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BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES / EVOLUTION
Conifer ovulate cones accumulate pollen principally by simple impaction







*School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Hatherly Laboratories, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, United Kingdom;
Institut Catholique d'Arts et Métiers, 6 rue Auber, 59046 Lille Cedex, France; and
School of Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics, Harrison Building, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QF, United Kingdom
Edited by Ronald R. Sederoff, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, and approved September 25, 2007 (received for review July 9, 2007)
| Abstract |
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aerodynamics | computational fluid dynamics | computed tomography | wind pollination
4–10 mm at the time of pollination (6). Individual mature pine trees produce prodigious amounts of pollen (7), but pollination can limit seed set nevertheless (8, 9). Therefore, the size of ovulate cones appears counteradaptive for wind pollination unless the cones accumulate pollen by a mechanism other than simple impaction. In many members of the pine family, ovulate cones structurally resemble a turbine because they comprise helically arranged scale-bract complexes (hereafter called scales), each curved like an aerofoil (Fig. 1). Previous studies have suggested that this turbine-like structure improves pollination by producing three complex aerodynamic effects (10–13). First, the cone creates a leeward eddy that draws in pollen that would otherwise pass by, which is analogous to wake-feeding by suspension-feeding aquatic animals (14). We term this "leeward recirculation." Second, the cone may circulate pollen around its interior in a corkscrew vortex to increase the probability that pollen encounters a scale. We term this "helical recirculation." Third, eddy vortices between the scales could have central doldrums of still air that cause pollen to sediment onto the adaxial surface of the scale. We term this "interstitial recirculation." In pines and cedars (Cedrus spp.), each scale exudes a minute droplet of liquid on its adaxial surface near its base (15), which is analogous to the angiosperm stigma. Arguably, the turbine-like architecture of the ovulate cone is an adaptation for producing airflows that direct airborne pollen to these droplets (11). This view has been widely presented (15, 16), and we term it the "turbine interpretation" of cone structure. Here we call this interpretation into question. Consequently, the adaptive interpretation of the structure of ovulate cones becomes once again problematic, and we therefore consider alternatives.
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We studied three tree species in the Pinaceae Family whose ovulate cones are variants on the classic family structure (Fig. 1): P. radiata D. Don (Monterey pine), C. libani A. Rich (Cedar of Lebanon), and P. sylvestris L. (Scots pine).
| Results |
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5–30% depending on the wind speed (analysis of covariance; wind speed covariate; F1, 43 = 27.6, P < 0.001) (Fig. 3). The wind speed–collection efficiency relationship differed among species (analysis of covariance; wind speed–species interaction; F2, 43 = 7.7, P < 0.01) (Fig. 3). Although collection efficiency declined with wind speed in the pines (P. radiata and P. sylvestris), it was independent of wind speed in C. libani (Fig. 3).
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The impaction efficiency of both model cones increased with the speed of the oncoming air stream (Fig. 3). For a given wind speed, the impaction efficiency of the model cones exceeded the collection efficiency of real cones, particularly at higher wind speeds (Fig. 3).
| Discussion |
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The turbine interpretation also has been supported by photographic traces of particles in leeward recirculation, some of which appear on course for the cone's leeward surfaces (13). In contrast, our CFD simulations suggest that ovulate cones function as simple impact collectors for pollen. But how credible are our simulations? There are two uncertainties. First, we could not establish the density of conifer pollen. However, we obtained qualitatively identical results across a wide range of particle densities, which probably includes the actual pollen density. Second, we cannot be sure that the irregular shape of the pollen grain (15) makes no contribution to its aerodynamic interaction with the ovulate cone. However, manipulating the particle shape in the CFD simulation did not produce recirculation. Therefore, despite these uncertainties, we argue that our failure to simulate even a single instance of pollen accumulation by recirculation undermines the turbine hypothesis.
Patterns of pollen accumulation on freeze-dried (11) and fresh (13) ovulate cones also have been used to support the turbine interpretation. Leeward and helical recirculation should result in pollen grains accumulating on the cone's leeward surfaces, and interstitial recirculation should result in pollen accumulating primarily on adaxial surfaces of scales. Our observations in wind-tunnel trials contradicted both of these predictions. Furthermore, our observations are consistent with a previous wind-tunnel study (19), which found that the number of pollen grains on downwind-facing surfaces was zero or insignificant. Collectively, these observations cast serious doubt on the turbine interpretation of cone structure and indicate the importance of simple impaction in pollen collection.
