Native and Non-Native Supergeneralist Bee Species Have Different Effects on Plant-Bee Networks.

ABSTRACT: Supergeneralists, defined as species that interact with multiple groups of species in ecological networks, can act as important connectors of otherwise disconnected species subsets. In Brazil, there are two supergeneralist bees: the honeybee Apis mellifera, a non-native species, and Trigona spinipes, a native stingless bee. We compared the role of both species and the effect of geographic and local factors on networks by addressing three questions: 1) Do both species have similar abundance and interaction patterns (degree and strength) in plant-bee networks? 2) Are both species equally influential to the network structure (nestedness, connectance, and plant and bee niche overlap)? 3) How are these species affected by geographic (altitude, temperature, precipitation) and local (natural vs.

SUBMITTER: Giannini TC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4565550 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature