Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Pollinator Diversity and Plant Reproductive Success in Renosterveld Shrublands of South Africa

AbstractOur understanding of how the structure of species interactions shapes natural communities has increased, particularly regarding plant-pollinator interactions. However, research linking pollinator diversity to reproductive success has focused on pairwise plant-pollinator interactions, largely overlooking community-level dynamics. Here, we present one of the first empirical studies linking pollinator visitation to plant reproduction from a community-wide perspective. We use a well-replicated dataset encompassing 16 plant-pollinator networks and data on reproductive success for 19 plant species from Mediterranean shrub ecosystems. We find that statistical models including simple visitation metrics are sufficient to explain the variability observed. However, a mechanistic understanding of how pollinator diversity affects reproductive success requires additional information on network structure. Specifically, we find positive effects of increasing complementarity in the plant species visited by different pollinators on plant reproductive success. Hence, maintaining communities with a diversity of species but also of functions is paramount to preserving plant diversity.

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The Swiss agri-environment scheme enhances pollinator diversity and plant reproductive success in nearby intensively managed farmland

Journal of Applied Ecology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01306.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 44 (4) ◽

pp. 813-822 ◽

Cited By ~ 115

Author(s):

MATTHIAS ALBRECHT ◽

PETER DUELLI ◽

CHRISTINE MÜLLER ◽

DAVID KLEIJN ◽

BERNHARD SCHMID

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Pollinator Diversity ◽

Plant Reproductive Success ◽

Intensively Managed

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Factors affecting pollinator visitation and reproductive success in Sonneratia caseolaris and Aegiceras corniculatum in a mangrove forest in India

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467401001298 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 431-447 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

SHALINI PANDIT ◽

B. C. CHOUDHURY

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Mangrove Forest ◽

Time Of Day ◽

Pollinator Visitation ◽

Aegiceras Corniculatum ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Plant Reproductive Success ◽

Sonneratia Caseolaris ◽

Exclusion Experiments ◽

Selfing Species

Pollinator visitation to, and the reproductive success of, Sonneratia caseolaris (Sonneratiaceae) and Aegiceras corniculatum (Myrsinaceae) was investigated in a mangrove forest in India. S. caseolaris was shown to be primarily outcrossed and A. corniculatum was shown to be a selfing species. The flowers of both plant species attracted several diurnal and nocturnal visitors. Earlier reports had indicated that S. caseolaris flowered for one night and was exclusively night-pollinated. But flowers of this species were found to be in bloom both at night and during the day, and diurnal visitors to the flowers were more diverse and frequent than nocturnal ones. This was related to the higher volume and energy value of nectar in the morning. The effects of time of day and temperature on visitation rates were quantified. The importance of visitors to plant reproductive success was investigated via controlled visitor-exclusion experiments. Pollinators were expected to be more important for the outcrossing species than for the selfing species, and this was confirmed by the results of the exclusion experiments. In S. caseolaris reproductive success was determined both by pollinator availability and the intensity of flower and fruit predation, while in A. corniculatum it is likely to be resource limited.

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Reproductive success of wind, generalist, and specialist pollinated plant species following wildfire in desert landscapes

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf16222 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (12) ◽

pp. 1030 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Andrew H. Lybbert ◽

Justin Taylor ◽

Alysa DeFranco ◽

Samuel B. St Clair

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Plant Species ◽

Mojave Desert ◽

Fruit Production ◽

Native Plant ◽

Pollination Services ◽

Generalist Species ◽

Plant Reproductive Success ◽

Show Evidence ◽

Specialist Species

Wildfire can drastically affect plant sexual reproductive success in plant–pollinator systems. We assessed plant reproductive success of wind, generalist and specialist pollinated plant species along paired unburned, burned-edge and burned-interior locations of large wildfires in the Mojave Desert. Flower production of wind and generalist pollinated plants was greater in burned landscapes than adjacent unburned areas, whereas specialist species responses were more neutral. Fruit production of generalist species was greater in burned landscapes than in unburned areas, whereas fruit production of wind- and specialist-pollinated species showed no difference in burned and unburned landscapes. Plants surviving in wildfire-disturbed landscapes did not show evidence of pollination failure, as measured by fruit set and seed:ovule ratios. Generalist- and specialist-plant species established in the interior of burned landscapes showed no difference in fruit production than plants established on burned edges suggesting that pollination services are conserved with increasing distance from fire boundaries in burned desert landscapes. Stimulation of plant reproduction in burned environments due to competition release may contribute to the maintenance of pollinator services and re-establishment of the native plant community in post-fire desert environments.

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