Biology Focus Essay Example

Biology Focus Essay Example Biology Focus Paper Biology Focus Paper Scientists from the University of London found that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi that live on shrubs are more likely to have contact with insects. Three species of annual plants were grown with and without the fungi. Insect visits to the flowers on the plants were observed randomly and recorded over a 2-month period. Control plants had no fungi growing on them. Gange and Smith found that the fungi had a symbiotic relationship with the plants which was beneficial for both. The fungi fed off of the plant. Plants with the fungi had an increased number of flowers and nectar reward for the insects; however, flower size was not affected. These findings are significant because, to date, only one other study analyzed whether the fungi can affect the behavior of pollinating insects. The results from this study by Wolfe et al. were similar to Gange and Smith in that the presence of fungi on these plants increased insect visitation. Wolfe et al. did not measure individual flower size. Also to date, this is the first study to assert that this fungi increases the nectar reward experienced by the insects. The implications of the fungi on plant reproduction, in general, are significant. The increased visits by insects whose intention are to pollinate may enhance the seed set and foster the production of more plants. In addition to indirectly enhancing the production of more plants, the fungi promotes the survival of plants in a particular plant community. The rationale behind this is that the fungi increase flower size and nectar reward for the plants. In return, these beefed up plants win the competition for insect visits as compared to plants without the fungi who may have smaller flowers and nectar reward. Bibliography Gange A, Smith A. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi influence visitation rates of pollinating insects. Ecological Entomology. 2005. 30;600-606. McGraw Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. 2003. Wolfe BE, Husband BC, Klironomos JN. Effects of a belowground mutualism on an aboveground mutualism. Ecology Letters. 8;218-223.