The role of insects in pollination and dissemination of some plant species in high-mountains of the Ukrainian Carpathians

Abstract

On the example of 5 species of herbaceous flowering plants of the Ukrainian Carpathians it is shown that they are in close relationships with a number of insects, some of which are involved into pollination and hence in the formation of mature seeds. It was found out that the species composition of insects does not depend on plant species composition, but on the ecological conditions of their habitat. The highest number of insects is connected with Dipsacaceae (30 species) and Asteraceae plants (29 species), less with Apiaceae (21 species), and the least with Boraginaceae (13 species). A significant role of phytophagous insects in the reproduction of plant populations was established. For example, Senecio carpaticus is one of species that depends significantly on the amount of received damage from the leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) in the higher parts of the Ukrainian Carpathians. By the example of a number of Formicidae species, the role of myrmecochory in plants seeds dissemination is shown. It was confirmed that successful reproduction of Pulmonaria filarszkyana mainly depends on the presence of ants which disperse the species’ seeds over large area. Formica cunicularia, F. lemani, F. cinerea, Myrmica ruginodis, Tetramorium caespitum dominate among the ant species mentioned above.

Keywords

• high-mountain plants
• insect pollinators
• Formicidae
• myrmecochory
• Ukrainian Carpathians