It can be argued that pollen grains adhering to the cone's exterior are irrelevant and that complex airflows had nevertheless delivered some pollen precisely to the micropyles of ovules in our wind-tunnel trials. We would have failed to detect this result because we did not dissect the cones. However, Roussey and Kevan (19) dissected their cones and found virtually no pollen on the micropylar arms of ovules on the downwind scales.
Why do the results of wind-tunnel trials differ among studies? Contrasting patterns of pollen accumulation are found for cones of the same species (e.g., P. sylvestris) depending on whether the experimenters used fresh cones (this study and ref. 19) or freeze-dried cones (11), which suggests that outcomes are contingent on cone preparation. Unlike fresh cones, the surfaces of freeze-dried cones cannot secure pollen by adhesion (J.E.C., unpublished data). In wind-tunnel trials, pollen probably rebounds from dried windward scales, falls into the cone's interior, and possibly arrives at the leeward scales under the influence of the airflow between the scales.
We have argued that the architecture of the conifer ovulate cone cannot be interpreted as an adaptation for generating complex air currents to favor pollen capture. But then what is its adaptive function? We do not consider the broad requirements for protecting the ovules and maturing and dispersing the seeds, which are reviewed elsewhere (20). Instead, we offer two further adaptive interpretations. First, the arrangement of the cone's scales may have evolved as a form of guttering, which directs beads of water from rainfall and dew to roll over scale surfaces to the cone's interior, thereby bringing scavenged pollen to the micropyles (15). Second, the aerofoil profiles of scales may function as turgour-operated, bistable structures that enable the cone to open hydraulically, remain open during its pollination phase, and later close for the better protection of seeds. This mechanism produces the movements of the Venus flytrap (Aldrovanda vesiculosa), albeit at much greater speed (21).
Although it may function primarily as an impact collector, the ovulate cone has a greater collection efficiency than a solid ovoid of similar size (6). The discrepancy probably arises because ovulate conelets are not solid objects. Presumably, the airflow through the cone's interior reduces upwind disturbance, thereby enabling oncoming particles to maintain trajectories that lead to collision, which offsets the cone's apparent inefficiency as an impact collector.
We observed that the collection efficiency of ovulate cones either decreased as wind speed increased (P. radiata and P. sylvestris) or was independent of wind speed (C. libani). In contrast, the impaction efficiency of the system should increase with the rate of fluid flow. We postulate that this discrepancy results from increased rebound from the surfaces as the speed of airborne pollen increases. The relationship between collection efficiency and wind speed varies among conifer species (this study and ref. 19), which may be an adaptation for the wind conditions normally experienced by a species, although this remains to be tested.
| Materials and Methods |
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50 grains per mm2 was deposited on a petroleum jelly-coated target (1.6-mm-diameter steel pinhead). Each cone was exposed to a single pollen cloud at a uniform wind speed of either 0.6, 1.5, or 2.5 m/s, which are similar speeds to those of previous studies (10, 11). Trees typically bear ovulate cones erect, and so the cone in the wind tunnel was oriented with its proximal–distal axis perpendicular to the oncoming wind. We did not study extensively the effect of cone inclination because pilot trials with cones orientated at 45° to the airflow found no significant effect of such an angle, although previous studies proposed that this inclination may increase helical recirculation (10, 11). After exposure to airborne pollen, we counted under a microscope the number of pollen grains adhering to the cone in each of its four 90° quadrants (windward, leeward, left, and right) and, if necessary, subtracted the small number of pollen grains counted immediately before the trial.
To estimate the collection efficiency of the cones, we compared the observed accumulation of pollen on the cone with the expected accumulation based on the cross-sectional area of the cone (mm2) multiplied by the area density of pollen on the jelly-coated target (grains per mm2). Using geometry, we estimated the cone's cross-sectional area (A) based on its height (H) and width (W) at the widest point by assuming that it was an ellipse truncated by one quarter of its height. The dimensions of the cones used in the trials were: C. libani, H = 11.8 mm (SE = 0.34), W = 6.4 mm (SE = 0.12), A = 54.9 mm2 (SE = 2.15), n = 15; P. radiata, H = 10.7 (SE = 0.31), W = 7.4 (SE = 0.12), A = 57.8 (SE = 2.72), n = 24; and P. sylvestris, H = 4.0 (SE = 0.05), W = 3.5 (SE = 0.07), A = 10.1 (SE = 0.3), n = 10. We calculated Rs for each conifer species in the wind-tunnel trials based on the geometric mean of an average cone's width and length.
