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Librán-Embid F, Grass I, Emer C, Alarcón-Segura V, Behling H, Biagioni S, Ganuza C, Herrera-Krings C, Setyaningsih CA, Tscharntke T. Flower-bee versus pollen-bee metanetworks in fragmented landscapes. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232604. [PMID: 38807521 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the organization of mutualistic networks at multiple spatial scales is key to ensure biological conservation and functionality in human-modified ecosystems. Yet, how changing habitat and landscape features affect pollen-bee interaction networks is still poorly understood. Here, we analysed how bee-flower visitation and bee-pollen-transport interactions respond to habitat fragmentation at the local network and regional metanetwork scales, combining data from 29 fragments of calcareous grasslands, an endangered biodiversity hotspot in central Europe. We found that only 37% of the total unique pairwise species interactions occurred in both pollen-transport and flower visitation networks, whereas 28% and 35% were exclusive to pollen-transport and flower visitation networks, respectively. At local level, network specialization was higher in pollen-transport networks, and was negatively related to the diversity of land cover types in both network types. At metanetwork level, pollen transport data revealed that the proportion of single-fragment interactions increased with landscape diversity. Our results show that the specialization of calcareous grasslands' plant-pollinator networks decreases with landscape diversity, but network specialization is underestimated when only based on flower visitation information. Pollen transport data, more than flower visitation, and multi-scale analyses of metanetworks are fundamental for understanding plant-pollinator interactions in human-dominated landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Librán-Embid
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen , Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Justus Liebig University of Gießen, Institute of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26 , Gießen 35390, Germany
| | - Ingo Grass
- Department of Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim , Stuttgart 70599, Germany
- Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy (KomBioTa), University of Hohenheim , Stuttgart 70599, Germany
| | - Carine Emer
- Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leão, 915, Jardim Botânico , Rio de Janeiro CEP22460-030, Brazil
| | - Viviana Alarcón-Segura
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen , Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Animal Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Marburg , Marburg 35037, Germany
| | - Hermann Behling
- Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen , Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Siria Biagioni
- Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen , Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Cristina Ganuza
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg , Würzburg 97074, Germany
| | | | - Christina Ani Setyaningsih
- Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen , Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen , Göttingen 37077, Germany
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Neacă AM, Meis J, Knight T, Rakosy D. Intensive pasture management alters the composition and structure of plant-pollinator interactions in Sibiu, Romania. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16900. [PMID: 38435994 PMCID: PMC10909354 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16900] [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: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Land management change towards intensive grazing has been shown to alter plant and pollinator communities and the structure of plant-pollinator interactions in different ways across the world. Land-use intensification in Eastern Europe is shifting highly diverse, traditionally managed hay meadows towards intensive pastures, but few studies have examined how this influences plant-pollinator networks. We hypothesized that the effects of intensive grazing on networks will depend on how plant communities and their floral traits change. Methods We investigated plant and pollinator diversity and composition and the structure of plant-pollinator interactions near Sibiu, Romania at sites that were traditionally managed as hay meadows or intensive pastures. We quantified the identity and abundance of flowering plants, and used transect walks to observe pollinator genera interacting with flowering plant species. We evaluated the effects of management on diversity, composition and several indices of network structure. Results Pollinator but not plant diversity declined in pastures and both plant and pollinator taxonomic composition shifted. Functional diversity and composition remained unchanged, with rather specialized flowers having been found to dominate in both hay meadows and pastures. Apis mellifera was found to be the most abundant pollinator. Its foraging preferences played a crucial role in shaping plant-pollinator network structure. Apis mellifera thus preferred the highly abundant Dorycnium herbaceum in hay meadows, leading to hay meadows networks with lower Shannon diversity and interaction evenness. In pastures, however, it preferred less abundant and more generalized flower resources. With pollinators being overall less abundant and more generalized in pastures, we found that niche overlap between plants was higher. Discussion With both hay meadows and pastures being dominated by plant species with similar floral traits, shifts in pollinator preferences seem to have driven the observed changes in plant-pollinator interaction networks. We thus conclude that the effects of grazing on pollinators and their interactions are likely to depend on the traits of plant species present in different management types as well as on the effects of grazing on plant community composition. We thereby highlight the need for better understanding how floral abundance shapes pollinator visitation rates and how floral traits may influence this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Maria Neacă
- Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Julia Meis
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tiffany Knight
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- Department Species Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department Species Interaction Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Demetra Rakosy
- Department Species Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department Species Interaction Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
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3
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Robles C, Romero-Egea V, Traveset A, Ruiz de Ybáñez R, Hervías-Parejo S. Vertebrates can be more important pollinators than invertebrates on islands: the case of Malva (=Lavatera) arborea L. AOB PLANTS 2024; 16:plae010. [PMID: 38497048 PMCID: PMC10944019 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plae010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Premise of the study: On islands, flowering plants tend to be more generalist in their pollination needs, as insects (the main pollinators of flowering plants) are underrepresented in these ecosystems compared to the mainland. In addition, some vertebrate species that are typically insectivorous or granivorous on the mainland are forced to broaden their diet and consume other resources such as nectar or pollen on the islands. The shrub Malva arborea, with its large and colourful flowers, attracts different groups of potential pollinators. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of vertebrates versus insects in an insular population of M. arborea and to investigate its reproductive system. Methods: For three groups of taxa (insects, birds and lizards), we assessed the two components of pollination effectiveness: (i) the quantitative component (i.e. number of visits and number of flowers contacted) through direct observations of flowers; and (ii) the qualitative component (fruit and seed set, number and size of seeds and proportion of seedling emergence) through pollinator exclusion experiments. Key results: Vertebrates (birds and lizards) were quantitatively the most effective pollinators, followed by insects. However, when all three groups visited the flowers, fruit and seed set were higher than when any of them were excluded. We also found that M. arborea has hermaphrodite flowers and is able to reproduce by autogamy, although less efficiently than when pollinated by animals. Conclusions: Both vertebrates and insects play an important role in the reproduction of M. arborea. Although the plant does not need pollinators to produce seeds, its reproductive success increases when all pollinators are allowed to visit the flowers. Besides providing new information on M. arborea, these findings may help to better understand the role of different pollinator groups in the reproduction of other plant species, especially on islands where the co-occurrence of vertebrate and invertebrate pollination in the same plant species is usual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Robles
- Department of Animal Health, Campus de Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Víctor Romero-Egea
- Department of Animal Health, Campus de Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Anna Traveset
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Global Change Research group, Miquel Marquès 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain
| | - Rocío Ruiz de Ybáñez
- Department of Animal Health, Campus de Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Sandra Hervías-Parejo
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Global Change Research group, Miquel Marquès 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE-UC), Community Ecology Lab, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal
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4
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García Y, Giménez-Benavides L, Iriondo JM, Lara-Romero C, Méndez M, Morente-López J, Santamaría S. Addition of nocturnal pollinators modifies the structure of pollination networks. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1226. [PMID: 38216624 PMCID: PMC10786900 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49944-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the ecological network approach has substantially contributed to the study of plant-pollinator interactions, current understanding of their functional structure is biased towards diurnal pollinators. Nocturnal pollinators have been systematically ignored despite the publication of several studies that have tried to alleviate this diurnal bias. Here, we explored whether adding this neglected group of pollinators had a relevant effect on the overall architecture of three high mountain plant-pollinator networks. Including nocturnal moth pollinators modified network properties by decreasing total connectivity, connectance, nestedness and robustness to plant extinction; and increasing web asymmetry and modularity. Nocturnal moths were not preferentially connected to the most linked plants of the networks, and they were grouped into a specific "night" module in only one of the three networks. Our results indicate that ignoring the nocturnal component of plant-pollinator networks may cause changes in network properties different from those expected from random undersampling of diurnal pollinators. Consequently, the neglect of nocturnal interactions may provide a distorted view of the structure of plant-pollinator networks with relevant implications for conservation assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yedra García
- Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, E-28933, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Luis Giménez-Benavides
- Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, E-28933, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Iriondo
- Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, E-28933, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Lara-Romero
- Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, E-28933, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Marcos Méndez
- Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, E-28933, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Morente-López
- Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, E-28933, Madrid, Spain
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, E-38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Silvia Santamaría
- Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, E-28933, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Cantwell-Jones A, Tylianakis JM, Larson K, Gill RJ. Using individual-based trait frequency distributions to forecast plant-pollinator network responses to environmental change. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14368. [PMID: 38247047 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Determining how and why organisms interact is fundamental to understanding ecosystem responses to future environmental change. To assess the impact on plant-pollinator interactions, recent studies have examined how the effects of environmental change on individual interactions accumulate to generate species-level responses. Here, we review recent developments in using plant-pollinator networks of interacting individuals along with their functional traits, where individuals are nested within species nodes. We highlight how these individual-level, trait-based networks connect intraspecific trait variation (as frequency distributions of multiple traits) with dynamic responses within plant-pollinator communities. This approach can better explain interaction plasticity, and changes to interaction probabilities and network structure over spatiotemporal or other environmental gradients. We argue that only through appreciating such trait-based interaction plasticity can we accurately forecast the potential vulnerability of interactions to future environmental change. We follow this with general guidance on how future studies can collect and analyse high-resolution interaction and trait data, with the hope of improving predictions of future plant-pollinator network responses for targeted and effective conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoife Cantwell-Jones
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, Private Bag 4800, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Keith Larson
