Ecological mechanisms explaining interactions within plant-hummingbird networks: morphological matching increases towards lower latitudes.

ABSTRACT: Interactions between species are influenced by different ecological mechanisms, such as morphological matching, phenological overlap and species abundances. How these mechanisms explain interaction frequencies across environmental gradients remains poorly understood. Consequently, we also know little about the mechanisms that drive the geographical patterns in network structure, such as complementary specialization and modularity. Here, we use data on morphologies, phenologies and abundances to explain interaction frequencies between hummingbirds and plants at a large geographical scale. For 24 quantitative networks sampled throughout the Americas, we found that the tendency of species to interact with morphologically matching partners contributed to specialized and modular network structu

SUBMITTER: Sonne J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7126064 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature