Reflections on, and visions for, the changing field of pollination ecology

Abstract

Since the launch of Ecology Letters in 1998, the field of Pollination Ecology has changed considerably in its focus. In this review, we discuss the major discoveries across the past two decades. We quantitatively synthesise the frequency by which different concepts and topics appeared in the peer-reviewed literature, as well as the connections between these topics. We then look forward to identify pressing research frontiers and opportunities for additional integration in the future. We find that there has been a shift towards viewing plant-pollinator interactions as networks and towards understanding how global drivers influence the plants, pollinators and the ecosystem service of pollination. Future frontiers include moving towards a macroecological view of plant-pollinator interactions, understanding how ecological intensification and urbanisation will influence pollination, considering other interactions, such as plant-microbe-pollinator networks, and understanding the causes and consequences of extinctions. Pollination Ecology is poised to advance our basic understanding of the ecological and evolutionary factors that shape plant-animal interactions and to create applied knowledge that informs conservation decision making.

Temporal scale‐dependence of plant–pollinator networks

“…Thus, sampling effort and its temporal distribution per network should be standardized within individual studies. For meta‐analyses, the construction of appropriate networks will be facilitated if authors publish space‐ and time‐explicit data, rather than already aggregated data (Knight et al ). It is important to note that despite standardized sampling, networks can still differ in their underlying temporal dynamics: the same temporal extent may cover different proportions of the full flowering season depending on geographic position – even at the same locality, the same temporal extent may capture different levels of diversity depending on the season (Cuartas‐Hernández and Medel , Souza et al ).…”

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

“…This is potentially true for other plant–pollinator mutualisms. However, our ability to predict climate‐change impacts on plant–pollinator mutualisms is hampered by knowledge gaps and a lack of baseline data on pollination systems in many regions of the world including Australasia (Knight et al, ). This work reinforces the need to understand ecosystem processes underlying reproductive success if we are to improve our understanding of and accurately predict range shifts in plants and their pollinators in response to climate change or any other environmental change.…”

Urban areas as hotspots for bees and pollination but not a panacea for all insects

“…Diverse land uses within European cities can be very rich in native flowering plant species 14,15 and there is also an increasing interest in the potential of (outdoor) urban agriculture in ensuring food security 16 . Yet the impact of urbanisation on the pollination of wild and cultivated plants remains poorly known 17 . We also lack direct comparison with rural sites, which are typically dominated by agricultural land use and where pollinators are vital for crop pollination, yet where agricultural intensification is thought to result in reduced provision of a range of ecosystem services provided by insects, including pollination 18 .…”