Plant–pollinator interactions under climate change: The use of spatial and temporal transplants

Abstract

Climate change is affecting both the timing of life history events and the spatial distributions of many species, including plants and pollinators. Shifts in phenology and range affect not only individual plant and pollinator species but also interactions among them, with possible negative consequences for both parties due to unfavorable abiotic conditions or mismatches caused by differences in shift magnitude or direction. Ultimately, population extinctions and reductions in pollination services could occur as a result of these climate change–induced shifts, or plants and pollinators could be buffered by plastic or genetic responses or novel interactions. Either scenario will likely involve altered selection pressures, making an understanding of plasticity and local adaptation in space and time especially important. In this review, we discuss two methods for studying plant–pollinator interactions under climate change: spatial and temporal transplants, both of which offer insight into whether plants and pollinators will be able to adapt to novel conditions. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each method and the future possibilities for this area of study. We advocate for consideration of how joint shifts in both dimensions might affect plant–pollinator interactions and point to key insights that can be gained with experimental transplants.

Studying plant–pollinator interactions in a changing climate: A review of approaches

“…Studies with long-term observations across spatial gradients enable detection of environment-dependent phenology changes (Appendix S1: Table D). Experimental spatial and temporal approaches can assess how distribution and phenological shifts will impact the potential for plant-pollinator interactions to be retained (Morton and Rafferty, 2017).…”

Increased reproductive success through parasitoid release at a range margin: Implications for range shifts induced by climate change

“…Climate change can exacerbate the negative impacts of harsh environmental conditions on reproduction. For example, climatic shifts being experienced around the globe (IPCC, ) can lead to spatial or temporal mismatches in male and female flowering with consequential disruptions to plant–pollinator interactions and reductions in plant reproductive success (Memmott, Craze, Waser, & Price, ; Vilela, Del Claro, Torezan‐Silingardi, & Del‐Claro, ) or reproductive failure (Alizoti, Kilimis, & Gallios, ; Morton & Rafferty, ). Nonetheless, generalizations about the impacts of environmental change on plant reproduction and/or recruitment have been difficult to make owing to large variations in the type and scale of plant responses to climate change (Ashman et al, ; Hegland, Nielsen, Lazaro, Bjerknes, & Totland, ).…”

Reproductive consequences of variation in flowering phenology in the dry forest tree Enterolobium cyclocarpum in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

“…Flowering synchrony is an important factor determining reproductive success in plant populations, as it promotes pollinator fidelity, reduces interspecific pollinator competition, enhances outcrossing and gene flow, and preserves genetic variation (Burczyk and Prat, ; Mduma et al., ; Albert et al., ; Willmer, ; Morton and Rafferty, ). Synchrony is affected by several proximate factors, such as seasonal climatic changes and resource availability, as well as ultimate evolutionary factors such as pollinator presence, seed predators, and seed dispersers (Janzen, ; van Schaik et al., ; Mahoro, ; Parra‐Tabla and Vargas, ; Sun et al., ; Munguía‐Rosas et al., , b).…”