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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Local and regional specialization in plant-pollinator networks

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Author(s):
Carstensen, Daniel W. [1, 2] ; Trojelsgaard, Kristian [3] ; Ollerton, Jeff [4] ; Morellato, Leonor Patricia C. [1]
Total Authors: 4
Affiliation:
[1] Sao Paulo State Univ UNESP, Inst Biosci, Dept Bot, Phenol Lab, Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Copenhagen, Ctr Macroecol Evolut & Climate, Nat Hist Mus Denmark, Copenhagen - Denmark
[3] Aalborg Univ, Dept Chem & Biosci, Aalborg - Denmark
[4] Univ Northampton, Fac Arts Sci & Technol, Northampton - England
Total Affiliations: 4
Document type: Journal article
Source: OIKOS; v. 127, n. 4, p. 531-537, APR 2018.
Web of Science Citations: 4
Abstract

Specialization of species is often studied in ecology but its quantification and meaning is disputed. More recently, ecological network analysis has been widely used as a tool to quantify specialization, but here its true meaning is also debated. However, irrespective of the tool used, the geographic scale at which specialization is measured remains central. Consequently, we use data sets of plant-pollinator networks from Brazil and the Canary Islands to explore specialization at local and regional scales. We ask how local specialization of a species is related to its regional specialization, and whether or not species tend to interact with a non-random set of partners in local communities. Local and regional specialization were strongly correlated around the 1:1 line, indicating that species conserve their specialization levels across spatial scales. Furthermore, most plants and pollinators also showed link conservatism repeatedly across local communities, and thus seem to be constrained in their fundamental niche. However, some species are more constrained than others, indicating true specialists. We argue that several geographically separated populations should be evaluated in order to provide a robust evaluation of species specialization. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/14442-5 - Pollination: ecology, evolution and conservation
Grantee:Marlies Sazima
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
FAPESP's process: 11/22635-2 - Floristic diversity and seasonal patterns of rupestrian fields and cerrado
Grantee:Daniel Wisbech Carstensen
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
FAPESP's process: 10/51307-0 - Floristic diversity and seasonal patterns of rupestrian fields and cerrado
Grantee:Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Partnership for Technological Innovation - PITE
FAPESP's process: 14/01594-4 - Variation of plant-pollinator networks and pairwise interactions across space and time
Grantee:Daniel Wisbech Carstensen
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral