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Becoche-Mosquera JM, Gomez-Bernal LG, Zambrano-Gonzalez G, Angulo-Ortiz D. Unraveling plant-pollinator interactions from a south-west Andean forest in Colombia. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16133. [PMID: 38025706 PMCID: PMC10640843 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Loss of biological connectivity increases the vulnerability of ecological dynamics, thereby affecting processes such as pollination. Therefore, it is important to understand the roles of the actors that participate in these interaction networks. Nonetheless, there is a significant oversight regarding the main actors in the pollination networks within the highly biodiverse forests of Colombia. Hence, the present study aims to evaluate the interaction patterns of a network of potential pollinators that inhabit an Andean Forest in Totoró, Cauca, Colombia. Methods The interactions between plants and potential pollinators were recorded through direct observation in 10 transects during six field trips conducted over the course of one year. Subsequently, an interaction matrix was developed, and network metrics such as connectance, specialization, nestedness, and asymmetry of interaction strength were evaluated by applying null models. An interpolation/extrapolation curve was calculated in order to assess the representativeness of the sample. Finally, the key species of the network were identified by considering degree (k), centrality, and betweenness centrality. Results A total of 53 plant species and 52 potential pollinator species (including insects and birds) were recorded, with a sample coverage of 88.5%. Connectance (C = 0.19) and specialization (H2' = 0.19) were low, indicating a generalist network. Freziera canescens, Gaiadendron punctatum, Persea mutisii, Bombus rubicundus, Heliangelus exortis, Chironomus sp., and Metallura tyrianthina were identified as the key species that contribute to a more cohesive network structure. Discussion The present study characterized the structure of the plant-pollinator network in a highly diverse Andean forest in Colombia. It is evident that insects are the largest group of pollinators; however, it is interesting to note that birds form a different module that specializes in pollinating a specific group of plants. On the other hand, the diversity and generality of the species found suggest that the network may be robust against chains of extinction. Nevertheless, the presence of certain introduced species, such as Apis mellifera, and the rapid changes in vegetation cover may affect the dynamics of this mutualistic network. So, it is imperative to apply restoration and conservation strategies to these ecosystems in order to enhance plant-animal interactions and prevent the loss of taxonomical and functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Mario Becoche-Mosquera
- Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
- Ecology and Conservation - GECO, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
- Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
| | - Luis German Gomez-Bernal
- Ecology and Conservation - GECO, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
- Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
| | - Giselle Zambrano-Gonzalez
- Ecology and Conservation - GECO, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
- Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
| | - David Angulo-Ortiz
- Corporación Autónoma Regional del Valle del Cauca, Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
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Leimberger KG, Hadley AS, Betts MG. Plant-hummingbird pollination networks exhibit limited rewiring after experimental removal of a locally abundant plant species. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1680-1694. [PMID: 37173807 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Mutualistic relationships, such as those between plants and pollinators, may be vulnerable to the local extinctions predicted under global environmental change. However, network theory predicts that plant-pollinator networks can withstand species loss if pollinators switch to alternative floral resources (rewiring). Whether rewiring occurs following species loss in natural communities is poorly known because replicated species exclusions are difficult to implement at appropriate spatial scales. We experimentally removed a hummingbird-pollinated plant, Heliconia tortuosa, from within tropical forest fragments to investigate how hummingbirds respond to temporary loss of an abundant resource. Under the rewiring hypothesis, we expected that behavioural flexibility would allow hummingbirds to use alternative resources, leading to decreased ecological specialization and reorganization of the network structure (i.e. pairwise interactions). Alternatively, morphological or behavioural constraints-such as trait-matching or interspecific competition-might limit the extent to which hummingbirds alter their foraging behaviour. We employed a replicated Before-After-Control-Impact experimental design and quantified plant-hummingbird interactions using two parallel sampling methods: pollen collected from individual hummingbirds ('pollen networks', created from >300 pollen samples) and observations of hummingbirds visiting focal plants ('camera networks', created from >19,000 observation hours). To assess the extent of rewiring, we quantified ecological specialization at the individual, species and network levels and examined interaction turnover (i.e. gain/loss of pairwise interactions). H. tortuosa removal caused some reorganization of pairwise interactions but did not prompt large changes in specialization, despite the large magnitude of our manipulation (on average, >100 inflorescences removed in exclusion areas of >1 ha). Although some individual hummingbirds sampled through time showed modest increases in niche breadth following Heliconia removal (relative to birds that did not experience resource loss), these changes were not reflected in species- and network-level specialization metrics. Our results suggest that, at least over short time-scales, animals may not necessarily shift to alternative resources after losing an abundant food resource-even in species thought to be highly opportunistic foragers, such as hummingbirds. Given that rewiring contributes to theoretical predictions of network stability, future studies should investigate why pollinators might not expand their diets after a local resource extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara G Leimberger