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Richard J Gill
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
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Coppinger CR, Stanley DA. The breeding systems and floral visitors of two widespread African dry forest species of ethnobotanical significance. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292929. [PMID: 37856431 PMCID: PMC10586679 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Forest products derived from woody trees, such as fruits, seeds, honey, wood and others, are important resources for supporting rural livelihoods. However, little is known about the breeding systems or floral visitors of trees that provide these resources, often due to the difficulty of accessing tree canopies. This study addresses key knowledge gaps from a data poor region, providing information on the breeding systems and contribution of biotic pollination to two trees abundant in south-central Africa, that provide forest product supports for rural livelihoods: Julbernardia paniculata (Benth.) Troupin and Syzygium guineense (Willd.) subsp. barotsense F. White (Fabaceae and Myrtaceae respectively). The breeding systems of these species were assessed by conducting controlled pollination experiments, and then measuring the effects on reproductive success to determine the degree of self-compatibility and pollen limitation. Floral visitors and their behaviour were observed to provide preliminary information on possible pollinator groups. S. guineense appeared to be self-compatible, while J. paniculata showed signs of both self-incompatibility and pollen limitation. Floral visitors of both species were dominated by bees, with native honeybees (Apis mellifera) providing the highest visitation rates. These insights provide the first steps for understanding the reproductive ecology of these key tree species and can help to inform sustained management and conservation aimed at protecting forests and supporting rural livelihoods, as well as broaden the understanding of the floral visitors, and contribution of biotic pollination to forest tree reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Rose Coppinger
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- West Lunga Conservation Project, North-Western Province, Zambia
| | - Dara A. Stanley
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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7
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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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8
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Ojija F, Adam LS, Nicholaus R, Mwakalapa EB. Insect-pollinators and their interactions with plants differ in disturbed and semi-natural areas: Tanzania's Southern Highlands case study. Sci Prog 2023; 106:368504231184035. [PMID: 37358485 PMCID: PMC10358636 DOI: 10.1177/00368504231184035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Due to inadequate insect-pollinator data, particularly in sub-Saharan African countries like Tanzania, it is difficult to manage and protect these species in disturbed and semi-natural areas. Field surveys were conducted to assess insect-pollinator abundance and diversity and their interactions with plants in disturbed and semi-natural areas in Tanzania's Southern Highlands using pan traps, sweep netting, transect counts, and timed observations techniques. We found that species diversity and richness of insect-pollinators were high in semi-natural areas, and there was 14.29% more abundance than in disturbed areas. The highest plant-pollinator interactions were recorded in semi-natural areas. In these areas, the total number of visits by Hymenoptera was more than three times that of Coleoptera, while that of Lepidoptera and Diptera was more than 237 and 12 times, respectively. Hymenoptera pollinators had twice the total number of visits of Lepidoptera, and threefold of Coleoptera, and five times more visits than Diptera in disturbed habitats. Although disturbed areas had fewer insect-pollinators and fewer plant-insect-pollinator interactions, our findings indicate that both disturbed and semi-natural areas are potential habitats for insect-pollinators. The study revealed that the over-dominant species Apis mellifera could influence diversity indices and network-level metrics in the study areas. When A. mellifera was excluded from the analysis, the number of interactions differed significantly between insect orders in the study areas. Also, Diptera pollinators interacted with the most flowering plants in both study areas compared to Hymenopterans. Though A. mellifera was excluded in the analysis, we found a high number of species in semi-natural areas compared to disturbed areas. Conclusively, we recommend that more studies be conducted in these areas across sub-Saharan Africa to unveil their potential for protecting insect-pollinators and how ongoing anthropogenic changes threaten them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrick Ojija
- Department of Earth Sciences, College of Science and Technical Education, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Lusekelo S Adam
- Department of Natural Resources Conservation, Social Health and Environment Management Organization, Mbamba Bay, Nyasa, Ruvuma
| | - Regan Nicholaus
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Science and Technical Education, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Eliezer B Mwakalapa
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Science and Technical Education, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Mbeya, Tanzania
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Emer C, Memmott J. Intraspecific variation of invaded pollination networks – the role of pollen-transport, pollen-transfer and different levels of biological organization. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
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10
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Anderson M, Rotheray EL, Mathews F. Marvellous moths! pollen deposition rate of bramble (Rubus futicosus L. agg.) is greater at night than day. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281810. [PMID: 36989243 PMCID: PMC10057810 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Widespread concerns about declines of wild pollinating insects has attracted considerable research interest, largely directed towards identifying key nectar sources and assessing the contribution of pollinators towards ecosystem services. However, previous work has almost exclusively focussed on bees and other diurnal invertebrate taxa. This study aimed to assess the relative contribution of diurnal and nocturnal insects to the pollination of bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), a common and widespread species aggregate across Europe, which has been identified as a key source of pollen and nectar for diurnal pollinators. Bramble flower visitation rates by diurnal and nocturnal insects were quantified by analysing over 380,000 interval photographs taken over a 3-day period across 10 sites. A pollinator exclusion experiment was also undertaken to assess the importance of diurnal and nocturnal insects for pollination by analysing pollen deposition on 480 bramble stigmas of nocturnally exposed, diurnally exposed and unvisited control flowers across all sites. Flower visitation was significantly higher during the day, comprising 83% of all visits made by a range of taxa. Nocturnal visitation was almost exclusively by moths. Crucially, pollen deposition rates of bramble were significantly higher during the night compared with the day. No relationship was detected between pollen counts and flower visitation rates, suggesting that moths are more efficient pollinators of bramble compared with diurnal insects. Overall, this work provides further evidence of the value of bramble as a resource for pollinators and demonstrates that moths likely play an important role in bramble pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Anderson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Ellen L Rotheray
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Mathews
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom
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Plant–bee interactions and resource utilisation in an urban landscape. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01290-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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12
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Balmaki B, Rostami MA, Christensen T, Leger EA, Allen JM, Feldman CR, Forister ML, Dyer LA. Modern approaches for leveraging biodiversity collections to understand change in plant-insect interactions. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.924941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on plant-pollinator interactions requires a diversity of perspectives and approaches, and documenting changing pollinator-plant interactions due to declining insect diversity and climate change is especially challenging. Natural history collections are increasingly important for such research and can provide ecological information across broad spatial and temporal scales. Here, we describe novel approaches that integrate museum specimens from insect and plant collections with field observations to quantify pollen networks over large spatial and temporal gradients. We present methodological strategies for evaluating insect-pollen network parameters based on pollen collected from museum insect specimens. These methods provide insight into spatial and temporal variation in pollen-insect interactions and complement other approaches to studying pollination, such as pollinator observation networks and flower enclosure experiments. We present example data from butterfly pollen networks over the past century in the Great Basin Desert and Sierra Nevada Mountains, United States. Complementary to these approaches, we describe rapid pollen identification methods that can increase speed and accuracy of taxonomic determinations, using pollen grains collected from herbarium specimens. As an example, we describe a convolutional neural network (CNN) to automate identification of pollen. We extracted images of pollen grains from 21 common species from herbarium specimens at the University of Nevada Reno (RENO). The CNN model achieved exceptional accuracy of identification, with a correct classification rate of 98.8%. These and similar approaches can transform the way we estimate pollination network parameters and greatly change inferences from existing networks, which have exploded over the past few decades. These techniques also allow us to address critical ecological questions related to mutualistic networks, community ecology, and conservation biology. Museum collections remain a bountiful source of data for biodiversity science and understanding global change.
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McLaughlin R, Keller J, Wagner E, Biddinger D, Grozinger C, Hoover K. Insect Visitors of Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) (Rosales: Rosaceae) and Factors Affecting Viable Seed Production. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 51:471-481. [PMID: 35020889 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Since 2000, wild black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) has produced erratic seed crops, especially in the Allegheny National Forest where poor seed production has been implicated in difficulties with black cherry regeneration in forest stands. Given that black cherry is insect pollinated and unable to produce viable seed from self-pollination, a reduction in seed crops could be due to a pollination deficit; however, its key pollinators are unknown. Identifying the pollinators and factors that influence pollinator abundance and fidelity is critical for supporting and enhancing seed production for this valuable timber species. Over a two-year period in developed, semideveloped, and forested areas in Pennsylvania, we identified the potential pollinators of black cherry and examined how their abundance, along with several other abiotic and biotic factors, influenced viable seed production. We found that andrenid (Andrenidae: Hymenoptera) bees are likely the most important pollinators. The proportion of viable seeds increased as the number of andrenids increased, and these ground nesting bees were most abundant on forest edges, highlighting this habitat's potential to support pollination services. Andrenids carried an average of 347-fold more black cherry pollen than flies and 18-fold more than halictid (Halictidae: Hymenoptera) bees. We did not find a significant relationship between the abundance of any other taxa besides andrenids and viable seed production. Black cherry flowers also provide resources for natural enemies such as the economically important parasitoid of Popillia japonica Newman (Scarabaeidae: Coleoptera), Tiphia vernalis Rohwer (Tiphiidae: Hymenoptera), which was observed feeding on black cherry nectar in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel McLaughlin
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Joseph Keller
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Elizabeth Wagner
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - David Biddinger
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Christina Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kelli Hoover
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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14
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Abstract
The identification of floral visitation by pollinators provides an opportunity to improve our understanding of the fine-scale ecological interactions between plants and pollinators, contributing to biodiversity conservation and promoting ecosystem health. In this review, we outline the various methods which can be used to identify floral visitation, including plant-focused and insect-focused methods. We reviewed the literature covering the ways in which DNA metabarcoding has been used to answer ecological questions relating to plant use by pollinators and discuss the findings of this research. We present detailed methodological considerations for each step of the metabarcoding workflow, from sampling through to amplification, and finally bioinformatic analysis. Detailed guidance is provided to researchers for utilisation of these techniques, emphasising the importance of standardisation of methods and improving the reliability of results. Future opportunities and directions of using molecular methods to analyse plant–pollinator interactions are then discussed.
