Community composition and pollination network structure in a fire managed Canadian tall grass prairie.
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Date
2015
Authors
Semmler, Sarah Jericho
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Abstract
Pollination networks summarize interactions between plants and pollinators, providing insight into ecosystem stability. An unplanned fire provided the opportunity to assess network structure following disturbance in the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in southern Manitoba. I established transects in sites burned <1 year, 5-6 years, or 10+ years ago. I assessed species richness, diversity, abundance, and phenology of insects and flowering plants. I created interaction matrices by recording plant-insect interactions, and sampled pollen loads from insects. Network structure was assessed by connectance, nestedness, and interaction strength. Flowers were more abundant and bloomed two weeks earlier in newly burned sites in 2010. Bees showed responses to fire based on nesting habitat, however visits by syrphids were related to precipitation. Network structure showed that tall grass prairie pollination networks were resilient to disturbance and variable environmental conditions, and management of prairie by fire did not negatively impact plant-pollinator interactions within the community overall.
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Keywords
Pollination, Network, Fire, Prairie