A completely revised and rewritten edition of this comprehensive survey of the botanical problems of pollination ecology approached from both a theoretical and a practical viewpoint. Examples are drawn from all geographical areas where pollination has been studied and general principles are illustrated by a number of concrete examples. Introductory chapters survey the technical problems and draw comparisons with spore dissemination in cryptogams and pollination in gymnosperms. The following chapters deal with angiosperm pollination and are divided into three parts: organs involved in pollination, flower types and pollinator activities
This book has a wider approach not strictly focused on crop production compared to other books that are strictly oriented towards bees, but has a generalist approach to pollination biology. It also highlights relationships between introduced and wild pollinators and consequences of such introductions on communities of wild pollinating insects. The chapters on biochemical basis of plant-pollination interaction, pollination energetics, climate change and pollinators and pollinators as bioindicators of ecosystem functioning provide a base for future insights into pollination biology. The role of honeybees and wild bees on crop pollination, value of bee pollination, planned honeybee pollination, non-bee pollinators, safety of pollinators, pollination in cages, pollination for hybrid seed production, the problem of diseases, genetically modified plants and bees, the role of bees in improving food security and livelihoods, capacity building and awareness for pollinators are also discussed.
Reviewers from diverse branches of botany have exerted pressure to have chapters dealing with their field extended. If only to cover his incompetence, the author could not accede to these requests. Nor was it possible to respond to Eastern European urgings to extend the classificatory terminology, especially in ChapterX. He is grateful for indications of factual shortcomings in the chosen field, especially for those by Dr. RUDOLF SCHMID (Ann Arbor), who provided exten sive comment. L. VAN DER PIlL The Hague, spring 1972 Preface to the First Edition The work offered here is a companion volume to the work by K. FAEGRI and 1. VAN DER PIJL, Principles of Pollination Ecology, whim. deals with the preced ing phase of reproduction in plants. In the present work too, the emphasis is on principles and ecology. It is neither an enumeration of mechanisms, nor a compilation of cases. RIDLEY'S monumental work The Dispersal of Plants Throughout the World comprises 700 large pages of small print, and research has proceeded since then. Though this work is more than just a compilation and contains much insight and thoughts on principles in addition to reviews, its completeness hinders its use as a text book. As a reference work, it is unsurpassed and the writer made frequent use of it. The writer paid special attention to functional backgrounds for the use of taxonomists working with "characters" and to biosystematics at the macro-level.
Pollen studies make important contributions nature, into three main themes: pollen struc to our knowledge in many interdisciplinary ture and constituents, pollen evolutionary arenas. Pollen identification is widely used in ecology and the pollen-pollinator interface. reconstruction of, e.g., vegetation, the climate Several papers overlap somewhat or are of the past, and plant biodiversity. Studies perhaps even somewhat contradictory and concerning pollen structure, size and form are reflect the author's own ideas and experience. key issues in basic sciences, as, e.g., plant Some could be understood more deeply by taxonomy and evolution, but are also of consulting other closely related articles. The importance in applied fields as, e.g., plant reader is strongly referred to the respective breeding. In pollination studies pollen is literature list of each article. generally used specifically to identify food ofanther ripening and pollen The last steps development (Pacini) and the mature pollen sources of visitors and to reconstruct their foraging routes. Fewer have been devoted to wall structure (Hesse) are key factors to pollen collection mechanisms and to the struc understand pollen dispersal mechanisms in ture and content of pollen in relation to its biotic pollination (Stroo) as well as abiotic pollination (Ackerman). Pollen size, shape, function.
Studies in floral biology are largely concerned with how flowers function to promote pollination and mating. The role of pollination in governing mating patterns in plant populations inextricably links the evolution of pollination and mating systems. Despite the close functional link between pollination and mating, research conducted for most of this century on these two fundamental aspects of plant reproduction has taken quite separate courses. This has resulted in suprisingly little cross-fertilization between the fields of pollination biology on the one hand and plant mating-system studies on the other. The separation of the two areas has largely resulted from the different backgrounds and approaches adopted by workers in these fields. Most pollination studies have been ecological in nature with a strong emphasis on field research and until recently few workers considered how the mechanics of pollen dispersal might influence mating patterns and individual plant fitness. In contrast, work on plant mating patterns has often been conducted in an ecological vacuum largely devoid of information on the environmental and demographic context in which mating occurs. Mating-system research has been dominated by population genetic and theoretical perspectives with surprisingly little consideration given to the proximate ecological factors responsible for causing a particular pattern of mating to occur.
Ecological biochemistry concerns the biochemistry of interactions between animals, plants and the environment, and includes such diverse subjects as plant adaptations to soil pollutants and the effects of plant toxins on herbivores. The intriguing dependence of the Monarch butterfly on its host plants is chosen as an example of plant-animal coevolution in action. The ability to isolate trace amounts of a substance from plant tissues has led to a wealth of new research, and the fourth edition of this well-known text has consequently been extensively revised. New sections have been provided on the cost of chemical defence and on the release of predator-attracting volatiles from plants. New information has been included on cyanogenesis, the protective role of tannins in plants and the phenomenon of induced defence in plant leaves following herbivory. Advanced level students and research workers aloke will find much of value in this comprehensive text, written by an acknowledged expert on this fascinating subject. The book covers the biochemistry of interactions between animals, plants and the environment, and includes such diverse subjects as plant adaptations to soil pollutants and the effects of plant toxins on herbivores The intriguing dependence of the Monarch butterfly on its host plants is chosen as an example of plant-animal coevolution in action New sections have been added on the cost of chemical defence and on the release of predators attracting volatiles from plants New information has been included on cyanogenesis, the protective role of tannins in plants and the phenomenon of induced defence in plant leaves following herbivory
A unique and personal insight into the ecology and evolution of pollinators, their relationships with flowers, and their conservation in a rapidly changing world. The pollination of flowers by insects, birds and other animals is a fundamentally important ecological function that supports both the natural world and human society. Without pollinators to facilitate the sexual reproduction of plants, the world would be a biologically poorer place in which to live, there would be an impact on food security, and human health would suffer. Written by one of the world’s leading pollination ecologists, this book provides an introduction to what pollinators are, how their interactions with flowers have evolved, and the fundamental ecology of these relationships. It explores the pollination of wild and agricultural plants in a variety of habitats and contexts, including urban, rural and agricultural environments. The author also provides practical advice on how individuals and organisations can study, and support, pollinators. As well as covering the natural history of pollinators and flowers, the author discusses their cultural importance, and the ways in which pollinator conservation has been portrayed from a political perspective. The book draws on field work experiences in South America, Africa, Australia, the Canary Islands and the UK. For over 30 years the author has spent his career researching how plants and pollinators evolve relationships, how these interactions function ecologically, their importance for society, and how we can conserve them in a rapidly changing world. This book offers a unique and personal insight into the science of pollinators and pollination, aimed at anyone who is interested in understanding these fascinating and crucial ecological interactions.
This textbook provides the first overview of plant-animal interactions for twenty years focused on the needs of students and professors. It discusses a range of topics from the basic structures of plant-animal interactions to their evolutionary implications in producing and maintaining biodiversity. It also highlights innovative aspects of plant-animal interactions that can represent highly productive research avenues, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in a future career in ecology. Written by leading experts, and employing a variety of didactic tools, the book is useful for students and teachers involved in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses addressing areas such as herbivory, trophic relationships, plant defense, pollination and biodiversity.
