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Dryad

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

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Apr 22, 2024 version files 66.81 MB

Abstract

There is growing concern about sensory pollutants impacting ecological communities. Anthropogenically enhanced oxidants (O3 and 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 find that atmospheric concentrations of NO3, but not O3, eliminate flower visitation by moths, and it is the reaction of NO3 to a subset of monoterpenes that 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.