Contrasting responses of plants and pollinators to woodland disturbance. (5th June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Coulin, Carolina; Aizen, Marcelo A.; Garibaldi, Lucas A.
• Is Part Of: Austral ecology. Volume 44:Number 6(2019)
• Page Start: 1040
• Page End: 1051
• Publication Date: 2019-06-05
• Subjects: animal–plant interaction -- forest disturbance -- pollinator diversity -- temperate woodlands -- thinning intensity; Ecology -- Southern Hemisphere -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Australia -- Periodicals; 557
• DOI: 10.1111/aec.12771
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1442-9985

Abstract

Abstract: Preserving species diversity is critical to ensure ecosystem functioning; however, different components of diversity might respond to human disturbance in different ways. Similarly, trophic levels might have uncoupled responses to the same disturbance, thus ameliorating or aggravating the persistence of ecological communities. In this study, we analysed how the density, richness and evenness of flowers and pollinators respond to four levels of woodland thinning intensity (0, 30, 50 and 70% of woodland basal area removed) over 2 years in three contrasting sites. We found a mismatch in the response of flowers and pollinators to thinning. Flower density and richness had disparate responses, depending on the site and year, while evenness did not change with thinning. In contrast, pollinator density and richness, but not evenness, consistently increased with thinning among years and sites. These results suggest that thinning has a great influence on pollinators through changes in abiotic conditions and, perhaps, flower attractiveness rather than through small‐scale changes in flower density and richness. At the site where tree flowers were absent, bee pollinator community composition was impoverished, suggesting that trees provide important floral resources to pollinators. Our findings indicate that disturbance may diminish local plant abundance and richness, but pollinator abundance and richness are enhanced after intense thinning at small scales. Abstract :