Factors affecting nectar sugar composition in chiropterophilic plants

Most pollinators prefer the sugars present in the nectar they consume, so it has been hypothesized that they have molded nectar trait evolution. However, nectar-feeding bats do not exhibit preferences for the sugars present in their diet. We analyzed the role that biochemical and ecological factors...

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Main Authors: Nelly Rodríguez-Peña, Kathryn E. Stoner, Cesar M. Flores-Ortiz, Jorge Ayala-Berdón, Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas, Víctor Sánchez-Cordero, Jorge E. Schondube
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 2016-06-01
Series:Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
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Online Access:https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/1784
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author Nelly Rodríguez-Peña
Kathryn E. Stoner
Cesar M. Flores-Ortiz
Jorge Ayala-Berdón
Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas
Víctor Sánchez-Cordero
Jorge E. Schondube
author_facet Nelly Rodríguez-Peña
Kathryn E. Stoner
Cesar M. Flores-Ortiz
Jorge Ayala-Berdón
Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas
Víctor Sánchez-Cordero
Jorge E. Schondube
author_sort Nelly Rodríguez-Peña
collection DOAJ
description Most pollinators prefer the sugars present in the nectar they consume, so it has been hypothesized that they have molded nectar trait evolution. However, nectar-feeding bats do not exhibit preferences for the sugars present in their diet. We analyzed the role that biochemical and ecological factors could play in shaping the nectar traits of chiropterophilic plants. We studied nectar traits and flower production in 49 plant species. We evaluated the relationship between nectar concentration and sugar composition using phylogenetically independent contrasts and if nectar traits were related to flower production using a Manova. We found that 42 species produced high hexoses nectars, and 7 species produced sucrose rich nectars. Phylogenetically independent contrasts showed that nectar concentration was negatively related to glucose content, positively related to fructose content, and was not related to sucrose content. A negative relationship was found from glucose and fructose contents to sucrose content, and glucose content was negatively related to fructose content. Finally, we did not found any relationship between nectar traits and the plants’ flowering strategies. We conclude that bat physiology and the relative low evolutionary time of the interaction between plants and bats may determine the lack of pattern in the nectar characteristics of chiropterophilic plants.
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series Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
spelling doaj-art-e39cb51bf16244a4842d2e4bdf5f264f2025-08-20T02:31:31ZengUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoRevista Mexicana de Biodiversidad1870-34532007-87062016-06-0187210.1016/j.rmb.2016.03.002Factors affecting nectar sugar composition in chiropterophilic plantsNelly Rodríguez-PeñaKathryn E. StonerCesar M. Flores-OrtizJorge Ayala-BerdónMiguel A. Munguía-RosasVíctor Sánchez-CorderoJorge E. SchondubeMost pollinators prefer the sugars present in the nectar they consume, so it has been hypothesized that they have molded nectar trait evolution. However, nectar-feeding bats do not exhibit preferences for the sugars present in their diet. We analyzed the role that biochemical and ecological factors could play in shaping the nectar traits of chiropterophilic plants. We studied nectar traits and flower production in 49 plant species. We evaluated the relationship between nectar concentration and sugar composition using phylogenetically independent contrasts and if nectar traits were related to flower production using a Manova. We found that 42 species produced high hexoses nectars, and 7 species produced sucrose rich nectars. Phylogenetically independent contrasts showed that nectar concentration was negatively related to glucose content, positively related to fructose content, and was not related to sucrose content. A negative relationship was found from glucose and fructose contents to sucrose content, and glucose content was negatively related to fructose content. Finally, we did not found any relationship between nectar traits and the plants’ flowering strategies. We conclude that bat physiology and the relative low evolutionary time of the interaction between plants and bats may determine the lack of pattern in the nectar characteristics of chiropterophilic plants.https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/1784Chiropterophilic plantsEcological factorsNectar biochemistryNectar sugar composition
spellingShingle Nelly Rodríguez-Peña
Kathryn E. Stoner
Cesar M. Flores-Ortiz
Jorge Ayala-Berdón
Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas
Víctor Sánchez-Cordero
Jorge E. Schondube
Factors affecting nectar sugar composition in chiropterophilic plants
Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
Chiropterophilic plants
Ecological factors
Nectar biochemistry
Nectar sugar composition
title Factors affecting nectar sugar composition in chiropterophilic plants
title_full Factors affecting nectar sugar composition in chiropterophilic plants
title_fullStr Factors affecting nectar sugar composition in chiropterophilic plants
title_full_unstemmed Factors affecting nectar sugar composition in chiropterophilic plants
title_short Factors affecting nectar sugar composition in chiropterophilic plants
title_sort factors affecting nectar sugar composition in chiropterophilic plants
topic Chiropterophilic plants
Ecological factors
Nectar biochemistry
Nectar sugar composition
url https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/1784
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