DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tmpg4f572
title: Data from: Heatwaves exacerbate pollen limitation through reductions in pollen production and pollen vigour

description: Background and aims Increasingly frequent heat waves threaten the
 reproduction of flowering plants; compromising the future persistence,
 adaptive capacity, and dispersal of wild plant populations, and also the
 yield of fruit-bearing crop plants. Heat damages development of sensitive
 floral organs and gametes, which inhibits pollen germination, pollen tube
 growth, and fertilization. However, the role of heat has not been
 integrated into the framework of pollen quantity and quality limitation
 and how heat influences the success of cross and self-pollination. Methods
 We exposed developing flowers to either control temperature (25C:20C) or
 extreme heat (35C:20C) over 72 hours. We then hand pollinated them with
 either crossed or self-derived pollen from the same temperature treatment
 to determine direct and interactive effects of simulated heatwaves on
 pollen tube growth and resulting seed set. We also collected anthers from
 virgin flowers to measure heat impacts pollen production.  Key
 results Under cooler control temperatures pollen tube survival of
 self-derived pollen was approximately 27% lower than that of crossed
 pollen. Pollen tube survival in heat treated cross-pollinated and heat
 treated self-pollinated flowers were 71% and 77% lower than cross pollen
 used control temperatures. These differences in pollen tube survival rate
 between heat treated cross-pollinated and heat-treated self-pollinated
 flowers were insignificant. Furthermore, extreme heat reduced seed set by
 87%, regardless of pollen origin and also reduced pollen production during
 flower development by approximately 20%.  Conclusions Our results
 suggest flowers that develop during heatwaves are likely to experience
 exacerbated pollen quantity and quality limitation driven by changes in
 pollen production and pollen vigour. Heatwave induced pollen limitation
 will likely reduce crop yields in agricultural systems, and depress mating
 and reproduction in wild plant species, the latter of which may hinder the
 adaptive capacity of plants to a rapidly changing world.
description: # Heatwaves exacerbate pollen limitation through reductions in pollen
 production and pollen vigour
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tmpg4f572](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tmpg4f572) ## Description of the data and file structure Provides all information associated with the data and analyses of the publication "Heatwaves exacerbate pollen limitation through reductions in pollen production and pollen vigour" published in AoB Plants ### Files and variables #### File: aopb\_anthers.csv **Description:** contains all data used for analysis of pollen production ##### Variables * t_num: Treated cohort number plant was in for temperature treatment * p_num: Number given to plant from temperature treat * p_trt: Plant temperature treatment (Control or Heat; 25° Celsius or 35° Celsius) * start_wgt: weight of vial before sampling 3ml (weight in grams) * vial_wgt: weight of vial used when empty (weight in grams) * final_wgt: weight after sampling 3ml (weight in grams) * pollen_grains: average number of pollen grains across 3 samples (rounded to nearest integer) * grains_per_flower: estimated number of pollen grains per flower based on weight of sample #### File: aopb\_style.csv **Description:** contains all data used for analysis of pollen tube survival ##### Variables * t_num: Treated cohort number plant was in for temperature treatment * p_num: number given to plant from temperature treatment * pol_tub: number of pollen tubes reaching the base of the style in sample * pol_dep: number of pollen grains deposited on the stigma * p_trt: Plant temperature treatment (Control or Heat; 25° Celsius or 35° Celsius) * f_trt: Flower hand pollination treatment (x or s; Cross or Self) #### File: aopb\_seeds.csv **Description:** contains all data used for analysis of seed set ##### Variables * f_trt: Flower hand pollination treatment (x or s; Cross or Self) * seed_n: Number of developed seeds in fruit * abort_n: Number of aborted seeds (not used in study analysis) * p_trt: Plant temperature treatment (Control or Heat; 25° Celsius or 35° Celsius) * t_num: Treated cohort number plant was in for temperature treatment * p_num: Number given to plant from temperature treat ## Code/software aobp_analyses_script.R: contains analyses used and comments on analysis.