Patterns of plant-pollinator interactions in the Palouse prairie

Plants and pollinators are mutually dependent on each other for survival and reproduction. Without pollination, plants have reduced reproductive success and persistence. Without plants, pollinators lack a food source and resources for their offspring. In recent years, there has been considerable concern for the loss of pollinators, especially in ecosystems heavily impacted by anthropogenic forces. The Palouse Prairie is a native prairie located in the Pacific Northwest that has been severely fragmented by the region’s conversion to agricultural production systems. This native prairie is known to support considerable plant and pollinator diversity, and as a result, there is interest in its preservation. We collected 10,122 insects directly from the inflorescences of native Palouse flora to describe the plant-pollinator interactions. These interactions were described in a plant-pollinator interaction network followed by a module analysis. The resulting modules of frequently interacting plants and insects visualize the patterns of interaction in the Palouse Prairie and illustrate how this ecosystem functions. Potential causes of these patterns of interactions include cases of insect specialization, morphological and taxonomic patterns of insect preference, and phenological separation of plants and insects. Understanding the patterns of interactions within this native prairie can ultimately allow for better strategies for preserving the diversity of both plants and pollinators within this imperiled ecosystem.