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15
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Rakosy D, Motivans E, Ştefan V, Nowak A, Świerszcz S, Feldmann R, Kühn E, Geppert C, Venkataraman N, Sobieraj-Betlińska A, Grossmann A, Rojek W, Pochrząst K, Cielniak M, Gathof AK, Baumann K, Knight TM. Intensive grazing alters the diversity, composition and structure of plant-pollinator interaction networks in Central European grasslands. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263576. [PMID: 35275933 PMCID: PMC8916670 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex socio-economic, political and demographic factors have driven the increased conversion of Europe's semi-natural grasslands to intensive pastures. This trend is particularly strong in some of the most biodiverse regions of the continent, such as Central and Eastern Europe. Intensive grazing is known to decrease species diversity and alter the composition of plant and insect communities. Comparatively little is known, however, about how intensive grazing influences plant functional traits related to pollination and the structure of plant-pollinator interactions. In traditional hay meadows and intensive pastures in Central Europe, we contrasted the taxonomic and functional group diversity and composition, the structure of plant-pollinator interactions and the roles of individual species in networks. We found mostly lower taxonomic and functional diversity of plants and insects in intensive pastures, as well as strong compositional differences among the two grassland management types. Intensive pastures were dominated by a single plant with a specialized flower structure that is only accessible to a few pollinator groups. As a result, intensive pastures have lower diversity and specificity of interactions, higher amount of resource overlap, more uniform interaction strength and lower network modularity. These findings stand in contrast to studies in which plants with more generalized flower traits dominated pastures. Our results thus highlight the importance of the functional traits of dominant species in mediating the consequences of intensive pasture management on plant-pollinator networks. These findings could further contribute to strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of intensive grazing on plant and pollinator communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demetra Rakosy
- Department for Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elena Motivans
- Department for Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Valentin Ştefan
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Arkadiusz Nowak
- Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Botanical Garden, Warsaw, Poland
- Institute of Biology, University of Opole, Opole, Poland
| | - Sebastian Świerszcz
- Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Botanical Garden, Warsaw, Poland
- Polish Academy of Sciences, The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Opole, Poland
| | - Reinart Feldmann
- Department for Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Kühn
- Department for Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Costanza Geppert
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova School of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Neeraja Venkataraman
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anna Sobieraj-Betlińska
- Department of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Anita Grossmann
- Department of Ecology, Chair of Ecosystem Sciences/Plant Ecology, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wiktoria Rojek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Pochrząst
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, University of Opole, Opole, Poland
| | | | - Anika Kirstin Gathof
- Department of Ecology, Chair of Ecosystem Sciences/Plant Ecology, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kevin Baumann
- IFZ–Department for Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University, Gießen, Germany
| | - Tiffany Marie Knight
- Department for Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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16
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Leimberger KG, Dalsgaard B, Tobias JA, Wolf C, Betts MG. The evolution, ecology, and conservation of hummingbirds and their interactions with flowering plants. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:923-959. [PMID: 35029017 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The ecological co-dependency between plants and hummingbirds is a classic example of a mutualistic interaction: hummingbirds rely on floral nectar to fuel their rapid metabolisms, and more than 7000 plant species rely on hummingbirds for pollination. However, threats to hummingbirds are mounting, with 10% of 366 species considered globally threatened and 60% in decline. Despite the important ecological implications of these population declines, no recent review has examined plant-hummingbird interactions in the wider context of their evolution, ecology, and conservation. To provide this overview, we (i) assess the extent to which plants and hummingbirds have coevolved over millions of years, (ii) examine the mechanisms underlying plant-hummingbird interaction frequencies and hummingbird specialization, (iii) explore the factors driving the decline of hummingbird populations, and (iv) map out directions for future research and conservation. We find that, despite close associations between plants and hummingbirds, acquiring evidence for coevolution (versus one-sided adaptation) is difficult because data on fitness outcomes for both partners are required. Thus, linking plant-hummingbird interactions to plant reproduction is not only a major avenue for future coevolutionary work, but also for studies of interaction networks, which rarely incorporate pollinator effectiveness. Nevertheless, over the past decade, a growing body of literature on plant-hummingbird networks suggests that hummingbirds form relationships with plants primarily based on overlapping phenologies and trait-matching between bill length and flower length. On the other hand, species-level specialization appears to depend primarily on local community context, such as hummingbird abundance and nectar availability. Finally, although hummingbirds are commonly viewed as resilient opportunists that thrive in brushy habitats, we find that range size and forest dependency are key predictors of hummingbird extinction risk. A critical direction for future research is to examine how potential stressors - such as habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, and introduction of non-native plants - may interact to affect hummingbirds and the plants they pollinate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara G Leimberger
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, 3100 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
| | - Bo Dalsgaard
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen Ø, 2100, Denmark
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, U.K
| | - Christopher Wolf
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, 3100 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
| | - Matthew G Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, 3100 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
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17
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Wang L, Yang Y, Duan Y. Pollinator individual-based networks reveal the specialized plant-pollinator mutualism in two biodiverse communities. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17509-17518. [PMID: 34938525 PMCID: PMC8668776 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Generalization of pollination systems is widely accepted by ecologists in the studies of plant-pollinator interaction networks at the community level, but the degree of generalization of pollination networks remains largely unknown at the individual pollinator level. Using potential legitimate pollinators that were constantly visiting flowers in two alpine meadow communities, we analyzed the differences in the pollination network structure between the pollinator individual level and species level. The results showed that compared to the pollinator species-based networks, the linkage density, interaction diversity, interaction evenness, the average plant linkage level, and interaction diversity increased, but connectance, degree of nestedness, the average of pollinator linkage level, and interaction diversity decreased in the pollinator individual-based networks, indicating that pollinator individuals had a narrower food niche than their counterpart species. Pollination networks at the pollinator individual level were more specialized at the network level (H'2) and the plant species node level (d') than at the pollinator species-level networks, reducing the chance of underestimating levels of specialization in pollination systems. The results emphasize that research into pollinator individual-based pollination networks will improve our understanding of the pollination networks at the pollinator species level and the coevolution of flowering plants and pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin‐Lin Wang
- Germplasm Bank of Wild SpeciesKunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yong‐Ping Yang
- Germplasm Bank of Wild SpeciesKunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at KunmingKunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Yuan‐Wen Duan
- Germplasm Bank of Wild SpeciesKunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at KunmingKunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
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18
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Stanley A, Martel C, Arceo-Gómez G. Spatial variation in bidirectional pollinator-mediated interactions between two co-flowering species in serpentine plant communities. AOB PLANTS 2021; 13:plab069. [PMID: 34804469 PMCID: PMC8598379 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plab069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pollinator-mediated competition and facilitation are two important mechanisms mediating co-flowering community assembly. Experimental studies, however, have mostly focused on evaluating outcomes for a single interacting partner at a single location. Studies that evaluate spatial variation in the bidirectional effects between co-flowering species are necessary if we aim to advance our understanding of the processes that mediate species coexistence in diverse co-flowering communities. Here, we examine geographic variation (i.e. at landscape level) in bidirectional pollinator-mediated effects between co-flowering Mimulus guttatus and Delphinium uliginosum. We evaluated effects on pollen transfer dynamics (conspecific and heterospecific pollen deposition) and plant reproductive success. We found evidence of asymmetrical effects (one species is disrupted and the other one is facilitated) but the effects were highly dependent on geographical location. Furthermore, effects on pollen transfer dynamics did not always translate to effects on overall plant reproductive success (i.e. pollen tube growth) highlighting the importance of evaluating effects at multiple stages of the pollination process. Overall, our results provide evidence of a spatial mosaic of pollinator-mediated interactions between co-flowering species and suggest that community assembly processes could result from competition and facilitation acting simultaneously. Our study highlights the importance of experimental studies that evaluate the prevalence of competitive and facilitative interactions in the field, and that expand across a wide geographical context, in order to more fully understand the mechanisms that shape plant communities in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Stanley
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Carlos Martel
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
- Instituto de Ciencias Ómicas y Biotecnología Aplicada, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, San Miguel 15088, Lima, Peru
| | - Gerardo Arceo-Gómez
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
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19
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Comparative Efficiency of Native Insect Pollinators in Reproductive Performance of Medicago sativa L. in Pakistan. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12111029. [PMID: 34821829 PMCID: PMC8625494 DOI: 10.3390/insects12111029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) is a cross-pollinated crop and requires entomophilous pollination for tripping of flowers and subsequent pod and seed set. To discover the best pollinators for lucerne seed production, a two-year field trial was carried out at the research farm of MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan. Abundance and diversity of insect pollinators along with the foraging behavior were recorded in terms of tripping efficiency, stay time, visitation rate and pollen harvest. The single-visit efficiency of abundant insect pollinators was also evaluated in terms of number of seeds and seed weight per raceme along with germination percentage. Ten most abundant floral visitors (five solitary bee species, three honeybee species and two syrphid fly species) were tested for their pollination efficiency. Honeybees were most abundant in both the years followed by the solitary bees and syrphid flies. Single-visit efficacy in terms of number of pods per raceme, number of seeds per raceme, 1000 seed weight and germination percentage revealed Megachile cephalotes as the most efficient insect pollinator followed by Megachile hera and Amegilla sp. Future studies should investigate the biology and ecology of these bee species with special emphasis on their nesting behavior and seasonality.