CFD Simulations. Based on measurements from photographic cross-sections, we formed an enlarged scale of C. libani in modeling clay, sliced it, and digitized its sections to generate a 3D shape in a CAD environment, GAMBIT (Fluent, Lebanon, NH). Using CAD, 96 such scales were arranged around a tapering central spine to mimic the cone's phyllotaxis (Fig. 1), with each helical parastichy of scales pitched at 39° from vertical. We varied the scale size to produce a realistic taper.
Using a microCT scanner (Skyscan 1170; Skyscan, Kontich, Belgium), we created a model ovulate cone of P. radiata. We used the software package ScanIP version 2.1.187/ScanFE version 2.0.11.1 (Simpleware, Exeter, U.K.) to re-create a 3D mesh from 256 x 217 x 165 cross-sectional scanner images. The original mesh comprising 40 x 106 cells was analyzed initially on a supercomputer (CSAR, Manchester, U.K.), but subsequent analyses were implemented on a smaller twin-processor machine (Workstar W425-HE; Digital Networks U.K., Ashton-under-Lyne, U.K.) with a reduced mesh of 1.8 x 106 cells generated by subsampling and conversion to a polyhedral mesh. The aerodynamic behavior of the reduced mesh was qualitatively identical with that of the original. For both CAD and CT models, a mesh representing open space was extended around the cone, particularly downstream.
To investigate the aerodynamics of the model cones, we used Fluent Flow Modeling Software version 6.1 (P. radiata model) or version 6.2 (C. libani model). In reality, the airflow around a tree canopy will be turbulent, but the turbulent eddies probably occur at scales of similar size to the ovulate cone, and so the local flow around the cone will be approximately laminar. We explored the system's behavior at several wind speeds: 0.6 m/s2 (R = 350), 1.5 m/s2 (R = 870), and 2.5 m/s2 (R = 1,455), which matched the wind speeds of the wind-tunnel trials. It is plausible to assume that the flow around a bluff body at R = 350 is steady, but flow at R
870 will exhibit transient behavior, such as downstream vortex shedding. All simulations were initially run by using the steady-state SIMPLE algorithm, but those for R = 870 and R = 1,455 were finally implemented by using the transient PISO algorithm. Taking into account the fine nature of the computational mesh involved, first-order upwind differencing was used for the spatial derivatives.
To test for helical and interstitial recirculation in each simulation, we examined a series of cross-sections of each model cone for interior airflows counter to the prevailing exterior flow. We used Lagrangian particle tracking to simulate the trajectories of 60-µm-diameter spherical pollen grains through the flow field. Within the CFD environment, adjustments to particle shape parameters designed to mimic the irregular shape of pine pollen (23) made no qualitative difference to patterns of pollen impacts, and so we did not adopt them. The density of conifer pollen grains is unknown, so we used 200 kg/m3 because, under Stokes law, a 60-µm sphere of this density achieves a terminal velocity typical of pine pollen (i.e.,
20 mm/s) (10). For generality, we also investigated a range of other particle densities (100, 300, 400, 500, 700, 900, and 1,100 kg/m3) at a wind speed of 0.6 m/s2.
In the CFD simulations, particles were released from 15 x 15 grids at the inlet upstream of the cone. The ratio of the area of the release grid to the projected cone area was used to determine the number of directly oncoming particles (i.e., those that would impact the cone if no deflection occurred). For each cone, we recorded the percentage of impacting particles in each quadrant of the cone's surfaces and calculated impaction efficiency as the proportion of oncoming particles that collided with any cone surface.
| Acknowledgements |
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| Footnotes |
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Abbreviations: CAD, computer-aided design; CFD, computational fluid dynamics; CT, computed tomography.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j.e.cresswell{at}ex.ac.uk
Author contributions: J.E.C. designed research; J.E.C., K.H., C.P., M.L., M.A.P., P.G.Y., and G.R.T. performed research; and J.E.C. wrote the paper.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.
© 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
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