Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 85 (4): 503-511, 2012
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Reproductive consequences of flower damage in two contrasting habitats: The case of Viola
portalesia (Violaceae) in Chile
CLAUDIA L. ESPINOZA, MAUREEN MURÚA, RAMIRO O. BUSTAMANTE, VÍCTOR H. MARÍN & RODRIGO
The indirect impact of flower herbivory on plant reproduction depends on the pollination
environment, particularly on the presence or absence of pollinator species with the ability to discriminate damaged from undamaged
flowers. The change in pollinator assemblages, due to habitat modification, may modify the impact of flower herbivory on plant
reproductive success. In this work, we evaluate the effect of flower herbivory on the seed production of Viola portalesia
(Gay) in two contrasting environments, a native and low-disturbed habitat and an extensively transformed habitat characterized
by Pinus radiata plantations. Even though the two habitats differed substantially in the composition of pollinator
assemblages and visitation rate, the flower damage performed on different petals had no impact on seed production neither within nor
between habitats, indicating that change in pollinator assemblages have no indirect reproductive impact via discrimination of damaged
flowers. There was a strong habitat effect, however, for seed production, being higher in the pine plantation than in the native habitat.
Seed production on a per flower basis increased at a higher rate with the number of flowers in the pine plantation, which suggests a
numerical response of pollinators to changes in food availability in this habitat.
flower herbivory, habitat
loss, Maulino forest, Pinus radiata, pollination.