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20
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Page ML, Nicholson CC, Brennan RM, Britzman AT, Greer J, Hemberger J, Kahl H, Müller U, Peng Y, Rosenberger NM, Stuligross C, Wang L, Yang LH, Williams NM. A meta-analysis of single visit pollination effectiveness comparing honeybees and other floral visitors. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:2196-2207. [PMID: 34622948 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Many animals provide ecosystem services in the form of pollination including honeybees, which have become globally dominant floral visitors. A rich literature documents considerable variation in single visit pollination effectiveness, but this literature has yet to be extensively synthesized to address whether honeybees are effective pollinators. METHODS We conducted a hierarchical meta-analysis of 168 studies and extracted 1564 single visit effectiveness (SVE) measures for 240 plant species. We paired SVE data with visitation frequency data for 69 of these studies. We used these data to ask three questions: (1) Do honeybees (Apis mellifera) and other floral visitors differ in their SVE? (2) To what extent do plant and pollinator attributes predict differences in SVE between honeybees and other visitors? (3) Is there a correlation between visitation frequency and SVE? RESULTS Honeybees were significantly less effective than the most effective non-honeybee pollinators but were as effective as the average pollinator. The type of pollinator moderated these effects. Honeybees were less effective compared to the most effective and average bird and bee pollinators but were as effective as other taxa. Visitation frequency and SVE were positively correlated, but this trend was largely driven by data from communities where honeybees were absent. CONCLUSIONS Although high visitation frequencies make honeybees important pollinators, they were less effective than the average bee and rarely the most effective pollinator of the plants they visit. As such, honeybees may be imperfect substitutes for the loss of wild pollinators, and safeguarding pollination will benefit from conservation of non-honeybee taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen L Page
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Charlie C Nicholson
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Ross M Brennan
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Anna T Britzman
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Jessica Greer
- Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Jeremy Hemberger
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Hanna Kahl
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Uta Müller
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Youhong Peng
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Nick M Rosenberger
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Clara Stuligross
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Louie H Yang
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Neal M Williams
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
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21
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Smith GX, Swartz MT, Spigler RB. Causes and consequences of variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in Oenothera fruticosa. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:1612-1624. [PMID: 34460097 PMCID: PMC9291898 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Heterospecific pollen transfer, the transfer of pollen between species, is common among co-flowering plants, yet the amount of pollen received is extremely variable among species. Intraspecific variation in heterospecific pollen receipt can be even greater, but we lack an understanding of its causes and fitness consequences in wild populations. METHODS We examined potential drivers of variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in Oenothera fruticosa. We evaluated the relationship between heterospecific and conspecific pollen receipt and considered how visitation by different pollinator groups, local floral neighborhood composition, and flowering phenology affect the total amount and proportion of heterospecific pollen received. Finally, we tested whether variation in heterospecific pollen receipt translated into lower seed production. RESULTS Heterospecific pollen was ubiquitous on O. fruticosa stigmas, but the amount received was highly variable and unrelated to conspecific pollen receipt. Heterospecific pollen receipt depended on pollinator type, the proportion of nearby conspecific flowers, and flowering date. Significant interactions revealed that the effects of pollinator type and neighborhood were not independent, further contributing to variation in heterospecific pollen. Naturally occurring levels of heterospecific pollen were sufficient to negatively impact seed set, but large amounts of conspecific pollen counteracted this detrimental effect. CONCLUSIONS Although selection could act on floral traits that attract quality pollinators and promote synchronous flowering in O. fruticosa, the risk of heterospecific pollen is equally dependent on local floral context. This work highlights how extrinsic and intrinsic factors contribute to intraspecific variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in wild plants, with significant fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard X. Smith
- Department of BiologyTemple University1900 N. 12 StreetPhiladelphiaPA19122USA
| | - Mark T. Swartz
- The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans AffairsFort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training CenterAnnvillePA17003USA
| | - Rachel B. Spigler
- Department of BiologyTemple University1900 N. 12 StreetPhiladelphiaPA19122USA
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22
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Smith GX, Swartz MT, Spigler RB. Causes and consequences of variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in Oenothera fruticosa. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:1612-1624. [PMID: 34460097 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1g9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Heterospecific pollen transfer, the transfer of pollen between species, is common among co-flowering plants, yet the amount of pollen received is extremely variable among species. Intraspecific variation in heterospecific pollen receipt can be even greater, but we lack an understanding of its causes and fitness consequences in wild populations. METHODS We examined potential drivers of variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in Oenothera fruticosa. We evaluated the relationship between heterospecific and conspecific pollen receipt and considered how visitation by different pollinator groups, local floral neighborhood composition, and flowering phenology affect the total amount and proportion of heterospecific pollen received. Finally, we tested whether variation in heterospecific pollen receipt translated into lower seed production. RESULTS Heterospecific pollen was ubiquitous on O. fruticosa stigmas, but the amount received was highly variable and unrelated to conspecific pollen receipt. Heterospecific pollen receipt depended on pollinator type, the proportion of nearby conspecific flowers, and flowering date. Significant interactions revealed that the effects of pollinator type and neighborhood were not independent, further contributing to variation in heterospecific pollen. Naturally occurring levels of heterospecific pollen were sufficient to negatively impact seed set, but large amounts of conspecific pollen counteracted this detrimental effect. CONCLUSIONS Although selection could act on floral traits that attract quality pollinators and promote synchronous flowering in O. fruticosa, the risk of heterospecific pollen is equally dependent on local floral context. This work highlights how extrinsic and intrinsic factors contribute to intraspecific variation in heterospecific pollen receipt in wild plants, with significant fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard X Smith
- Department of Biology, Temple University, 1900 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Mark T Swartz
- The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center, Annville, PA, 17003, USA
| | - Rachel B Spigler
- Department of Biology, Temple University, 1900 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
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23
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James ARM, Geber MA, Toews DPL. Molecular assays of pollen use consistently reflect pollinator visitation patterns in a system of flowering plants. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 22:361-374. [PMID: 34260821 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Determining how pollinators visit plants vs. how they carry and transfer pollen is an ongoing project in pollination ecology. The current tools for identifying the pollens that bees carry have different strengths and weaknesses when used for ecological inference. In this study we use three methods to better understand a system of congeneric, coflowering plants in the genus Clarkia and their bee pollinators: observations of plant-pollinator contact in the field, and two different molecular methods to estimate the relative abundance of each Clarkia pollen in samples collected from pollinators. We use these methods to investigate if observations of plant-pollinator contact in the field correspond to the pollen bees carry; if individual bees carry Clarkia pollens in predictable ways, based on previous knowledge of their foraging behaviors; and how the three approaches differ for understanding plant-pollinator interactions. We find that observations of plant-pollinator contact are generally predictive of the pollens that bees carry while foraging, and network topologies using the three different methods are statistically indistinguishable from each other. Results from molecular pollen analysis also show that while bees can carry multiple species of Clarkia at the same time, they often carry one species of pollen. Our work contributes to the growing body of literature aimed at resolving how pollinators use floral resources. We suggest our novel relative amplicon quantification method as another tool in the developing molecular ecology and pollination biology toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrie R M James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Monica A Geber
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - David P L Toews
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.,Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Naghiloo S, Nikzat-Siahkolaee S, Esmaillou Z. Size-matching as an important driver of plant-pollinator interactions. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2021; 23:583-591. [PMID: 33655638 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
One of the greatest challenges in ecology is to understand and predict the functional outcome of interaction networks. Size-matching between plants and pollinators is one of the key functional traits expected to play a major role in structuring plant-pollinator interactions. However, the community-wide patterns of size-matching remain largely unexplored. We studied the association between the degree of size-matching and foraging efficiency, pollination efficiency and the probability of pairwise interactions in a community of Lamiaceae. Our study revealed that foraging efficiency is maximal when bee proboscis length corresponds to the corolla tube depth of the flower visited. Pollination efficiency was maximal when the bee body height corresponds to the corolla width of the flower visited. While the degree of size-matching did not influence the probability of interaction, it significantly influenced the strength of the interaction in terms of visitation frequency. We suggest a size-matching index as a reliable metric to predict the frequency of interactions as well as the effectiveness of visits in terms of foraging efficiency and pollination efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Naghiloo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - S Nikzat-Siahkolaee
- Faculty of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Z Esmaillou
- Department of Horticulture, Urmia University, Tehran, Iran
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25
