Untangling biodiversity interactions: A meta network on pollination in Earth's most diverse tropical savanna

• Published in: Ecology and evolution Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. e11094 - n/a
• Main Authors: Aguiar, Ludmilla M. S., Diniz, Ugo M., Bueno‐Rocha, Igor D., Filomeno, Laura R. A., Aguiar‐Machado, Luísa S., Gomes, Priscilla A., Togni, Pedro H. B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.03.2024; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Animals; Apis mellifera; Bees; Bias; Biodiversity; Brazilian Cerrado; Connectivity; conservation hotspot; Ecological function; Ecosystems; Endemism; floral visitors; Flowers & plants; Inclusion; Insects; Invertebrates; Keystone species; Modularity; Modules; mutualistic network; Network hubs; Network topologies; Plant reproduction; Plant species; Plants (botany); Pollination; Pollinators; Seeds; Topology; trait matching; Trigona spinipes; Trophic Interactions; Vertebrates; zoophilia; Brazil; Cerrado Biome; zoophilia; trait matching; modularity; mutualistic network; Brazilian Cerrado; conservation hotspot; floral visitors
• ISSN: 2045-7758; 2045-7758
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11094

Pollination is vital for ecosystem functioning, especially in biodiversity‐rich regions like the Brazilian Cerrado. Our research establishes a comprehensive meta network of pollinator–plant interactions within this biome. We quantified the importance of different pollinator groups, identifying keystone species. We examined potential biases in sampling effort and the spatial behavior of interactions within the heterogeneous Cerrado plant physiognomies. Our investigation uncovered 1499 interactions among 293 plant species and 386 visitor species, with legitimate pollination accounting for 42.4% of the interactions. The network exhibited modularity, driven by bees and insects, with vertebrates bridging diurnal and nocturnal modules. While a generalized pattern emerged, high specialization existed within modules due to habitat diversity. Bees, particularly Apis mellifera (exotic) and Trigona spinipes (native), played central roles as network hubs. Hummingbirds and bats, engaged in specialized interactions showing strong connectivity within and between modules. Interestingly, invertebrate–vertebrate modules were more prevalent than expected in the meta network. However, a bias was evident, primarily within specific biogeographical districts with fragmented landscapes and intrusion from other biomes. Variations in plant species and endemism rates influenced pollinator occurrence and the Cerrado network topology. Our study offers valuable insights into pollinator–plant interactions within the Cerrado, encompassing both invertebrates and vertebrates. The modeled network represents a significant step in understanding the structural complexity of pollination networks, integrating partial networks from diverse pollination systems within heterogeneous habitats. Nevertheless, a biogeographical bias could limit a comprehensive understanding of network functionality across the Cerrado. We addressed how pollination meta network with vertebrate and invertebrate species is assembled in the world's most diverse savanna and identified potential biogeographical bias within the region. We found a generalization of interactions at the meta network level but a high degree of specialization within the modules, where bees are the module connectors and vertebrates account for most specialized interactions. We found a solid biogeographical bias that limits our knowledge of how interactions are assembled in this severely threatened biome.