Introduced deer and the pollination and reproduction of an animal-pollinated herb

VÁZQUEZ DP; GRESSER J; MARTIN J-L

BOTANY

NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA-N R C RESEARCH PRESS

Año: 2010 vol. 88 p. 110 - 118

1916-2790

We evaluated the hypothesis that modified population density of Aquilegia formosa (Ranunculaceae) resulting from the introduction of Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) in the Haida Gwaii archipelago affects the pollination and reproductive performance of this herbaceous species. We compared population density, pollination and reproductive success between three small islands colonized by deer and three deer-free islands. Deer islands had substantially lower absolute density and greater relative density of A. formosa than deer-free islands. Presence of deer was associated with higher pollen deposition, which probably resulted from the greater relative density of A. formosa in deer islands. However, deer presence had no significant effect on individual reproductive success. The latter result is likely a consequence of the lack of pollen limitation of this species and of the conflicting responses of absolute and relative densities of A. formosa to deer.