The ecology of rodent pollination in Liparia parva (Fabaceae)

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dc.contributor.advisorMidgley, Jeremy Jen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorLetten, Andrewen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-12-08T08:33:11Z
dc.date.available2017-12-08T08:33:11Z
dc.date.issued2005en_ZA
dc.date.updated2017-02-08T13:34:36Z
dc.description.abstractThe evolution of non-flying mammal pollination has given rise to a broad suite of adaptive plant traits including dull coloured and geoflorous flowers, copious sucrose rich nectar, nocturnal anthesis and nectar production and a musky odour. The Fynbos endemic, Liparia parva (Fabaceae) has been recognised to exhibit several of these traits. Based on this observation, field studies were carried out on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, to investigate the prediction that L. parva is rodent pollinated. Several lines of evidence indicate that flowers of L. parva are visited by rodents. These include; the presence of Liparia pollen in the faeces of live trapped rodents; observations of captive rodents selectively foraging at flowers of L. parva; floral debris underneath L. parva plants; and video footage captured of a rodent visiting L. parva flowers in the field. However, a strong plant-pollinator relationship was apparent only in the Cape spiny mouse, Acomys subspinosis. Captive Acomys foraged non-destructively at flowers of L. parva, becoming visibly dusted with pollen. The exclusion of rodents from flowers resulted in a significant reduction in seedpod set, indicating rodents do contribute to pollination success in L. parva. Additional evidence that L. parva is adapted to pollination by rodents includes nocturnal floral anthesis and large amounts of total nectar in inflorescences. The findings of this study provide substantial evidence for rodent pollination in L. parva and thus represent the first report of rodent pollination in a legume.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationLetten, A. (2005). <i>The ecology of rodent pollination in Liparia parva (Fabaceae)</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26508en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationLetten, Andrew. <i>"The ecology of rodent pollination in Liparia parva (Fabaceae)."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26508en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationLetten, A. 2005. The ecology of rodent pollination in Liparia parva (Fabaceae). University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Letten, Andrew AB - The evolution of non-flying mammal pollination has given rise to a broad suite of adaptive plant traits including dull coloured and geoflorous flowers, copious sucrose rich nectar, nocturnal anthesis and nectar production and a musky odour. The Fynbos endemic, Liparia parva (Fabaceae) has been recognised to exhibit several of these traits. Based on this observation, field studies were carried out on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, to investigate the prediction that L. parva is rodent pollinated. Several lines of evidence indicate that flowers of L. parva are visited by rodents. These include; the presence of Liparia pollen in the faeces of live trapped rodents; observations of captive rodents selectively foraging at flowers of L. parva; floral debris underneath L. parva plants; and video footage captured of a rodent visiting L. parva flowers in the field. However, a strong plant-pollinator relationship was apparent only in the Cape spiny mouse, Acomys subspinosis. Captive Acomys foraged non-destructively at flowers of L. parva, becoming visibly dusted with pollen. The exclusion of rodents from flowers resulted in a significant reduction in seedpod set, indicating rodents do contribute to pollination success in L. parva. Additional evidence that L. parva is adapted to pollination by rodents includes nocturnal floral anthesis and large amounts of total nectar in inflorescences. The findings of this study provide substantial evidence for rodent pollination in L. parva and thus represent the first report of rodent pollination in a legume. DA - 2005 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2005 T1 - The ecology of rodent pollination in Liparia parva (Fabaceae) TI - The ecology of rodent pollination in Liparia parva (Fabaceae) UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26508 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/26508
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationLetten A. The ecology of rodent pollination in Liparia parva (Fabaceae). [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2005 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26508en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherBotanyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherPlant Ecologyen_ZA
dc.titleThe ecology of rodent pollination in Liparia parva (Fabaceae)en_ZA
dc.typeBachelor Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelHonours
dc.type.qualificationnameBSc (Hons)en_ZA
uct.type.filetype
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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