Olfaction in the Anthropocene: NO3 negatively affects floral scent and nocturnal pollination

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Chan, J. K.; Parasurama, S.; Atlas, R.; Xu, R.; Jongebloed, U. A.; Alexander, B.; Langenhan, J. M.; Thornton, J. A.; Riffell, J. A.
• 署名单位: University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle; University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle; Tsinghua University; Seattle University; National Biodiversity Future Center; University of Naples Federico II; Institut Polytechnique de Paris; Ecole Polytechnique; Sorbonne Universite
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8998
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adi0858
• 发表日期: 2024-02-09
• 页码: 607-611
• 关键词: ionization mass-spectrometry; gas-phase reactions; air-pollution; UNITED-STATES; ozone; emissions; chemistry; MODEL; isoprene; radicals

摘要

There is growing concern about sensory pollutants affecting ecological communities. Anthropogenically enhanced oxidants [ozone (O-3) and nitrate radicals (NO3)] rapidly degrade floral scents, potentially reducing pollinator attraction to flowers. However, the physiological and behavioral impacts on pollinators and plant fitness are unknown. Using a nocturnal flower-moth system, we found that atmospherically relevant concentrations of NO3 eliminate flower visitation by moths, and the reaction of NO3 with a subset of monoterpenes is what reduces the scent's attractiveness. Global atmospheric models of floral scent oxidation reveal that pollinators in certain urban areas may have a reduced ability to perceive and navigate to flowers. These results illustrate the impact of anthropogenic pollutants on an animal's olfactory ability and indicate that such pollutants may be critical regulators of global pollination.