Rising temperatures threaten pollinators of fig trees-Keystone resources of tropical forests.

ABSTRACT: Pollinating insects are decreasing worldwide in abundance, biomass, and species richness, affecting the plants that rely on pollinators for fruit production and seed set. Insects are often sensitive to high temperatures. The projected temperature increases may therefore severely affect plants that rely on insect pollinators. Highly specialized mutualisms are expected to be particularly vulnerable to change because they have fewer partner options should one partner become unavailable. In the highly specialized mutualism between fig trees and their pollinating fig wasp, each fig species is pollinated by only one or a few wasp species. Because of their year-round fruit production, fig trees are considered a keystone resource for tropical forests. However, to produce fruits, wild fig trees nee

SUBMITTER: van Kolfschoten L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9482004 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature