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Plant adaptations for pollination by nocturnal animals
Bakovská, Julie ; Tropek, Robert (advisor) ; Sklenář, Petr (referee)
Nocturnal pollination is a part of the reproductive process of plants. The night is characterized by changes in abiotic factors, mainly by a decrease in solar radiation and temperature, while plants and pollinators adapt to these conditions. Plants and pollinators adapt to each other throught the process of coevolution. As a result plants present traits preferred by their pollinators. Sets of convergent traits shared by plants pollinated by single functional group are called pollination syndromes and include reward type, scent, colour and flower morphology. The pollination syndromes and other adaptations of plants pollinated by nocturnal pollinators are presented in this thesis, in the context of adaptations of pollinators' senses to nighttime conditions. Simultaneously, it is referred to the evolutionary reasons for the transition of activity to the night. Significant nocturnal pollinators, associated with pollination syndromes include moths, divided into hawkmoths (sphingophily pollination syndrome) and other nocturnal moths (phalaenophily), bats (chiropterophily) and non-flying mammals (therophily). Other important nocturnal pollinators exhibiting adaptations to nocturnal pollination are beetles and nocturnal bees.
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