Abstract
Loss and fragmentation of native vegetation negatively affect crop pollinators and productivity of several crop species. The yellow passion fruit is an excellent model to investigate this issue, because its main pollinators are sensitive to deforestation. Seasonality also influences fruit set of crop species that are pollinated by bees. Climate determines plant flowering patterns and consequently affects pollinator activity. Little is known on effects of pollinators on crop quality in general, and particularly of many tropical fruits that have multiple fruiting seasons throughout the year, such as passion fruit. Our hypothesis is that the distance to the native vegetation and climate seasonality affect the pollination and fruit production of cultivated, hermaphrodite, self-incompatible, protandrous species that depend on large-sized bees to set fruit. We observed flowers of the yellow passion fruit in eight areas at different distances (600-4,000 m) from a dry seasonal forest (Caatinga). We compared the frequency of the main floral visitor (pollinators and robbers) visits and fruit set among areas at the beginning and end of the dry and rainy seasons. Xylocopa species were pollinators, and Apis mellifera, Trigona spinipes and a hummingbird were robbers. Xylocopa visits diminished with increasing distance to native remnants, converse to what was observed for the robbers at the beginning of the dry season. Fruit set was higher at the beginning of the dry season. The distance to the forest affected quality of fruits in terms of length, diameter and skin thickness, which all decreased with increase in remnant distance. Our results show that insect pollination is higher in the dry season, increasing profitability and reducing labour costs for the producer. Considering the influence of distance to native vegetation on pollination, robbery and fruit quality, our study reinforces the necessity for conservation of native vegetation remnants.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Xylocopa species were pollinators.
XylocopaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Xylocopa species were pollinators”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
Apis mellifera was a floral robber.
- Taxon
- yellow passion fruite1
- Interactor
- Apis mellifera
_Apis_mellifera_(female)_-_on_viburnum_tinus_flowers.jpg?width=60)
Apis melliferae0other - Outcome
- robberse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Apis_mellifera_(female)_-_on_viburnum_tinus_flowers.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Apis mellifera, Trigona spinipes and a hummingbird were robbers”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
Trigona spinipes was a floral robber.
- Taxon
- yellow passion fruite1
- Interactor
- Trigona spinipes
Trigona spinipese0other - Outcome
- robberse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Apis mellifera, Trigona spinipes and a hummingbird were robbers”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
A hummingbird was a floral robber.
Verbatim
e0“a hummingbird were robbers”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
Xylocopa visits declined with distance to native remnants.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Xylocopa visits diminished with increasing distance to native remnants”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
Robber visits rose with distance at the beginning of the dry season.
Verbatim
e0“Xylocopa visits diminished with increasing distance to native remnants, converse to what was observed for the robbers at the beginning of the dry season”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit set was higher at the beginning of the dry season.
Verbatim
e0“Fruit set was higher at the beginning of the dry season”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit length, diameter and skin thickness decreased with remnant distance.
Verbatim
e0“The distance to the forest affected quality of fruits in terms of length, diameter and skin thickness, which all decreased with increase in remnant distance”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
Insect pollination was higher in the dry season.
Verbatim
e0“insect pollination is higher in the dry season”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher insect pollination increased profitability and reduced labour costs.
Verbatim
e0“insect pollination is higher in the dry season, increasing profitability and reducing labour costs for the producer”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors called for conservation of native vegetation remnants.
Verbatim
e0“our study reinforces the necessity for conservation of native vegetation remnants”
e1“the yellow passion fruit”