Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Scientific Correspondence
  • Published:

Efficient pollination of alpine plants

Nature volume 391, pages 238–239 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

Several studies have documented low levels of insect diversity, abundance and activity in alpine ecosystems around the world1,7. It has been hypothesized that these factors may limit pollination of alpine plants8,9. We have measured pollination of alpine and foothill populations of Campanula rotundifolia by calculating a corrected visitation rate that incorporated information on pollinator abundance, visitation rates, pollen deposition and duration of stigma receptivity. Although pollinator visitation rates were significantly lower in alpine populations, corrected visitation rates showed that more effective pollination, combined with a longer period of stigma receptivity, compensated for this, resulting in comparable levels of pollination in populations from high and low elevations.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Comparing pollination in alpine and foothill communities.

References

  1. Inouye, D. W. & Pyke, G. H. Aust. J. Ecol. 13, 191–210 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Arroyo, M. T. K., Primack, R. & Armesto, J. Am. J. Bot. 69, 82–97 (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Arroyo, M. T. K., Armesto, J. J. & Primack, R. B. Plant Syst. Evol. 149, 187–203 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Müller, H. Nature 21, 275 (1880).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Moldenke, A. R. & Lincoln, P. G. Phytologia 42, 349–379 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kearns, C. A. Am. Midland Nat. 127, 172–182 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kearns, C. A. & Inouye, D. W. Am. J. Bot. 81, 1091–1095 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Billings, W. D. in Arctic and Alpine Environments(eds Ives, J. D. & Barry, R. G.) 403-438 (Methuen, London, 1974).

  9. Löve, A. Publ. McGill Univ. Mus. 1, 82–95 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Fishbein, M. & Venable, D. L. Ecology 77, 1061–1073 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ashman, T.-L. & Schoen, D. J. Nature 371, 788–790 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, 80309, Colorado, USA

    Robin A. Bingham

  2. Biology Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, 44074, Ohio, USA

    Andrea R. Orthner

Authors
  1. Robin A. Bingham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrea R. Orthner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bingham, R., Orthner, A. Efficient pollination of alpine plants. Nature 391, 238–239 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/34564

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/34564

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing