Distance Matters: Assessing the Influence of Spatial Separation on Reproductive Success of Costus spiralis (Costaceae) in a Vereda Palm Swamp
Jessyca Santana Santos, Rafaela Cabral Marinho, Clesnan Mendes-Rodrigues, Monize Altomare, Paulo Eugênio Oliveira

TL;DR
This study explores how the distance between plants affects the reproductive success of spiral ginger in a specific swamp habitat.
Contribution
The study reveals distinct seed traits influenced by pollination distance and suggests adaptations to different hummingbird foraging strategies.
Findings
Fruit set did not vary significantly with pollination distance.
Shorter pollination distances produced heavier seeds.
Germination rates were higher at greater pollination distances.
Abstract
Many plant species depend on pollen flow to maximize reproduction and maintain genetic variability. Pollinators mediate this process, but distance between individuals can influence its benefits. Proximity may cause inbreeding depression, while extreme distances can mix locally adapted genotypes, leading to outbreeding depression and reduced fitness. Vereda palm swamps, shaped by the water table, are important habitats in the Cerrado, but they face anthropogenic changes that can affect reproduction, pollinators, and genetic diversity. This study examined how pollen dispersal distance influences the reproductive success of spiral ginger (Costus spiralis, Costaceae), a vereda self-compatible rhizomatous herb pollinated by hummingbirds. Hand pollinations were carried out between plants ranging from 10 to 2000 m distant, and the resulting fruit-set and seed quality traits were evaluated.…
Genes, proteins, chemicals, diseases, species, mutations and cell lines named across the full text — each resolved to its canonical identifier and authoritative record.
Click any figure to enlarge with its caption.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.
Taxonomy
TopicsFish biology, ecology, and behavior · Botanical Research and Applications · African Botany and Ecology Studies
