendroecological analysis of the population dynamics of an old-growth forest on cliff-faces of the Niagara Escarpment, Canada.  Journal of Ecology. 85 467-478
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Kirchhofer,  W.. (1982) Klimaatlas der Schweiz. Wabern; Bundesamt für Landestopographie
    Google Scholar
  • 38 Kollmann,  J.. (1994);  Ausbreitungsökologie endozoochorer Gehölzarten.  Veröffentlichungen Projekt “Angewandte Ökologie”. 9 1-212
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Kollmann,  J.. (1997);  Hypotheses on the regeneration niche of fleshy-fruited species in natural forest gaps and edges in central Europe.  Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie. 27 85-91
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Köppler,  D.. (1995);  Vegetationskomplexe von Steppenheide-Physiotopen im Juragebirge.  Dissertationes Botanicae. 249 1-228
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Küppers,  M.. (1992) Changes in plant ecophysiology across a central European hedgerow ecotone. Landscape boundaries. Hansen, A, J. and di Castri, F., eds. Berlin; Springer pp. 285-303
    Google Scholar
  • 42 Leishman,  M. R., and Westoby,  M.. (1994);  The role of large seed size in shaded conditions.  Functional Ecology. 8 205-214
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 43 Loeschcke,  V.,, Tomiuk,  J.,, and Jain,  S. K.. (1994) Conservation Genetics. Basel; Birkhäuser
    Google Scholar
  • 44 Legendre,  P., and Legendre,  L.. (1998) Numerical Ecology, 2nd ed. Amsterdam; Elsevier
    Google Scholar
  • 45 Manly,  B.. (1997) Randomization, bootstrap and Monte Carlo methods in biology, 2nd ed. London; Chapman and Hall pp. 1171-1184
    Google Scholar
  • 46 Menges,  E. S.. (1991);  Seed germination percentage increases with population size in a fragmented prairie species.  Conservation Biology. 5 158-164
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 47 Moor,  M.. (1962) Einführung in die Vegetationkunde der Umgebung Basels. Basel; Schwabe
    Google Scholar
  • 48 Moor,  M.. (1979);  Das Felsenbirnen-Gebüsch (Cotoneastro-Amelanchieretum), eine natürliche Mantelgesellschaft im Jura.  Phytocoenologia. 6 388-402
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 49 Moore,  R. P.. (1973) Tetrazolium staining for assessing seed quality. Seed ecology. Heydecker, W., ed. London; Butterworths pp. 347-366
    Google Scholar
  • 50 Müller,  T.. (1986);  Prunus mahaleb-Gebüsche.  Abhandlungen des Westfälischen Museums Naturkunde. 48 143-155
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 51 Ouborg,  N. J., and Treuren,  R.. (1995);  Variation in fitness-related characters among small and large populations of Salvia pratensis. .  Journal of Ecology. 83 369-380
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 52 Oostermeijer,  J. G. B.. (1996) Population size, genetic variation, and related parameters in small, isolated plant populations: a case study. Species survival in fragmented landscapes. Settele, J., Margules, C. R., Poschlod, P., and Henle, K., eds. Dordrecht; Kluwer pp. 61-68
    Google Scholar
  • 53 Oostermeijer,  J. G. B.,, van Eijck,  M. W.,, and den Nijs,  J. C. M.. (1994);  Offspring fitness in relation to population size and genetic variation in the rare perennial plant species Gentiana pneumonanthe (Gentianaceae).  Oecologia. 97 289-296
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 54 Piper,  J. K.. (1986);  Germination and growth of bird-dispersed plants: effects of seed size and light on seedling vigor and biomass allocation.  American Journal of Botany. 73 959-965
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 55 Plitmann,  U.. (1994);  Assessing functional reproductive traits from herbarium material: the test case of pollen tubes in pistils of Polemoniaceae. .  Taxon. 43 63-69
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 56 Primack,  R. B.. (1987);  Relationships among flowers, fruits, and seeds.  Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 18 409-430
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 57 SAS . (1989 - 1997) JMP manual. Cary, NC; SAS Institute
    Google Scholar
  • 58 Saunders,  D. A.,, Hobbs,  R. J.,, and Margules,  C. R.. (1991);  Biological consequences of ecosystem fragmentation: a review.  Conservation Biology. 5 18-32
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 59 Schneller,  J. J., and Holderegger,  R.. (1996);  Genetic variation in small isolated fern populations.  Journal of Vegetation Science. 7 113-120
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 60 Scholz,  H., and Scholz,  I.. (1995) Prunus mahaleb. Gustav Hegi - Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa, 3. Ed., Vol. 4.2 b. Concert, H. J. et al., eds. Berlin; Blackwell pp. 472-475
    Google Scholar
  • 61 Schreiber,  K.-F.. (1977) Wärmegliederung der Schweiz. Bern; Eidgenössisches Justiz- u. Polizeidepartement
    Google Scholar
  • 62 Settele,  J.,, Margules,  C. R.,, Poschlod,  P.,, and Henle,  K.. (1996) Species survival in fragmented landscapes. Dordrecht; Kluwer
    Google Scholar
  • 63 Stiles,  E. W.. (1989) Fruits, seeds and dispersal agents. Plant-animal-interactions. Abrahamson, W. G., ed. New York; McGraw-Hill pp. 87-122
    Google Scholar
  • 64 Tutin,  T. G.,, Heywood,  V. H.,, Burges,  N. A.,, Valentine,  D. H.,, Walters,  S. M.,, and Webb,  D. A.. (1964 - 1976) Flora Europaea, Vol. 1 - 4. Cambridge; Cambridge University Press
    Google Scholar
  • 65 Vaughton,  G., and Ramsey,  M.. (1998);  Floral display, pollinator visitation and reproductive success in the dioecious perennial herb Wurmbea dioica (Liliaceae).  Oecologia. 115 93-101
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 66 Waddington,  K. D.. (1983) Foraging behavior of pollinators. Pollination biology. Real, L., ed. Orlando; Academic Press pp. 213-239
    Google Scholar
  • 67 Welten,  M., and Sutter,  R.. (1982) Verbreitungsatlas der Farn- und Blütenpflanzen der Schweiz. Basel; Birkhäuser
    Google Scholar
  • 68 Westrich,  P.. (1989) Die Wildbienen Baden-Württembergs. Stuttgart; Ulmer
    Google Scholar
  • 69 Zar,  J. H.. (1996) Biostatistical analysis. Upper Saddle River; Prentice-Hall
    Google Scholar

J. Kollmann

Department of Ecology
Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University

Rolighedsvej 21
1958 Frederiksberg C.
Denmark

Email: jok@kvl.dk

Section Editor: G. Gottsberger