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Adam S Hadley
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Biodiversity Section, Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Matthew G Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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3
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Vizentin-Bugoni J, Maruyama PK. To rewire or not to rewire: To what extent rewiring to surviving partners can avoid extinction? J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1676-1679. [PMID: 37670422 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Research Highlight: Leimberger, K.G., Hadley, A.S., & Betts, M.G. (2023). Plant-hummingbird pollination networks exhibit minimal rewiring after experimental removal of a locally abundant plant species. Journal of Animal Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13935. In this paper, Leimberger, Hadley and Betts (2023) explore the effects of removing a locally abundant plant species on plant-hummingbird pollination networks. They experimentally prevented access of hummingbirds to flowers of Heliconia tortuosa and assessed subsequent changes in the interactions between plants and hummingbirds. Their main hypothesis postulated that the loss of a highly connected species would lead to interaction rewiring and niche expansions by hummingbirds, decreasing individual, species and network specialization. However, they found that the overall structure of the plant-hummingbird networks remains mostly unaltered, with limited rewiring and minimal changes in specialization. The main contributions of this study can be summarized as (i) it adds to a limited number of manipulative studies on the capacity of species to rewire their interactions following the loss of partners, and importantly, it is the first study from the tropics and with vertebrate pollinators, for which experimental studies at appropriate scales is intrinsically more challenging; and (ii) innovates by evaluating change in specialization for the individual level, carried out through pollen sampling on the body of hummingbirds. The limited change in species interactions highlights that network stability through interaction rewiring may have been overestimated in previous studies, calling for further manipulative studies in the field. At the same time, it also indicated that even the loss of a highly abundant plant species has an overall small effect on network structure. Thus, this study contributes timely findings regarding the capacity of ecological communities to respond to species extinctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações & Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Departamento de Ecologia Zoologia e Genética, Universidade Federal de Pelotas-UFPel, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Pietro Kiyoshi Maruyama
- Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais-UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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4
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Vizentin-Bugoni J, Sperry JH, Kelley JP, Foster JT, Drake DR, Case SB, Gleditsch JM, Hruska AM, Wilcox RC, Tarwater CE. Mechanisms underlying interaction frequencies and robustness in a novel seed dispersal network: lessons for restoration. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221490. [PMID: 36100025 PMCID: PMC9470274 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
As human-caused extinctions and invasions accumulate across the planet, understanding the processes governing ecological functions mediated by species interactions, and anticipating the effect of species loss on such functions become increasingly urgent. In seed dispersal networks, the mechanisms that influence interaction frequencies may also influence the capacity of a species to switch to alternative partners (rewiring), influencing network robustness. Studying seed dispersal interactions in novel ecosystems on O'ahu island, Hawai'i, we test whether the same mechanisms defining interaction frequencies can regulate rewiring and increase network robustness to simulated species extinctions. We found that spatial and temporal overlaps were the primary mechanisms underlying interaction frequencies, and the loss of the more connected species affected networks to a greater extent. Further, rewiring increased network robustness, and morphological matching and spatial and temporal overlaps between partners were more influential on network robustness than species abundances. We argue that to achieve self-sustaining ecosystems, restoration initiatives can consider optimal morphological matching and spatial and temporal overlaps between consumers and resources to maximize chances of native plant dispersal. Specifically, restoration initiatives may benefit from replacing invasive species with native species possessing characteristics that promote frequent interactions and increase the probability of rewiring (such as long fruiting periods, small seeds and broad distributions).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenue Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul 91501-970, Brazil
