Drivers of reproductive success in Mitchella repens

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Aleel K. Grennan, Julia Fitzpatrick and Lucas Horan, Biology, Worcester State University, Worcester, MA, Kathleen C. Murphy, Chemistry, Worcester State Univesity, Worcester, MA, Douglas E. Kowalewski, Briana Chang and Melanie Meadors, Earth, Environment and Physics, Worcester State University, Worcester, MA, Adam Bengston and Jay Turner, Chemistry, Worcester State University, Worcester, MA

Background/Question/Methods
Mitchella repens (partridgeberry) is a creeping woodland plant native to eastern North America and frequently encountered in New England forests. Partridgeberry produces twinned, distylous flowers. For berries to be produced, both of the twin flowers need to be pollinated with pollen from the other floral morph, thus pollinators need to collect and deposit pollen on both flowers in the pair. Flowering plants relying on animals to pollinate utilize specific floral traits, such as floral scents, to attract pollinators. Abiotic factors such as soil temperature, moisture, and chemistry directly influence plant fitness and reproduction. Insufficient abiotic factors result in stressed plants causing decreased carbon allocation to floral traits, and therefore, potentially limiting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), leading to decreased pollinator visits and reproductive output. This study investigated the relationship between pollinator visits, VOCs, soil conditions and reproductive success indicated by fruit count.
Results/Conclusions
Two major groups of pollinators were identified during the 2020 field season and there was a correlation between pollinator visits and berry count. The VOC’s were analyzed via headspace using solid phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS). Alpha-pinene and limonene were the predominant volatile molecules. The VOCs were observed throughout a six-day flowering cycle. The samples collected earlier in the flowering cycle produced more VOCs compared to those collected later in the flowering cycle. The partridgeberry plants were more prolific in soils with higher moisture content. The 2021 field season will focus on determining if there is a connection between pollinator visits to age-specific floral VOC’s. In addition, the impact of soil conditions on plant succession will be further investigated.