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Souza CS, Maruyama PK, Santos KCBS, Varassin IG, Gross CL, Araujo AC. Plant-centred sampling estimates higher beta diversity of interactions than pollinator-based sampling across habitats. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:2501-2512. [PMID: 33704782 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
When describing plant-animal interaction networks, sampling can be performed using plant- or animal-centred approaches. Despite known effects of sampling on network structure, how samplings affect the estimates of interaction β-diversity across networks is still unresolved. We investigated how the sampling method affects the assessment of β-diversity of interactions, turnover and rewiring. We contrasted plant- and animal-centred sampling methods applied to pollination networks across habitats in a heterogeneous tropical landscape, the Pantanal Wetlands. We also asked whether plant traits influence the difference in interaction specialization according to sampling. Plant-centred networks resulted in higher β-diversity of interactions in space than animal-centred networks. Turnover explained most of the β-diversity in both methods, but rewiring was proportionately more important when using the animal-centred method. While the plant-centred method indicated lower network modularity and specialization, floral traits modulated the effects of the sampling method on species-level network metrics. Combining animal- and plant-centred approaches returned intermediate values for β-diversity of interactions and network metrics. Distinct methods may also be better suited for answering questions at different scales. Our results point out that the method choice, or combination of methods, should always reflect the appropriate scale of the factors determining the interactions being investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila S Souza
- Departamento de Botânica, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Campus Centro Politécnico, Curitiba, PR, 19031, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, 549, Brazil
| | - Pietro K Maruyama
- Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 486, Brazil
| | - Karen C B S Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, 549, Brazil
- UNE, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
| | - Isabela G Varassin
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Campus Centro Politécnico, Curitiba, Paraná, 19031, Brazil
| | - Caroline L Gross
- Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
| | - Andréa C Araujo
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, 549, Brazil
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26
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Prendergast KS, Ollerton J. Impacts of the introduced European honeybee on Australian bee‐flower network properties in urban bushland remnants and residential gardens. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kit S. Prendergast
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Perth, Bentley Western Australia 6845 Australia
| | - Jeff Ollerton
- Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology University of Northampton Northampton UK
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27
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Newman E, Govender K, Niekerk S, Johnson SD. The functional ecology of bat pollination in the African sausage tree
Kigelia africana
(Bignoniaceae). Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Newman
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - Keeveshnee Govender
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - Sandy Niekerk
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - Steven D. Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg South Africa
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28
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Dunker S, Motivans E, Rakosy D, Boho D, Mäder P, Hornick T, Knight TM. Pollen analysis using multispectral imaging flow cytometry and deep learning. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:593-606. [PMID: 32803754 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Pollen identification and quantification are crucial but challenging tasks in addressing a variety of evolutionary and ecological questions (pollination, paleobotany), but also for other fields of research (e.g. allergology, honey analysis or forensics). Researchers are exploring alternative methods to automate these tasks but, for several reasons, manual microscopy is still the gold standard. In this study, we present a new method for pollen analysis using multispectral imaging flow cytometry in combination with deep learning. We demonstrate that our method allows fast measurement while delivering high accuracy pollen identification. A dataset of 426 876 images depicting pollen from 35 plant species was used to train a convolutional neural network classifier. We found the best-performing classifier to yield a species-averaged accuracy of 96%. Even species that are difficult to differentiate using microscopy could be clearly separated. Our approach also allows a detailed determination of morphological pollen traits, such as size, symmetry or structure. Our phylogenetic analyses suggest phylogenetic conservatism in some of these traits. Given a comprehensive pollen reference database, we provide a powerful tool to be used in any pollen study with a need for rapid and accurate species identification, pollen grain quantification and trait extraction of recent pollen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Dunker
- Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research - iDiv, Deutscher Platz 5a, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Elena Motivans
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research - iDiv, Deutscher Platz 5a, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Am Kirchtor 1, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, Halle (Saale), 06108, Germany
| | - Demetra Rakosy
- Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research - iDiv, Deutscher Platz 5a, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - David Boho
- Software Engineering for Safety-Critical Systems Group, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Ilmenau, 98693, Germany
| | - Patrick Mäder
- Software Engineering for Safety-Critical Systems Group, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Ilmenau, 98693, Germany
| | - Thomas Hornick
- Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research - iDiv, Deutscher Platz 5a, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Tiffany M Knight
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research - iDiv, Deutscher Platz 5a, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Am Kirchtor 1, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, Halle (Saale), 06108, Germany
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29
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Földesi R, Howlett BG, Grass I, Batáry P. Larger pollinators deposit more pollen on stigmas across multiple plant species—A meta‐analysis. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rita Földesi
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, Agroecology and Organic Farming Group University of Bonn Bonn Germany
| | - Brad G. Howlett
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Ingo Grass
- Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems University of Hohenheim Stuttgart Germany
| | - Péter Batáry
- ‘Lendület’ Landscape and Conservation Ecology Institute of Ecology and Botany Centre for Ecological Research Vácrátót Hungary
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30
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Staab M, Pereira-Peixoto MH, Klein AM. Exotic garden plants partly substitute for native plants as resources for pollinators when native plants become seasonally scarce. Oecologia 2020; 194:465-480. [PMID: 33079266 PMCID: PMC7644476 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04785-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Urban green spaces such as gardens often consist of native and exotic plant species, which provide pollen and nectar for flower-visiting insects. Although some exotic plants are readily visited by pollinators, it is unknown if and at which time of the season exotic garden plants may supplement or substitute for flower resources provided by native plants. To investigate if seasonal changes in flower availability from native vs. exotic plants affect flower visits, diversity and particularly plant–pollinator interaction networks, we studied flower-visiting insects over a whole growing season in 20 urban residential gardens in Germany. Over the course of the season, visits to native plants decreased, the proportion of flower visits to exotics increased, and flower-visitor species richness decreased. Yet, the decline in flower-visitor richness over the season was slowed in gardens with a relatively higher proportion of flowering exotic plants. This compensation was more positively linked to the proportion of exotic plant species than to the proportion of exotic flower cover. Plant–pollinator interaction networks were moderately specialized. Interactions were more complex in high summer, but interaction diversity, linkage density, and specialisation were not influenced by the proportion of exotic species. Thus, later in the season when few native plants flowered, exotic garden plants partly substituted for native flower resources without apparent influence on plant–pollinator network structure. Late-flowering garden plants support pollinator diversity in cities. If appropriately managed, and risk of naturalisation is minimized, late-flowering exotic plants may provide floral resources to support native pollinators when native plants are scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Staab
- Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Institute of Advanced Studies (FRIAS), University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 19, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maria Helena Pereira-Peixoto
- Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
- CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, DF, 70040-020, Brazil.
| | - Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
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31
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Floral traits are associated with the quality but not quantity of heterospecific stigmatic pollen loads. BMC Ecol 2020; 20:54. [PMID: 33023549 PMCID: PMC7539470 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00323-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In flowering communities, plant species commonly share pollinators and therefore plant individuals receive heterospecific pollen (HP). However, the patterns of HP transfers can deviate from patterns of plant-pollinator visitations. Although flower-visitor interactions are known to be mediated by floral traits, e.g. floral size or nectar tube depth, the explanatory power of these traits for HP transfer patterns remains elusive. Here, we have explored pollen transfer patterns at three sites in Southern Germany on three dates (early, mid and late summer). At the plant level, we tested whether flower abundance and floral traits are correlated with HP reception and donation. At the community level, we determined whether flower and bee diversity are correlated with network modularity and whether floral traits explain the module affiliation of plant species. We collected the stigmas of flowering plant species, analysed HP and conspecific pollen (CP) loads and measured floral traits, flower and bee diversity. Results Our results show that the degree and intensity of HP reception or donation at the plant level do not correlate with floral traits, whereas at the community level, the module affiliation of who is sharing pollen with whom is well-explained by floral traits. Additionally, variation in network modularity between communities is better explained by plant diversity and abundance than by bee diversity and abundance. Conclusions Overall, our results indicate that floral traits that are known to mediate flower-visitor interactions can improve our understanding of qualitative HP transfer but only provide limited information about the quantity of HP transfer, which more probably depends on other floral traits, flower-visitor identity or community properties.
