Prepollination barriers prevent gene flow between co-occurring bat-pollinated bromeliads in a montane forest

Overall, prepollination mechanisms (phenology and floral design) were of great importance to eliminate pollen transfer between species and, when present, postpollination barriers had a redundant effect. Our results contradict previous reports that suggested a weak effect of premating barriers among bromeliad species. Additional studies involving other pollination guilds are required to gain a better understanding of the prevalence of different reproductive isolation mechanisms in the highly diverse Bromeliaceae family.