Pollinator Exclusion Experiment

to determine the effectiveness of putative plant

pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...

vectors. Essentially, certain pollinators are prevented from visiting certain flowers, and observations are then made on which flowers develop seeds. If the exclusion of a certain class of visitor prevents or greatly reduces flower fertilisation rates, then it can be concluded that that class of visitor plays an important role in pollination. There are various methods for excluding pollinators. A cage may exclude nectarivorous birds and mammals but allow access by insects. A net may exclude all but the smallest animals, yet permit wind-pollination.

Insect repellent An insect repellent (also commonly called "bug spray") is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces to discourage insects (and arthropods in general) from landing or climbing on that surface. Insect repellents help prevent and cont ...

may prevent visits by insects whilst allowing access by birds and mammals. Bags may be used to prevent all but

autogamous Autogamy, or self-fertilization, refers to the fusion of two gametes that come from one individual. Autogamy is predominantly observed in the form of self-pollination, a reproductive mechanism employed by many flowering plants. However, species ...

pollination. Bagging flowers only during the day or night makes it possible to exclude diurnal or nocturnal visitors respectively. Ecological experiments Pollination {{botany-stub