Person: López Teixido, Alberto
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First Name
Alberto
Last Name
López Teixido
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Ciencias Biológicas
Department
Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución
Area
Botánica
Identifiers
5 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Item Large and abundant flowers increase indirect costs of corollas: a study of coflowering sympatric Mediterranean species of contrasting flower size(Oecologia, 2013) López Teixido, Alberto; Valladares, FernandoLarge floral displays receive more pollinator visits but involve higher production and maintenance costs. This can result in indirect costs which may negatively affect functions like reproductive output. In this study, we explored the relationship between floral display and indirect costs in two pairs of coflowering sympatric Mediterranean Cistus of contrasting flower size. We hypothesized that: (1) corolla production entails direct costs in dry mass, N and P, (2) corollas entail significant indirect costs in terms of fruit set and seed production, (3) indirect costs increase with floral display, (4) indirect costs are greater in larger-flowered sympatric species, and (5) local climatic conditions influence indirect costs. We compared fruit set and seed production of petal-removed flowers and unmanipulated control flowers and evaluated the influence of mean flower number and mean flower size on relative fruit and seed gain of petal-removed and control flowers. Fruit set and seed production were significantly higher in petal-removed flowers in all the studied species. A positive relationship was found between relative fruit gain and mean individual flower size within species. In one pair of species, fruit gain was higher in the large-flowered species, as was the correlation between fruit gain and mean number of open flowers. In the other pair, the correlation between fruit gain and mean flower size was also higher in the large-flowered species. These results reveal that Mediterranean environments impose significant constraints on floral display, counteracting advantages of large flowers from the pollination point of view with increased indirect costs of such flowers.Item Size Matters: Understanding the Conflict Faced by Large Flowers in Mediterranean Environments(The Botanical Review, 2016) López Teixido, Alberto; Barrio, Miguel; Valladares, FernandoFlower size is a key trait in the reproductive ecology of animal-pollinated plants. However, pollinator-mediated selection does not always modulate this trait and environmental conditions and/or antagonist interactions may favor smaller flowers. We evaluate the occurrence of a large-flowered family in a hot and dry Mediterranean environment, mediated by a cost-benefit balance and a male–female conflict. Large flowers have sizeable benefits in terms of pollination and reproductive success and pollinators mediate selection through male function, but female fitness is context-dependent. High floral production and maintenance costs and florivore incidence in large flowers limit female function, which counteracts pollinator-mediated selection. Large flowers are highly costly in the Mediterranean and flower size is mediated by a sexual conflict between the benefits of male function and the costs of the female one. However, a short floral longevity, occasional pollen limitation and selection through maleness keep the existence of large flowers in these environments.Item Disproportionate carbon and water maintenance costs of large corollas in hot Mediterranean ecosystems(Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 2014) López Teixido, Alberto; Valladares, FernandoLarger corollas increase the reproductive success of entomophilous plants, but are also associated with increased carbon and water costs, especially under hot and dry conditions. Minimizing floral carbon and water loss by reducing corolla size should be potentially advantageous for plants living in these environments. We quantify maintenance costs of corollas (water and carbon) in large-flowered rockroses (Cistus spp.) in a Mediterranean ecosystem. We performed field studies of two coflowering sympatric Cistus of contrasting corolla size to analyze water costs. Additionally, we used the larger-flowered species (C. ladanifer) to analyze the effects of intraspecific variation in corolla size on floral net carbon exchange and transpiration rates. We also assessed the mean daily percentage of plant water and carbon consumed by corollas by comparing with that of leaves at the time of flowering in C. ladanifer. Temperature and corolla area increased water maintenance costs, following an allometric relationship where transpiration rate per unit of area increased with corolla area. Larger flowers tended to heat less under strong irradiance than smaller ones in both species, especially in C. ladanifer, demonstrating a stronger transpirational cooling effect on larger flowers. In terms of carbon, temperature significantly affected net carbon exchange rates, which were not affected by corolla size. Daily water and carbon expenses of corolla were ca. 50% of those of leaves on an organ surface area basis. Our results suggest that water and carbon maintenance costs of large flowers in the Mediterranean impose significant constraints to corolla size, ecophysiologically favoring smaller-flowered individuals in these ecosystems.Item Flower size and longevity influence florivory in the large-flowered shrub Cistus ladanifer(Acta Oecologica, 2011) López Teixido, Alberto; Méndez, Marcos; Valladares, FernandoPlants with larger and longer-lived flowers receive more pollinator visits and increase reproductive success, though may also suffer more from antagonistic interactions with animals. Florivores can reduce fruit and seed production, so selection on flower size, floral longevity and/or number of flowers may thus be determined by the relative effects of both pollinators and florivores. In this study flowers of Cistus ladanifer, a large-flowered Mediterranean shrub, were monitored to evaluate the effects of flower size, floral longevity and number of flowers on levels of florivory in four populations. Number of flowers was variable but did not differ among populations. Both flower size and floral longevity of C. ladanifer showed broad variation and significantly differed among populations. Overall, 7% of flowers suffered attack by florivores, which were mainly ants picking the stamens and beetles consuming petals and pollen. Within-populations, larger and longer-lived flowers tended to be affected by florivores more frequently. The low overall incidence of florivores and its lack of between-population variation suggest that florivory may not influence intraspecific variation of these floral traits. However, moderate florivory levels on the largest and longest-lived flowers open the possibility of exerting selection towards smaller and shorter-lived flowers in some of the populations studied.Item Temperature-Limited Floral Longevity in the Large-Flowered Mediterranean Shrub Cistus Ladanifer (Cistaceae)(International Journal of Plant Sciences, 2015) López Teixido, Alberto; Valladares, FernandoPremise of research. Larger and longer-lived flowers are more frequently pollinated, but they are associated with high maintenance costs due to greater water usage. The Mediterranean climate limits plant reproduction and maximizes resource use efficiency, so smaller and short-lived flowers are potentially advantageous under hot and dry conditions. Methodology. We experimentally evaluated the relationship between the floral longevity of Cistus ladanifer, a large-flowered Mediterranean shrub, and pollination, flower size, and temperature at two different altitudes with contrasting climatic conditions. We hypothesized that flower size and longevity would be reduced in the drier and hotter conditions of the lower-altitude site. In addition, we expected that floral longevity would decrease with experimental pollen deposition, flower size, and temperature. We pollinated and capped flowers to evaluate the variation in floral longevity by comparing actual and potential floral longevity at low and high altitudes. Pivotal results. In agreement with our hypothesis, flower size was observed to increase with altitude, but, contrary to expectations, floral longevity decreased at the high altitude since temperature increased during the flowering time. Floral longevity tended to be short but depended on pollination, such that potential floral longevity was greater than actual floral longevity. Capped flowers lasted longer (1.31 ± 0.65 d) than control (0.95 ± 0.39 d) or hand-pollinated (0.60 ± 0.08 d) flowers. At the high altitude, larger flowers and higher temperatures resulted in a reduction in both the observed and potential floral longevity, but temperature had a differential effect in limiting potential floral longevity. Conclusions. Our experimental survey reported short-lived flowers and limitations in floral longevity when flowers were larger and temperatures were higher. Overall, the results reveal an important effect of temperature on increasing floral maintenance costs, imposing selective pressures on flower size, and longevity in large-flowered Mediterranean plants.