Keywords
Andes
funciones ecosistémicas
interacciones planta-ave
Passerellidae
Thraupidae
Melastomataceae
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Abstract
Las plantas del género Axinaea (familia Melastomataceae) presentan un novedoso sistema de polinización recientemente descubierto, que involucra aves que tradicionalmente no son consideradas polinizadoras (específicamente de las familias Thraupidae, Passerellidae y Fringillidae). Contribuimos con información sobre la ecología de este mecanismo de polinización analizando Axinaea merianiae, una especie endémica de los páramos arbustivos de los altos Andes de Ecuador. Observamos a cinco especies de aves (Anisognathus igniventris, Atlapetes latinuchus, Coeligena iris, Diglossa cyanea, Tangara vassorii) interactuando con las flores de A. merianiae. El néctar de A. merianiae tiene un volumen 26,4 µl en cada flor y una concentración de azucares de 11,6% w/w; estas son las características usuales del néctar ofertado para las aves por otras especies de plantas de la región. Esta información incrementa el conocimiento en torno a cómo las aves andinas posiblemente han asumido algunas funciones ecosistémicas realizadas por insectos a menores elevaciones.
Palabras clave: funciones ecosistémicas, interacciones planta-ave, Passerellidae, Thraupidae, Melastomataceae.
Abstract
Plants of the genus Axinaea (family Melastomataceae) have a novel and recently discovered pollination system, involving birds that are not traditionally known as pollinators (specifically members of the families Thraupidae, Passerellidae and Fringillidae). We contribute with information on some aspects of the ecology of this pollination mechanism analyzing Axinaea merianiae, an endemic species of shrubby paramo at high Andean Ecuador. We observed five species of birds (Anisognathus igniventris, Atlapetes latinuchus, Coeligena iris, Diglossa cyanea, Tangara vassorii) in interaction with flowers of A. merianiae. The nectar of A. merianiae has a mean volumen of 26,4 µl in each flower and a sugar concentration of 11,6% w/w; these are the usual characteristics of nectar offered to birds by other plant species in this region. This information increases knowledge about how Andean birds may have took over some ecosystem functions performed by insects at lower elevations.
Keywords: ecosystem functions, plant-bird interaction, Passerellidae, Thraupidae, Melastomataceae.
References
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