Journal
BIOTROPICA
Volume 43, Issue 5, Pages 640-647Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2011.00752.x
Keywords
disturbance; habitat fragmentation; Mexico; orchid conservation; pollen limitation
Categories
Funding
- CONACYT [3076PN9608]
- University of Northampton
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Habitat fragmentation and disturbance are two of the most significant drivers of species extinctions in plant populations. The degree of impact of fragmentation on plant populations depends on the level of specificity of plant-animal interactions, as well as on the availability of suitable sites for seedling recruitment. In this study, we describe the population density and structure, pollen limitation and reproductive success of the endangered tropical orchid Myrmecophila christinae, an epiphytic species with a specialized pollination system. We surveyed a total of 14 populations located in a fragmented landscape. Seedling density was related to habitat disturbance and host plant density; while density of juveniles was related to density of adults. Adult and total individual densities were related to habitat affectation. We also found that fragments < 1 ha had significantly fewer seedlings, as well as an over-representation of large adults. On the other hand, fruit production was higher in fragments > 10 ha, and fruit set was significantly lower in highly disturbed fragments. Hand pollination experiments showed that M. christinae was pollen limited in all the studied populations, suggesting that pollen limitation is unrelated to habitat disturbance. Overall, our results suggest that fragmentation has affected key demographic features of M. christinae, including reproduction and recruitment.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available