Energetic aspects of nectar production
2008
Macukanovic-Jocic, M., Univerzitet u Beogradu, Beograd (Serbia). Fakultet veterinarske medicine | Dajic-Stevanovic, Z., Univerzitet u Beogradu, Beograd - Zemun (Serbia). Poljoprivredni fakultet
Floral nectar plays an important role in plant pollinator interactions. Besides significant amounts of other nutrient, nectar contains sugar that pollinators utilize, and the energetic reward reflects the energetic requirements of the pollinators. Flowers pollinated by high-energy requiring animals (bats, hawkmoths and birds), produce significantly more nectar containing large amounts of sugar and provide a greater energetic reward than flowers pollinated by low-energy requiring animals such as butterflies, bees and flies. Both partners have a significant benefit in this mutualistic relationship. With minimal energy loss, flowering plants tend to be cross-pollinated, and pollinators tend to get the nutrient containing nectar as fast as possible. This can be provided by floral adaptations of entomophylous plants to be pollinated by specialised pollinators as well as by animal specialisation for pollinating specially adapted flowers. Koevalution of flowering plants and pollinators is coadaptation, relating to mutualistic specialisation. Estimation of energetic budget of a pollinator, based on quantity and quality of nectar production of plants they visit, is complex and influenced by biotic and abiotic factors.
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