Overview of CANPOLIN WG5: Ecosystems

Elizabeth Elle

Elle

Cartar Vamosi

Davis

Westwood Worley

Fournier

Ali Dorken Eckert Hunter Kevan Lortie McNeil Mineau Nol Woodcock

Cutler

Hermanutz

WG5 members

….and a small army of students

Pan trap locations in our database

Landscape Characteristics

Plant Diversity & Abundance

Pollinator Diversity & Abundance

Plant reproduction

Interaction Networks

Our objectives 1. Does diversity of pollinators affect seed set in

plants?

2. What is the impact of invasive plants or pollinators on the pollination mutualism?

3. How can the study of interaction networks inform our understanding of pollination?

4. How do plant phenology and the distribution of habitats in the landscape affect pollination?

1. Pollen limitation and pollinator diversity

• Pollen limitation is common: 60-73% of populations studied

• Suboptimal pollinator activity considered major cause

• Does greater diversity of pollinators reduce pollen limitation?

Review of literature: no relationship between diversity and pollen limitation

Davila et al. 2012. Botany 90: 535-543

Weighted diversity

0 2 4 6 8 10

Polle

n lim

itatio

n

-0.2

-0.1

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4D. hendersonii

E. oregonum

C. quamash

D. menziesii

B. hyacinthina

A. acuminatum

Experiment, 6 species, 6 sites, 2 years: no relationship

Gielens and Elle submitted

Pollinator Diversity

1. Pollen limitation and pollinator diversity

Although pollinator diversity is likely important for the maintenance of reproduction by different plant species, diversity of visitors to single species does not predict reproductive output

2. Native/invasive interactions

• We expect that increases in non-native pollinators could lead to a reduction in native pollinators (presentation: Zink, Wonneck, Cartar)

• Non-native plants might outcompete native plants for pollinator service

• Locations with/without plant invaders may support different pollinator communities

Visit rate to native Camas is lower in sites invaded by Scotch Broom

Muir and Vamosi, in prep.

Broom Present Broom Absent

V

isit

s p

er

un

it t

ime

(but no effect on seed set)

Invaded grasslands have different arthropod communities and indicator

species than non-invaded ones

Spafford and Lortie, in prep.

Non-invaded Invaded

Non-Invaded Invaded

2. Native/invasive interactions

The presence of invasive species can change community composition and plant-pollinator interactions

3. Interaction Networks

• Diverse research on:

– Novel ways to model plant-pollinator interactions

– How traits, phenology, phylogeny structure networks (presentation: Chamberlain et al.)

– How properties of networks differ among disturbed and natural communities, and the utility of network approach for conservation

Data: - List of plant and pollinator species - Counts of interactions - Species traits (if available)

Artifical Intelligence

or

Econometric model

Possible Outputs:

- Interaction probabilities

- Functional groups

- Potential linkage rules

- Summary of how linkage

rules contribute to

pollinator decisions

Ali, Callaghan, Crea, Lin, and Merilo

New Network models

Networks and Conservation, 1

• Some network properties especially useful for conservation planning (Asymmetry, Nestedness, Degree)

• Important to consider networks for management of rare or invasive species

Elle et al. 2012: Botany 90: 525-534

• Recovering lands: 3 former corn-soybean fields of different ages

• Monitored for floral resources, pollinator assemblages, visit patterns

Networks and Conservation, 2

Woodcock and Kevan, in prep 3 years into recovery 9 years into recovery

3 years 9 years

2. Network degree increases with age, suggesting greater community stability

1. Quantity and diversity of floral resources increases with age

3. Some generalist invasive plants support uncommon pollinators

3. Interaction Networks

We are gaining new insight into how traits structure networks, and the utility of the network approach for conservation and restoration

4. Phenology and Spatial Structure

• How do plant phenology and landscape properties affect pollinator communities? (Wray & Elle presentation)

• How does pollination differ between wild vs. managed farms? (Wilkes, Cutler, & Hermanutz presentation)

• How do landscape properties affect plant reproductive success?

Rebecca Rockefeller Forest stand types

Bumblebee pollination of wild raspberry under different logging practices

Gunderson, Dorken, Nol in prep.

Landscape

configuration

Floral

resources

Pollinator

abundance

Pollinator

diversity

Plant

reproductive

success

Landscape configuration and local floral resources both important for Raspberry pollination

More natural land around highbush blueberry fields more bumblebees, less pollen limitation

Amount of “natural” land

Polle

n L

imit

atio

n

Amount of “natural” land

Bu

mb

le B

ee A

bu

nd

ance

Button, Elle in prep.

4. Spatial Structure

Both local and landscape characteristics affect the pollinator community, which affects plant reproduction