Does Early Season Browsing Influence The Effect Of Self-Pollination In Scarlet Gilia?
JOY BERGELSON [1] Abstract. Herbivore damage can have indirect effects on plant fitness by influencing other important plant-animal interactions, such as pollination biology. For example, damage to floral and vegetative structures may influence the pattern of pollen movement within and among individual plants. In obligately outcrossing species, enhanced movement of self pollen (geitonogamy) can negatively impact fitness if self pollen clogs stigmas, interferes with stylar transmitting tracts, usurps ovules, or increases fruit abortion. We investigated whether early season browsing affects the fitness cost of self-pollination in the obligately outcrossing species scarlet gilia, Ipomopsis aggregata, using clipping and emasculation treatments. We found that clipping significantly reduced the production of flowers, fruits, and seeds whereas emasculation significantly increased the production of these components of female fitness. In addition, we detected a significant interaction between t
