title: Plant mating systems in a changing world.
abstract: There is increasing evidence that human disturbance can negatively impact plant-pollinator interactions such as outcross pollination. We present a meta-analysis of 22 studies involving 27 plant species showing a significant reduction in the proportion of seeds outcrossed in response to anthropogenic habitat modifications. We discuss the evolutionary consequences of disturbance on plant mating systems, and in particular whether reproductive assurance through selfing effectively compensates for reduced outcrossing. The extent to which disturbance reduces pollinator versus mate availability could generate diverse selective forces on reproductive traits. Investigating how anthropogenic change influences plant mating will lead to new opportunities for better understanding of how mating systems evolve, as well as of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of human activities and how to mitigate them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada. chris.eckert@queensu.ca
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalisz
authors.forename: Monica A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Geber
authors.forename: Risa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sargent
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elle
authors.forename: Pierre-Olivier
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Cheptou
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goodwillie
authors.forename: Mark O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Porcher
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Ree
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vallejo-Marín
authors.forename: Alice A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Winn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D007178:Inbreeding; D010944:Plants; D054817:Pollination