Moderation is best: effects of grazing intensity on plant-flower visitor networks in Mediterranean communities

Lázaro, Amparo; Tscheulin, Thomas; Devalez, Jelle; Nakas, Georgios; Stefanaki, Anastasia; Hanlidou, Effie; Petanidou, Theodora

doi:10.1890/15-0202.1

Cited by 22 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…In addition, bees and wasps might have a greater mobility (Torné-Noguera et al 2014) and thus are less influenced by local disturbances. We need more information on the rewiring capacity of different flower visitor functional groups in face of a habitat disturbance (Burkle et al 2013, Aguirre-Gutiérrez et al 2015, Lázaro et al 2016 as well as on the ultimate consequences of such rewiring for plant reproductive success. From a conservation viewpoint, monitoring these changes in natural communities could be highly relevant to the proposal of effective conservation strategies (Campos-Navarrete et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, flower visitor abundance and species richness have been shown to increase with floral abundance (Hegland andBoeke 2006, Hagen andKraemer 2010) and plant diversity (Potts et al 2003, Ghazoul 2006, Blüthgen et al 2007, Ebeling et al 2008. In general, there is still scarce information on how different pollinator functional groups can respond to habitat disturbance (Burkle et al 2013, Aguirre-Gutiérrez et al 2015, Lázaro et al 2016) and how they change their interaction patterns with plants in the community (e.g. their rewiring capacity within the network).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of habitat loss on the plant–flower visitor network structure of a dune community

Traveset

Castro‐Urgal

Rotllàn‐Puig

et al. 2017

Oikos

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Pollination is a valuable ecosystem service, and plant–pollinator interactions in particular are known to play a crucial role in conservation and ecosystem functioning. These mutualisms, like other ecological interactions, are currently threatened by different drivers of global change, mainly habitat loss, fragmentation, or modification of its quality. Most studies so far have focused on the impact of such disturbances on particular species interactions and we thus need more empirical evidence on the responses at a community‐level. Here we evaluated how habitat loss influenced the pattern of interactions between plants and their flower visitors in a coastal dune marshland community. Using data from four years (2008–2011), we assessed the effect of a large disturbance in the area (occurring in 2010) that represented the loss of more than 50% of the vegetation cover. We found a considerable decrease in species richness and abundance of flower visitors, which resulted in a lower number of interactions after the disturbance. Not all functional groups, however, responded similarly. Contrary to the expected from previous findings, bees and wasps were less negatively influenced than beetles, flies and ants, possibly due to their higher movement capacity. Species interactions in the community were more specialized after habitat loss, resulting in a lower level of network nestedness and a higher modularity. At a species level, the number of flower visitors per plant decreased after the disturbance, and plants were visited by less abundant flower visitors. Our findings lead us to predict that the overall plant–flower visitor network became less robust and resilient to future perturbations. However, the fact that each functional group responds distinctly to disturbances makes it more difficult to foresee the final consequences on community composition and ecosystem functioning.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of habitat loss on the plant–flower visitor network structure of a dune community

Traveset

Castro‐Urgal

Rotllàn‐Puig

et al. 2017

Oikos

Self Cite

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“…; Lázaro et al . ), so that for each site 6 h of total sampling were performed. All samplings were conducted under favourable weather conditions for bees and other pollinators ( i.e .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate drives plant–pollinator interactions even along small‐scale climate gradients: the case of the Aegean

et al. 2017

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Plant-pollinator network structure is the outcome of ecological and evolutionary processes, and although the importance of environmental factors is beyond doubt, our knowledge of how abiotic factors (e.g. climate) shape plant-pollinator networks remains limited. This knowledge gap is critical, as climate change poses a major threat to ecosystems, especially in the Mediterranean. This study focuses on one of the hottest parts of the Mediterranean Basin, the Aegean Archipelago, Greece, and examines how climate affects species richness and network properties (e.g. nestedness, modularity and specialisation) - either directly or indirectly through species richness. We sampled systematically 39 local plant-pollinator networks on eight islands along a north-south climate gradient in the Aegean. All plant-pollinator material used in the analyses was collected in 2012 and identified to species level. Aspects of climate used in the models were expressed as average conditions (mean temperature and annual precipitation) or as seasonal variability (isothermality and temperature seasonality). Structural properties of plant-pollinator networks were found to be strongly associated with species richness, which was in turn affected by climate, implying that pollination network structure is driven indirectly by climate. In addition, climate had a direct effect on network structure, especially on modularity and specialisation. Different aspects of climate affected network properties in different ways. We highlight that even in a relatively narrow latitudinal gradient, such as within the Aegean Sea region, climate constitutes a significant driver of plant-pollinator interactions.

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“…cattle, sheep) results in soil compaction by trampling, and affects the amount of nesting resources available to pollinators, influencing their abundance or diversity (Mayer 2004). However, moderate grazing can increase pollinator diversity and complexity of pollinator networks by altering plant communities (Vulliamy et al 2006;Vanbergen et al 2014a;L azaro et al 2016). Further, spatial planning and grassland management that increases spatial heterogeneity in the grazed area can be beneficial to pollinator diversity in regions adapted to grazing, such as those historically grazed by native large herbivores (Fuhlendorf & Engle 2001).…”

Section: Grasslandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological intensification to mitigate impacts of conventional intensive land use on pollinators and pollination

et al. 2017

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Worldwide, human appropriation of ecosystems is disrupting plant-pollinator communities and pollination function through habitat conversion and landscape homogenisation. Conversion to agriculture is destroying and degrading semi-natural ecosystems while conventional land-use intensification (e.g. industrial management of large-scale monocultures with high chemical inputs) homogenises landscape structure and quality. Together, these anthropogenic processes reduce the connectivity of populations and erode floral and nesting resources to undermine pollinator abundance and diversity, and ultimately pollination services. Ecological intensification of agriculture represents a strategic alternative to ameliorate these drivers of pollinator decline while supporting sustainable food production, by promoting biodiversity beneficial to agricultural production through management practices such as intercropping, crop rotations, farm-level diversification and reduced agrochemical use. We critically evaluate its potential to address and reverse the land use and management trends currently degrading pollinator communities and potentially causing widespread pollination deficits. We find that many of the practices that constitute ecological intensification can contribute to mitigating the drivers of pollinator decline. Our findings support ecological intensification as a solution to pollinator declines, and we discuss ways to promote it in agricultural policy and practice.

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Moderation is best: effects of grazing intensity on plant-flower visitor networks in Mediterranean communities

Cited by 22 publications

References 56 publications

Effects of habitat loss on the plant–flower visitor network structure of a dune community

Effects of habitat loss on the plant–flower visitor network structure of a dune community

Climate drives plant–pollinator interactions even along small‐scale climate gradients: the case of the Aegean

Ecological intensification to mitigate impacts of conventional intensive land use on pollinators and pollination

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