Complementarity and redundancy in the functional niche of cider apple pollinators

Abstract

The magnitude and the stability of pollination services in entomophilous crops both depend not only on honeybee management but also on the diversity of wild pollinators, which enables additive contributions and replacement of species. This work evaluated the functional niche of cider apple pollinators in Spain and found a highly heterogeneous community of pollinators in taxonomic and functional terms. Through different niche dimensions, our results suggest complementarity (i.e. niche differentiation) in the contribution of the various groups to pollination, through differences in abundance, foraging behaviour, diet and daytime and canopy distribution patterns, as well as redundancy (i.e. niche similarity) in their responses to environmental conditions. Thus, quantitative and qualitative complementarity would promote an additive effect of different insects on pollination, while similarity in environmental response would provide insurance against potential honeybee loss.