Plant–flower visitor interaction webs: Temporal stability and pollinator specialization increases along an experimental plant diversity gradient
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
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in: Basic and Applied Ecology, Jahrgang 12, Nr. 4, 06.2011, S. 300-309.
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Plant–flower visitor interaction webs
T2 - Temporal stability and pollinator specialization increases along an experimental plant diversity gradient
AU - Ebeling, Anne
AU - Klein, Alexandra-Maria
AU - Tscharntke, Teja
PY - 2011/6
Y1 - 2011/6
N2 - Although most plants benefit from pollen vectors, very little information exists about how plant diversity structures the interactions between plants and their flower visitors. The structure of such interaction webs holds information about specialization and effectiveness of flower visitors in flower resource use. Here, we analyzed 52 plant–flower visitor interaction webs along a gradient of experimentally manipulated plant species richness in a European grassland. The gradient allows testing for effects of the number of flowering plant species per se. Linkage density and interaction diversity between flowering plant species and their visiting insect species increased with higher richness of flowering species. Increased interaction diversity led to smaller temporal variability in the frequency of flower visits. These results suggest higher temporal stability of pollination provided for plants integrated in complex interaction webs with a high number of flowering plant species.
AB - Although most plants benefit from pollen vectors, very little information exists about how plant diversity structures the interactions between plants and their flower visitors. The structure of such interaction webs holds information about specialization and effectiveness of flower visitors in flower resource use. Here, we analyzed 52 plant–flower visitor interaction webs along a gradient of experimentally manipulated plant species richness in a European grassland. The gradient allows testing for effects of the number of flowering plant species per se. Linkage density and interaction diversity between flowering plant species and their visiting insect species increased with higher richness of flowering species. Increased interaction diversity led to smaller temporal variability in the frequency of flower visits. These results suggest higher temporal stability of pollination provided for plants integrated in complex interaction webs with a high number of flowering plant species.
KW - Ecosystems Research
KW - Biodiversity experiment
KW - Bumble bees
KW - Temporal stability
KW - Biodiversity experiment
KW - Bumble bees
KW - Temporal stability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79957623261&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.baae.2011.04.005
DO - 10.1016/j.baae.2011.04.005
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 12
SP - 300
EP - 309
JO - Basic and Applied Ecology
JF - Basic and Applied Ecology
SN - 1439-1791
IS - 4
ER -