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research Development Center, 2902 Newmark Dr, Champaign, IL 61826, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Jinelle H. Sperry
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research Development Center, 2902 Newmark Dr, Champaign, IL 61826, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - J. Patrick Kelley
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Jeffrey T. Foster
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Donald R. Drake
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Samuel B. Case
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Jason M. Gleditsch
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Integrative Ecology Laboratory, Center for Biodiversity, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Amy M. Hruska
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
| | - Rebecca C. Wilcox
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Corey E. Tarwater
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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The role of evolutionary modes for trait-based cascades in mutualistic networks. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.109983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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6
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Merging theory and experiments to predict and understand coextinctions. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:886-898. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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7
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Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Maia KP, Marquitti FMD, Vaughan IP, Memmott J, Raimundo RLG. Interaction generalisation and demographic feedbacks drive the resilience of plant-insect networks to extinctions. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2109-2121. [PMID: 34048028 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the processes driving ecological resilience, that is the extent to which systems retain their structure while absorbing perturbations, is a central challenge for theoretical and applied ecologists. Plant-insect assemblages are well-suited for the study of ecological resilience as they are species-rich and encompass a variety of ecological interactions that correspond to essential ecosystem functions. Mechanisms affecting community response to perturbations depend on both the natural history and structure of ecological interactions. Natural history attributes of the interspecific interactions, for example whether they are mutualistic or antagonistic, may affect the ecological resilience by controlling the demographic feedbacks driving ecological dynamics at the community level. Interaction generalisation may also affect resilience, by defining opportunities for interaction rewiring, the extent to which species are able to switch interactions in fluctuating environments. These natural history attributes may also interact with network structure to affect ecological resilience. Using adaptive network models, we investigated the resilience of plant-pollinator and plant-herbivore networks to species loss. We specifically investigated how fundamental natural history differences between these systems, namely the demographic consequences of the interaction and their level of generalisation-mediating rewiring opportunities-affect the resilience of dynamic ecological networks to extinctions. We also create a general benchmark for the effect of network structure on resilience simulating extinctions on theoretical networks with controlled structures. When network structure was static, pollination networks were less resilient than herbivory networks; this is related to their high levels of nestedness and the reciprocally positive feedbacks that define mutualisms, which made co-extinction cascades more likely and longer in plant-pollinator assemblages. When considering interaction rewiring, the high generalisation and the structure of pollination networks boosted their resilience to extinctions, which approached those of herbivory networks. Simulation results using theoretical networks suggested that the empirical structure of herbivory networks may protect them from collapse. Elucidating the ecological and evolutionary processes driving interaction rewiring is key to understanding the resilience of plant-insect assemblages. Accounting for rewiring requires ecologists to combine natural history with network models that incorporate feedbacks between species abundances, traits and interactions. This combination will elucidate how perturbations propagate at community level, reshaping biodiversity structure and ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate P Maia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Ian P Vaughan
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jane Memmott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Rafael L G Raimundo
- Department of Engineering and Environment and Postgraduate Program in Ecology and Environmental Monitoring (PPGEMA), Centre for Applied Sciences and Education, Federal University of Paraíba, Campus IV, Rio Tinto, Brazil.,IRIS Research Group, Innovation for Resilience, Inclusion and Sustainability, Federal University of Paraíba, Campus IV, Rio Tinto, Brazil
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9