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32
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Riaño-Jiménez D, Guerrero M, Alarcón P, Cure JR. Effects of Climate Variability on Queen Production and Pollen Preferences of Neotropical Bumblebee Bombus atratus in a High Andean Suburban Condition. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 49:586-594. [PMID: 32162246 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-019-00758-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Bombus atratus Franklin is a widely distributed bumblebee of South America. In Colombia, this species is recognized for its ability to adapt to highly disturbed habitats. However, knowledge of its ecology is poorly known, in particular conditions to ensure the long-term conservation of its populations. Identification of pollen resources is an important issue that could be used as a tool to manage and conserve bumblebees. In tropical areas, rainfall patterns could affect floral phenology and therefore the availability of pollen resources. Considering this, the present work aimed to establish the effect of extreme weather conditions (El Niño) in pollen availability, use of pollinic sources, and gyne production in B. atratus colonies. We reared and located 14 B. atratus colonies in a suburban area during a dry season (ENSO "El Niño") and a rainy season (ENSO "La Niña"). We registered time to gyne production and numbers of gynes produced per colony. We extracted pollen samples to establish both its floral origin and its relative abundance. We measured floral offer for each season. The data of pollen use per colony were utilized to perform Bipartite networks. We analyzed the production of gynes and pollen use per season with correlation models and generalized linear models. Colonies of the rainy season produced more gynes and faster. The floral diversity and offer were higher during the rainy season. Successful colonies used specific pollen sources in two seasons, independently of the floral offer. Extreme dry season affected development of B. atratus colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - P Alarcón
- Nueva Granada Univ, Cajicá, Colombia
| | - J R Cure
- Nueva Granada Univ, Cajicá, Colombia
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33
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Phillips RD, Peakall R, van der Niet T, Johnson SD. Niche Perspectives on Plant-Pollinator Interactions. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 25:779-793. [PMID: 32386827 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ecological niches are crucial for species coexistence and diversification, but the niche concept has been underutilized in studying the roles of pollinators in plant evolution and reproduction. Pollination niches can be objectively characterized using pollinator traits, abundance, and distributions, as well as network topology. We review evidence that floral traits represent adaptations to pollination niches, where tradeoffs in trait deployment reinforce niche specialization. In turn, specialized pollination niches potentially increase speciation rates, foster species coexistence, and constrain species range limits. By linking studies of adaptation with those on speciation and coexistence, the pollination niche provides an organizing principle for research on plant reproduction, and conceptually unites these studies with fields of biology where the niche perspective is already firmly established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Phillips
- Department of Ecology, Environment, and Evolution, La Trobe University, VIC 3086, Australia; Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions, WA 6005, Australia; Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
| | - Rod Peakall
- Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Timotheüs van der Niet
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
| | - Steven D Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
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34
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Gómez-Martínez C, Aase ALTO, Totland Ø, Rodríguez-Pérez J, Birkemoe T, Sverdrup-Thygeson A, Lázaro A. Forest fragmentation modifies the composition of bumblebee communities and modulates their trophic and competitive interactions for pollination. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10872. [PMID: 32616732 PMCID: PMC7331617 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67447-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the effects of landscape fragmentation on global bumblebee declines requires going beyond estimates of abundance and richness and evaluating changes in community composition and trophic and competitive interactions. We studied the effects of forest fragmentation in a Scandinavian landscape that combines temperate forests and croplands. For that, we evaluated how forest fragmentation features (patch size, isolation and shape complexity, percentage of forest in the surroundings) as well as local flowering communities influenced bumblebee abundance, richness and community composition in 24 forest patches along a fragmentation gradient. In addition, we assessed the effect of fragmentation on bumblebee-plant network specialization (H2'), and potential inter- and intraspecific competition via shared plants. Patch isolation was associated with lower bumblebee abundance, whereas flower density was positively related to both bumblebee abundance and richness. Overall, forest fragmentation reduced the abundance of forest-specialists while increasing the abundance of open-habitat species. Patches with complex shapes and few flowers showed more generalized bumblebee-plant networks (i.e., fewer specific interactions). Patch shape complexity and the percentage of forest also modified inter- and intraspecific competitive interactions, with habitat generalists outcompeting forest specialists in fragmented areas. Understanding these mechanisms is necessary to anticipate to the impact of forest fragmentation on bumblebee decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Gómez-Martínez
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (UIB-CSIC), Global Change Research Group, C/Miquel Marquès 21, 07190, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain.
| | - Anne Lene T O Aase
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Ørjan Totland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, P.O. Box 7800, 5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Javier Rodríguez-Pérez
- IMAB (Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology), Departamento Ciencias del Medio Natural, Centro Jerónimo de Ayanz, Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), Campus Arrosadía, 31006, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Tone Birkemoe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Amparo Lázaro
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (UIB-CSIC), Global Change Research Group, C/Miquel Marquès 21, 07190, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
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35
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Cariveau DP, Bruninga-Socolar B, Pardee GL. A review of the challenges and opportunities for restoring animal-mediated pollination of native plants. Emerg Top Life Sci 2020; 4:ETLS20190073. [PMID: 32556128 PMCID: PMC7326338 DOI: 10.1042/etls20190073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Ecological restoration is increasingly implemented to reverse habitat loss and concomitant declines in biological diversity. Typically, restoration success is evaluated by measuring the abundance and/or diversity of a single taxon. However, for a restoration to be successful and persistent, critical ecosystem functions such as animal-mediated pollination must be maintained. In this review, we focus on three aspects of pollination within ecological restorations. First, we address the need to measure pollination directly in restored habitats. Proxies such as pollinator abundance and richness do not always accurately assess pollination function. Pollen supplementation experiments, pollen deposition studies, and pollen transport networks are more robust methods for assessing pollination function within restorations. Second, we highlight how local-scale management and landscape-level factors may influence pollination within restorations. Local-scale management actions such as prescribed fire and removal of non-native species can have large impacts on pollinator communities and ultimately on pollination services. In addition, landscape context including proximity and connectivity to natural habitats may be an important factor for land managers and conservation practitioners to consider to maximize restoration success. Third, as climate change is predicted to be a primary driver of future loss in biodiversity, we discuss the potential effects climate change may have on animal-mediated pollination within restorations. An increased mechanistic understanding of how climate change affects pollination and incorporation of climate change predictions will help practitioners design stable, functioning restorations into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Cariveau
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, U.S.A
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36
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How accurate are estimates of flower visitation rates by pollinators? Lessons from a spatially explicit agent-based model. ECOL INFORM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2020.101077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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37
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Chen L, Swenson NG, Ji N, Mi X, Ren H, Guo L, Ma K. Differential soil fungus accumulation and density dependence of trees in a subtropical forest. Science 2020; 366:124-128. [PMID: 31604314 DOI: 10.1126/science.aau1361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying interspecific variation in conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) are poorly understood. Using a multilevel modeling approach, we combined long-term seedling demographic data from a subtropical forest plot with soil fungal community data by means of DNA sequencing to address the feedback of various guilds of soil fungi on the density dependence of trees. We show that mycorrhizal type mediates tree neighborhood interactions at the community level, and much of the interspecific variation in CNDD is explained by how tree species differ in their fungal density accumulation rates as they grow. Species with higher accumulation rates of pathogenic fungi suffered more from CNDD, whereas species with lower CNDD had higher accumulation rates of ectomycorrhizal fungi, suggesting that mutualistic and pathogenic fungi play important but opposing roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Nathan G Swenson
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Niuniu Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiangcheng Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Haibao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Liangdong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
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38
