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The Reproductive Ecology of an Emergent Dipterocarp in a Lowland Rain Forest in Sarawak
Author(s) -
MOMOSE KUNIYASU,
NAGAMITSU TERUYOSHI,
INOUE TAMIJI
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
plant species biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.419
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1442-1984
pISSN - 0913-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-1984.1996.tb00145.x
Subject(s) - biology , curculionidae , pollination , pollen , pollinator , botany , reproductive success , abortion , horticulture , population , pregnancy , demography , genetics , sociology
This paper reports the first direct observation of reproductive processes of an emergent tree, Dryobalanops lanceolata (Dipterocarpaceae), and its interactions with pollinators and seed predators, using a canopy observation system built in Sarawak, Malaysia. D. lanceolata flowers were mostly pollinated by medium‐sized stingless bees ( Trigona spp., Apidae), and stigmas of all unbagged flowers received pollen grains. Ovaries did not develop without pollination. Abortion rate in the early stage of fruit development was 93% in fruits fertilized by natural pollinators. All the experimentally selfed ovaries were aborted at this stage. Despite the heavy abortion rate, the dry weight loss at this stage was only 17% of the total reproductive effort, because abortion occurred before active investment in fruits. Among the remaining fruits, 40% were lost to the primary seed predator, Mecysolobus crassus (Curculionidae). Such attacked fruits were also selectively aborted at the middle stage of fruit maturation. Final germinating fruits, which were 3.6% of the total number of flowers, got 47% of the total reproductive effort.