Introduction
Plants and pollinators have co-evolved characteristics and features that enable them greater success in interactions. This mutualistic relationship between the two allows the plant to benefit from the attraction of a specific pollinator species, to hopefully ensure its reproductive success is carried out. This is achieved by the pollinator physically moving the pollen from one flower to another. The pollinator itself will benefit from its interaction with the plant species, as it ensures access to food resources required for survival. Pollination syndromes are considered those characteristics such as shape, colour, odour, structure and nectar it may possess. Pollination syndromes are useful for determining and predicting the …show more content…
Darwin introduced pollination biology with the evolutionary theory, which has created a robust concern in the adaptive importance of floral traits in regards to pollinators. This idea of specialization and generalization of plants has called for the question of expectations that pollination syndromes reflect and predict convergent selection pressures on floral traits. It is this ecological significance that drives the need for experiment and literature explanations (Steiner, Johnson 2000). The pollination syndrome concept indicates that, plants specialize on specific functional groups of pollinators that utilize parallel selective pressures on floral traits. This association of exclusive floral characterization and its relationship with pollinator species, has been doubted based on the obvious generalization in pollination systems found and conducted in various studies. Flowers of certain plant species are frequently visited by diverse taxonomic groups of pollinators. The capacity of pollination differs among the floral visitors and the forms of interactions may vary from a mutualistic to antagonistic relationship. It is however crucial to know and understand the strengths and limitations of pollination syndromes, predominantly when these are used to address issues of community ecology, comparative biology and floral evolution. [2]. Darwin (1862) expressed that pollinator-mediated assortment on floral traits is considered a significant evolutionary strength underlying the diversification of flowering plants. Various pollinators may force floral deviation, compared to similar pollinators combined by different plant species, which could possibly determine convergence of floral traits (Fenster et al. 2004). Floral traits are often useful in distinguishing angiosperm species, some theories and studies have proposed a general evolutionary tend towards the
Plants and pollinators have co-evolved characteristics and features that enable them greater success in interactions. This mutualistic relationship between the two allows the plant to benefit from the attraction of a specific pollinator species, to hopefully ensure its reproductive success is carried out. This is achieved by the pollinator physically moving the pollen from one flower to another. The pollinator itself will benefit from its interaction with the plant species, as it ensures access to food resources required for survival. Pollination syndromes are considered those characteristics such as shape, colour, odour, structure and nectar it may possess. Pollination syndromes are useful for determining and predicting the …show more content…
Darwin introduced pollination biology with the evolutionary theory, which has created a robust concern in the adaptive importance of floral traits in regards to pollinators. This idea of specialization and generalization of plants has called for the question of expectations that pollination syndromes reflect and predict convergent selection pressures on floral traits. It is this ecological significance that drives the need for experiment and literature explanations (Steiner, Johnson 2000). The pollination syndrome concept indicates that, plants specialize on specific functional groups of pollinators that utilize parallel selective pressures on floral traits. This association of exclusive floral characterization and its relationship with pollinator species, has been doubted based on the obvious generalization in pollination systems found and conducted in various studies. Flowers of certain plant species are frequently visited by diverse taxonomic groups of pollinators. The capacity of pollination differs among the floral visitors and the forms of interactions may vary from a mutualistic to antagonistic relationship. It is however crucial to know and understand the strengths and limitations of pollination syndromes, predominantly when these are used to address issues of community ecology, comparative biology and floral evolution. [2]. Darwin (1862) expressed that pollinator-mediated assortment on floral traits is considered a significant evolutionary strength underlying the diversification of flowering plants. Various pollinators may force floral deviation, compared to similar pollinators combined by different plant species, which could possibly determine convergence of floral traits (Fenster et al. 2004). Floral traits are often useful in distinguishing angiosperm species, some theories and studies have proposed a general evolutionary tend towards the