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Stephens RB, Rowe RJ. The underappreciated role of rodent generalists in fungal spore dispersal networks. Ecology 2020; 101:e02972. [PMID: 31943145 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Animals are often the primary dispersers of seeds and fungal spores. Specialist species that consume fruits or fungal fruiting bodies (sporocarps) as their main food source are thought to play a more important role in dispersal networks compared to generalist species. However, dispersal networks are often based on occurrence data, overlooking the influence of animal abundance and dispersal effectiveness on network interactions. Using rodent-mycorrhizal fungi networks, we determined how diet specialization and abundance influence the role of rodent species in dispersing fungal spores in temperate forests of northern New Hampshire, USA. We tracked the interactions of five rodent species and 34 fungal taxa over a 3-yr period across hardwood, mixed, and softwood forest stands. We accounted for fluctuations in rodent abundance and differences in the number of spores dispersed in rodent scat. Myodes gapperi, a fungal specialist, dispersed a more diverse spore community than rodent generalists and was consistently the most important disperser in forest types with high fungal availability. Nevertheless, during years when generalist species such as Tamias striatus and Peromyscus maniculatus reached high abundance, their relative importance (species strength) in networks approached or even surpassed that of M. gapperi, particularly in forest types where M. gapperi was less common and fungal availability was low. Increased numbers of generalists enhanced network interaction diversity and the number of fungal taxa dispersed, the timing of which was coincident with seedling establishment following masting, a stage when inoculation by mycorrhizal fungi is critical for growth and survival. Our findings suggest that although specialists play key roles in dispersing mycorrhizal fungal spores, generalists play a heretofore underappreciated role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan B Stephens
- Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, 114 James Hall, 56 College Road, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA
| | - Rebecca J Rowe
- Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, 114 James Hall, 56 College Road, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA
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Stanley DA, Msweli SM, Johnson SD. Native honeybees as flower visitors and pollinators in wild plant communities in a biodiversity hotspot. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dara A. Stanley
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal, P Bag X01 Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209 South Africa
- School of Agriculture and Food Science University College Dublin Belfield Dublin 4 Ireland
- Earth Institute University College Dublin BelfieldDublin 4 Ireland
| | - Simangele M. Msweli
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal, P Bag X01 Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209 South Africa
| | - Steven D. Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal, P Bag X01 Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209 South Africa
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Meng Y, Jiang J, Grebogi C, Lai YC. Noise-enabled species recovery in the aftermath of a tipping point. Phys Rev E 2020; 101:012206. [PMID: 32069632 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.101.012206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The beneficial role of noise in promoting species coexistence and preventing extinction has been recognized in theoretical ecology, but previous studies were mostly concerned with low-dimensional systems. We investigate the interplay between noise and nonlinear dynamics in real-world complex mutualistic networks with a focus on species recovery in the aftermath of a tipping point. Particularly, as a critical parameter such as the mutualistic interaction strength passes through a tipping point, the system collapses and approaches an extinction state through a dramatic reduction in the species populations to near-zero values. We demonstrate the striking effect of noise: when the direction of parameter change is reversed through the tipping point, noise enables species recovery which otherwise would not be possible. We uncover an algebraic scaling law between the noise amplitude and the parameter distance from the tipping point to the recovery point and provide a physical understanding through analyzing the nonlinear dynamics based on an effective, reduced-dimension model. Noise, in the form of small population fluctuations, can thus play a positive role in protecting high-dimensional, complex ecological networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Meng
- Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, School of Natural and Computing Sciences, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, United Kingdom.,School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Junjie Jiang
- School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Celso Grebogi
- Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, School of Natural and Computing Sciences, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, United Kingdom
| | - Ying-Cheng Lai
- School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA.,Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
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41
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Daniels JD, Arceo-Gómez G. Effects of invasive Cirsium arvense on pollination in a southern Appalachian floral community vary with spatial scale and floral symmetry. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02130-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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42
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Pollinator restoration in Brazilian ecosystems relies on a small but phylogenetically-diverse set of plant families. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17383. [PMID: 31758041 PMCID: PMC6874649 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53829-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The alarming rate of global pollinator decline has made habitat restoration for pollinators a conservation priority. At the same time, empirical and theoretical studies on plant-pollinator networks have demonstrated that plant species are not equally important for pollinator community persistence and restoration. However, the scarcity of comprehensive datasets on plant-pollinator networks in tropical ecosystems constrains their practical value for pollinator restoration. As closely-related species often share traits that determine ecological interactions, phylogenetic relationships could inform restoration programs in data-scarce regions. Here, we use quantitative bee-plant networks from Brazilian ecosystems to test if priority plant species for different restoration criteria (bee species richness and visitation rates) can be identified using interaction networks; if phylogenetic relationships alone can guide plant species selection; and how restoration criteria influence restored network properties and function. We found plant species that maximised the benefits of habitat restoration for bees (i.e., generalists and those with distinct flower-visitor species) were clustered in a small number of phylogenetically-diverse plant families, and that prioritising the recovery of bee visitation rates improved both stability and function of restored plant-pollinator networks. Our approach can help guide restoration of pollinator communities, even where information on local ecosystems is limited.
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Page ML, Ison JL, Bewley AL, Holsinger KM, Kaul AD, Koch KE, Kolis KM, Wagenius S. Pollinator effectiveness in a composite: a specialist bee pollinates more florets but does not move pollen farther than other visitors. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:1487-1498. [PMID: 31713237 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Variation in pollinator effectiveness may contribute to pollen limitation in fragmented plant populations. In plants with multiovulate ovaries, the number of conspecific pollen grains per stigma often predicts seed set and is used to quantify pollinator effectiveness. In the Asteraceae, however, florets are uniovulate, which suggests that the total amount of pollen deposited per floret may not measure pollinator effectiveness. We examined two aspects of pollinator effectiveness-effective pollen deposition and effective pollen movement-for insects visiting Echinacea angustifolia, a composite that is pollen limited in small, isolated populations. METHODS We filmed insect visits to Echinacea in two prairie restorations and used these videos to quantify behavior that might predict effectiveness. To quantify effective pollen deposition, we used the number of styles shriveled per visit. To quantify effective pollen movement, we conducted paternity analysis on a subset of offspring and measured the pollen movement distance between mates. RESULTS Effective pollen deposition varied among taxa. Andrena helianthiformis, a Heliantheae oligolege, was the most effective taxon, shriveling more than twice the proportion of styles as all other visitors. Differences in visitor behavior on a flowering head did not explain variation in effective pollen deposition, nor did flowering phenology. On average, visitors moved pollen 16 m between plants, and this distance did not vary among taxa. CONCLUSIONS Andrena helianthiformis is an important pollinator of Echinacea. Variation in reproductive fitness of Echinacea in fragmented habitat may result, in part, from the abundance of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen L Page
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California-Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- Biology Department, Scripps College, 1030 Columbia Avenue, Claremont, California, 91711, USA
| | - Jennifer L Ison
- Biology Department, College of Wooster, 1189 Beall Avenue, Wooster, Ohio, 44691, USA
| | - Alison L Bewley
- Biology Department, Wittenberg University, 200 W. Ward Street, Springfield, Ohio, 45504, USA
| | - Keaton M Holsinger
- Biology Department, Wabash College, 301 West Wabash Avenue, Crawfordsville, Indiana, 47933, USA
| | - Andrew D Kaul
- Biology Department, St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, Minnesota, 55057, USA
| | - Katie E Koch
- Biology Department, Lakeland University, W3718 South Drive, Plymouth, Wisconsin, 53073, USA
| | - Kory M Kolis
- Biology Department, Gustavus Adolphus College, 800 West College Avenue, Saint Peter, Minnesota, 56082, USA
| | - Stuart Wagenius
- Division of Plant Biology and Conservation, Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022, USA
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44
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Landscape context differentially drives diet breadth for two key pollinator species. Oecologia 2019; 191:873-886. [PMID: 31676969 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04543-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
An animal's diet contributes to its survival and reproduction. Variation in diet can alter the structure of community-level consumer-resource networks, with implications for ecological function. However, much remains unknown about the underlying drivers of diet breadth. Here we use a network approach to understand how consumer diet changes in response to local and landscape context and how these patterns compare between closely-related consumer species. We conducted field surveys to build 36 quantitative plant-pollinator networks using observation-based and pollen-based records of visitation across the gulf-coast cotton growing region of Texas, US. We focused on two key cotton pollinator species in the region: the social European honey bee, Apis mellifera, and the solitary native long-horned bee, Melissodes tepaneca. We demonstrate that diet breadth is highly context-dependent. Specifically, local factors better explain patterns of diet than regional factors for both species, but A. mellifera and M. tepaneca respond to local factors with contrasting patterns. Despite being collected directly from cotton blooms, both species exhibit significant preferences for non-cotton pollen, indicating a propensity to spend substantial effort foraging on remnant vegetation despite the rarity of these patches in the intensely managed cotton agroecosystem. Overall, our results demonstrate that diet is highly context- and species-dependent and thus an understanding of both factors is key for evaluating the conservation of important cotton pollinators.
