Within-day dynamics of plant-pollinator networks are dominated by early flower closure: an experimental test of network plasticity.

ABSTRACT: Temporal variability of plant-pollinator interactions is important for fully understanding the structure, function, and stability of plant-pollinator networks, but most network studies so far have ignored within-day dynamics. Strong diel dynamics (e.g., a regular daily cycle) were found for networks with Cichorieae, which typically close their flowers around noon. Here, we experimentally prevented early flower closure to test whether these dynamics are driven by the temporally limited availability of Cichorieae, or by timing of pollinator activity. We further tested if the dynamics involving Cichorieae and their pollinators also affect the dynamics on other plants in the network. Finally, we explored the structure of such manipulated networks (with Cichorieae available in the morning and a

SUBMITTER: Schwarz B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8292255 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature