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Student 10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student

Student Competition

Grad 10-min Competition: P-IE, Pollinators and Pollination - Honey Bees and Native Pollinators 1

Evaluating plant-pollinator interactions under different land management strategies: A networks-based approach

Monday, November 11, 2024
9:00 AM – 9:12 AM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 129 A, PCC
Oral Presentation Student Competition
Many organisms worldwide live in modified habitats. Each species has a unique natural history, such as its nesting location, food sources, and sociality, which determines its specific resource requirements. Therefore, we expect that species will differ in their responses to land modifications. These differing responses across species will likely drive changes in local interaction patterns as the presence and abundance of different species fluctuate. In the context of plant-pollinator interactions, this will determine the reproductive capacity of many plants and the flower resource availability for many pollinators. We asked how land modifications in the form of grazing management influence plant-pollinator interactions. We used bipartite networks to assess how the structure and composition of plant-pollinator interactions respond under three different grazing management practices. Specifically, we focused on flower-visiting bees, wasps, beetles, flies, and butterflies and the flowers they visit at 19 sites in north Texas. While there is growing literature on bee-focused plant-pollinator interaction dynamics, literature incorporating these other important flower visitors is relatively scant. We compared how grazing management and season alter the composition of interacting species and the interactions taking place. These results shed light on the structure and functioning of local ecosystems by helping us better understand diverse flower-visiting insects’ resource use and potential pollination services.