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Willcox BK, Howlett BG, Robson AJ, Cutting B, Evans L, Jesson L, Kirkland L, Jean-Meyzonnier M, Potdevin V, Saunders ME, Rader R. Evaluating the taxa that provide shared pollination services across multiple crops and regions. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13538. [PMID: 31537826 PMCID: PMC6753147 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49535-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many pollinator species visit multiple crops in multiple regions, yet we know little about their pollination service provisioning at local and regional scales. We investigated the floral visitors (n = 13,200), their effectiveness (n = 1718 single visits) and response to landscape composition across three crops avocado, mango and macadamia within a single growing region (1 year), a single crop (3 years) and across different growing regions in multiple years. In total, eight wild visitor groups were shared across all three crops. The network was dominated by three pollinators, two bees (Apis mellifera and Tetragonula spp.) and a fly, Stomorhina discolor. The visitation network for the three crops was relatively generalised but with the addition of pollen deposition data, specialisation increased. Sixteen managed and wild taxa were consistently present across three years in avocado, yet their contribution to annual network structure varied. Node specialisation (d') analyses indicated many individual orchard sites across each of the networks were significantly more specialised compared to that predicted by null models, suggesting the presence of site-specific factors driving these patterns. Identifying the taxa shared across multiple crops, regions and years will facilitate the development of specific pollinator management strategies to optimize crop pollination services in horticultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryony K Willcox
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
| | - Brad G Howlett
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Andrew J Robson
- Precision Agriculture Research Group, School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Brian Cutting
- Plant & Food Research Australia, Queensland University of Technology, M Block Room 581, Gardens Point Campus GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, 4001, Australia
| | - Lisa Evans
- Plant & Food Research Australia, Queensland University of Technology, M Block Room 581, Gardens Point Campus GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, 4001, Australia
| | - Linley Jesson
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Hawke's Bay, Crosses Rd, Parkvale, Havelock, North 4172, New Zealand
| | - Lindsey Kirkland
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Manu E Saunders
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
- UNE Business School, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Romina Rader
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
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Ropars L, Dajoz I, Fontaine C, Muratet A, Geslin B. Wild pollinator activity negatively related to honey bee colony densities in urban context. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222316. [PMID: 31513663 PMCID: PMC6742366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As pollinator decline is increasingly reported in natural and agricultural environments, cities are perceived as shelters for pollinators because of low pesticide exposure and high floral diversity throughout the year. This has led to the development of environmental policies supporting pollinators in urban areas. However, policies are often restricted to the promotion of honey bee colony installations, which resulted in a strong increase in apiary numbers in cities. Recently, competition for floral resources between wild pollinators and honey bees has been highlighted in semi-natural contexts, but whether urban beekeeping could impact wild pollinators remains unknown. Here, we show that in the city of Paris (France), wild pollinator visitation rates are negatively correlated to honey bee colony densities present in the surrounding landscape (500m -slope = -0.614; p = 0.001 -and 1000m -slope = -0.489; p = 0.005). Regarding the morphological groups of wild pollinators, large solitary bee and beetle visitation rates were negatively affected by honey bee colony densities within a 500m buffer (slope = -0.425, p = 0.007 and slope = - 0.671, p = 0.002, respectively) and bumblebee visitation rates were negatively affected by honey bee colony density within a 1000m buffer (slope = - 0.451, p = 0.012). Further, lower interaction evenness in plant-pollinator networks was observed with high honey bee colony density within a 1000m buffer (slope = -0.487, p = 0.008). Finally, honey bees tended to focus their foraging activity on managed rather than wild plant species (student t-test, p = 0.001) whereas wild pollinators equally visited managed and wild species. We advocate responsible practices mitigating the introduction of high density of honey bee colonies in urban environments. Further studies are however needed to deepen our knowledge about the potential negative interactions between wild and domesticated pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Ropars
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
- Institut d’Ecologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris UMR 7618) Equipe Ecologie et Evolution des réseaux d’interactions, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS-SU, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Dajoz
- Institut d’Ecologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris UMR 7618) Equipe Ecologie et Evolution des réseaux d’interactions, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS-SU, Paris, France
| | - Colin Fontaine
- Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR 7204), CNRS-Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle-SU, Paris, France
| | - Audrey Muratet
- Agence Régionale de la Biodiversité en Île-de-France (ARB ÎdF), Paris, France
- Laboratoire Image, Ville, Environnement (LIVE UMR 7362), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Benoît Geslin
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
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Villalobos S, Sevenello-Montagner JM, Vamosi JC. Specialization in plant-pollinator networks: insights from local-scale interactions in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada. BMC Ecol 2019; 19:34. [PMID: 31492127 PMCID: PMC6731600 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-019-0250-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The occurrence and frequency of plant–pollinator interactions are acknowledged to be a function of multiple factors, including the spatio-temporal distribution of species. The study of pollination specialization by examining network properties and more recently incorporating predictors of pairwise interactions is emerging as a useful framework, yet integrated datasets combining network structure, habitat disturbance, and phylogenetic information are still scarce. Results We found that plant–pollinator interactions in a grassland ecosystem in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains are not randomly distributed and that high levels of reciprocal specialization are generated by biological constraints, such as floral symmetry, pollinator size and pollinator sociality, because these traits lead to morphological or phenological mismatching between interacting species. We also detected that landscape degradation was associated with differences in the network topology, but the interaction webs still maintained a consistently higher number of reciprocal specialization cases than expected. Evidence for the reciprocal evolutionary dependence in visitors (e.g., related pollinators visiting related plants) were weak in this study system, however we identified key species joining clustered units. Conclusions Our results indicate that the conserved links with keystone species may provide the foundation for generating local reciprocal specialization. From the general topology of the networks, plant–pollinators interactions in sites with disturbance consisted of generalized nodes connecting modules (i.e., hub and numerous connectors). Vice versa, interactions in less disturbed sites consisted of more specialized and symmetrical connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soraya Villalobos
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | | | - Jana C Vamosi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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de Santiago-Hernández MH, Martén-Rodríguez S, Lopezaraiza-Mikel M, Oyama K, González-Rodríguez A, Quesada M. The role of pollination effectiveness on the attributes of interaction networks: from floral visitation to plant fitness. Ecology 2019; 100:e02803. [PMID: 31240696 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Network analysis is a powerful tool to understand community-level plant-pollinator interactions. We evaluated the role of floral visitors on plant fitness through a series of pollination exclusion experiments to test the effectiveness of pollinators of an Ipomoea community in the Pacific coast of Mexico, including: (1) all flower visitors, (2) visitors that contact the reproductive organs, (3) visitors that deposit pollen on stigmas, and (4) visitors that mediate fruit and seed production. Our results show that networks built from effective pollination interactions are smaller, less connected, more specialized and modular than floral visitor networks. Modules are associated with pollinator functional groups and they provide strong support for pollination syndromes only when non-effective interactions are excluded. In contrast to other studies, the analyzed networks are not nested. Our results also show that only 59% of floral visitors were legitimate pollinators that contribute to seed production. Furthermore, only 27% of the links in visitation network resulted in seed production. Our study shows that plant-pollination networks that consider effectiveness measures of pollination in addition to floral visitation provide insightful information about the different role floral visitors play in a community, encompassing a large number of commensalistic/antagonistic interactions and the more restricted set of mutualistic relationships that underlie the evolution of convergent floral phenotypes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín H de Santiago-Hernández
- Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica (LANASE), Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores (Unidad Morelia), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 27-3, Morelia, Michoacán, 58089, Mexico.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad No. 3000, Coyoacán, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Silvana Martén-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica (LANASE), Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores (Unidad Morelia), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad No. 3000, Coyoacán, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Martha Lopezaraiza-Mikel
- Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica (LANASE), Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores (Unidad Morelia), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico.,Facultad de Desarrollo Sustentable, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Técpan de Galeana, Guerrero, 40900, Mexico
| | - Ken Oyama
- Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica (LANASE), Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores (Unidad Morelia), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad No. 3000, Coyoacán, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Antonio González-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica (LANASE), Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores (Unidad Morelia), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 27-3, Morelia, Michoacán, 58089, Mexico.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad No. 3000, Coyoacán, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Mauricio Quesada
- Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica (LANASE), Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores (Unidad Morelia), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 27-3, Morelia, Michoacán, 58089, Mexico.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad No. 3000, Coyoacán, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
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49
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Valverde J, Perfectti F, Gómez JM. Pollination effectiveness in a generalist plant: adding the genetic component. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 223:354-365. [PMID: 30761538 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The pollination effectiveness of a flower visitor has traditionally been measured as the product of a quantity component that depends on the frequency of interaction and a quality component that measures the per-visit effects on plant reproduction. We propose that this could be complemented with a genetic component informing about each pollinator's contribution to the genetic diversity and composition of the plant progeny. We measured the quantity and quality components of effectiveness of most pollinator functional groups of the generalist herb Erysimum mediohispanicum. We used 10 microsatellite markers to calculate the genetic component as the diversity of sires among siblings and included it into the calculation of the pollination effectiveness. Functional groups varied in the quantity and quality components, which were shown to be decoupled. Functional groups also differed in the genetic component. This component changed the estimates of pollination effectiveness, increasing the differences between some functional groups and modifying the pollination effectiveness landscape. We demonstrate that including the genetic component in the calculation of the pollination effectiveness may allow a more complete quantification of the contribution of each pollinator to the reproductive success of a plant, providing information on its mating patterns and long-term fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Valverde
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Granada, ES-18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Francisco Perfectti
- Departamento de Genética and Unidad de Excelencia 'Modeling Nature', Universidad de Granada, ES-18071, Granada, Spain
| | - José María Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), ES-04120, Almería, Spain
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50
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Lehmann LJ, Maruyama PK, Joaquim Bergamo P, Maglianesi MA, Rahbek C, Dalsgaard B. Relative effectiveness of insects versus hummingbirds as pollinators of Rubiaceae plants across elevation in Dominica, Caribbean. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2019; 21:738-744. [PMID: 30773824 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Most angiosperms rely on animal pollination for reproduction, but the dependence on specific pollinator groups varies greatly between species and localities. Notably, such dependence may be influenced by both floral traits and environmental conditions. Despite its importance, their joint contribution has rarely been studied at the assemblage level. At two elevations on the Caribbean island of Dominica, we measured the floral traits and the relative contributions of insects versus hummingbirds as pollinators of plants in the Rubiaceae family. Pollinator importance was measured as visitation rate (VR) and single visit pollen deposition (SVD), which were combined to assess overall pollinator effectiveness (PE). In the wet and cool Dominican highland, we found that hummingbirds were relatively more frequent and effective pollinators than insects, whereas insects and hummingbirds were equally frequent and effective pollinators at the warmer and less rainy midelevation. Furthermore, floral traits correlated independently of environment with the relative importance of pollinators, hummingbirds being more important in plant species having flowers with long and wide corollas producing higher volumes of dilute nectar. Our findings show that both environmental conditions and floral traits influence whether insects or hummingbirds are the most important pollinators of plants in the Rubiaceae family, highlighting the complexity of plant-pollinator systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Lehmann
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - P K Maruyama
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brasil
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - P Joaquim Bergamo
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brasil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brasil
| | - M A Maglianesi
- Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Universidad Estatal a Distancia, San José, Costa Rica
| | - C Rahbek
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - B Dalsgaard
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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