Pollinator Biology of Polemonium brandegeei

Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium brandegeei) a common plant in RMNP.

Jeremy Poortvliet/University of Manitoba

Biologists from the University of Manitoba are studying how different pollinator groups may contribute to the pollination success of the plant Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium brandegeei), commonly found in Rocky. While large “floral visitors” like hummingbirds and hawkmoths are known pollinators of P. brandegeei, smaller visitors like solitary bees and flies may also cause pollination and contribute to seed production. All P. brandegeei visitors also visit other plant species and may transport diverse pollen loads.

To quantify how large vs small visitors contribute to pollination success, researchers compare natural visitation at control plants with experimental plants that only admit small visitors. At each plant, the team measures the type and amount of pollen carried on visitors to P. brandegeei as well as the type and amount of pollen deposited on the plant after a visit. Researchers also conduct controlled cross pollination to test potential effects of variation in pollinator behavior.

Researchers from the University of Manitoba install cages around P. brandegeei plants in order to study pollination success by small pollinators vs large pollinators.

Jeremy Poortvliet/University of Manitoba

Research like this helps scientists and park managers understand which pollinators are important to the longevity of plant populations. Climate change may cause flowering plants to occur farther north or at higher elevations and may become out of sync with their pollinators. In addition, the types and distributions of pollinators may change. Understanding which pollinators contribute to the pollination success of P. brandegeei helps RMNP protect this species for current and future generations.