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Morán-López T, Espíndola WD, Vizzachero BS, Fontanella A, Salinas L, Arana C, Amico G, Pizo MA, Carlo TA, Morales JM. Can network metrics predict vulnerability and species roles in bird-dispersed plant communities? Not without behaviour. Ecol Lett 2019; 23:348-358. [PMID: 31814305 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Network metrics are widely used to infer the roles of mutualistic animals in plant communities and to predict the effect of species' loss. However, their empirical validation is scarce. Here we parameterized a joint species model of frugivory and seed dispersal with bird movement and foraging data from tropical and temperate communities. With this model, we investigate the effect of frugivore loss on seed rain, and compare our predictions to those of standard coextinction models and network metrics. Topological coextinction models underestimated species loss after the removal of highly linked frugivores with unique foraging behaviours. Network metrics informed about changes in seed rain quantity after frugivore loss. However, changes in seed rain composition were only predicted by partner diversity. Nestedness, closeness, and d' specialisation could not anticipate the effects of rearrangements in plant-frugivore communities following species loss. Accounting for behavioural differences among mutualists is critical to improve predictions from network models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Morán-López
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral, 1250, San Carlos De Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Walter D Espíndola
- Biology Department & Ecology Program, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - Benjamin S Vizzachero
- Biology Department & Ecology Program, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Antonio Fontanella
- Dept. Zool. Rio Claro, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Letty Salinas
- Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - César Arana
- Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - Guillermo Amico
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral, 1250, San Carlos De Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Marco A Pizo
- Dept. Zool. Rio Claro, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tomás A Carlo
- Biology Department & Ecology Program, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - Juan M Morales
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral, 1250, San Carlos De Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
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10
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Vizentin‐Bugoni J, Debastiani VJ, Bastazini VAG, Maruyama PK, Sperry JH. Including rewiring in the estimation of the robustness of mutualistic networks. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeferson Vizentin‐Bugoni
- U.S. Army Corps of EngineersEngineer Research and Development Center Champaign IL USA
- Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Department University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USA
| | - Vanderlei J. Debastiani
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre RS Brazil
| | - Vinicius A. G. Bastazini
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station French National Center for Scientific Research and Paul Sabatier University Moulis France
| | - Pietro K. Maruyama
- Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte MG Brazil
| | - Jinelle H. Sperry
- U.S. Army Corps of EngineersEngineer Research and Development Center Champaign IL USA
- Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Department University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USA
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11
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Nnakenyi CA, Traveset A, Heleno R, Minoarivelo HO, Hui C. Fine‐tuning the nested structure of pollination networks by adaptive interaction switching, biogeography and sampling effect in the Galápagos Islands. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chinenye A. Nnakenyi
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ Matieland 7602 South Africa
| | - Anna Traveset
- Mediterranean Inst. of Advanced Studies (CSIC‐UIB), Global Change Research Group, Esporles, Mallorca Balearic Islands Spain
| | - Ruben Heleno
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Dept of Life Sciences, Univ. of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - Henintsoa O. Minoarivelo
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ Matieland 7602 South Africa
| | - Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ Matieland 7602 South Africa
- Mathematical Biosciences Group, African Inst. for Mathematical Sciences Cape Town South Africa
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12
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Trøjelsgaard K, Heleno R, Traveset A. Native and alien flower visitors differ in partner fidelity and network integration. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1264-1273. [PMID: 31148310 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Globalisation persistently fuels the establishment of non-native species outside their natural ranges. While alien plants have been intensively studied, little is known about alien flower visitors, and especially, how they integrate into natural communities. Here, we focus on mutualistic networks from five Galápagos islands to quantify whether alien and native flower visitors differ consistently in their pairwise interactions. We find that (1) alien flower visitors have more interaction partners and larger species strengths (i.e. plants are more connected to alien insects), (2) native insects tend to have higher partner fidelity as they deviate more from random partner utilisation, and iii) the difference between native and alien flower visitors in network integration intensifies with island degradation. Thus, native and alien flower visitors are not interchangeable, and alien establishment might have yet unforeseen consequences for the pairwise dynamics between plants and flower visitors on the Galápagos - especially on the heavily disturbed islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Trøjelsgaard
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, Aalborg East 9220, Denmark
| | - Ruben Heleno
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, CSIC-UIB, Esporles, Mallorca, Spain
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