Abstract
Pollination may be severely affected by the decreasing size and increasing isolation of habitat patches. However, most studies that have considered the effects of these two variables on plant-pollinator interactions have been carried out in areas that have undergone anthropogenic fragmentation, and little is known about their effects in natural habitats. The Carajás National Forest and Campos Ferruginosos National Park are two protected areas in the eastern Amazon where one can find isolated ferruginous outcrops characterized by iron-rich soil and herbaceous-shrub vegetation surrounded by Amazon forest. These patches of canga provide an opportunity to analyze plant-pollinator interactions in naturally fragmented areas. Our objective was to test whether the size and isolation of naturally isolated outcrops located in Carajás affect plant-pollinator interactions by using pollination syndromes and interaction networks. We determined the pollination syndromes of 771 plant species that occurred in eleven canga patches and performed field work to analyze plant-pollinator networks in nine canga patches. The structure of the plant-pollinator networks was not affected by the size or isolation of the canga patches. Generalist species were present in all canga areas, indicating that they are important in maintaining the plant communities in isolated canga patches. The lack of significance related to the distance between canga patches suggests that the forest does not prevent pollinator movement between canga patches.
Highlights
Habitat fragmentation is one of the major threats to biodiversity [1]
We defined eight pollination syndromes among the 771 plant species occurring in the eleven studied canga patches
All pollination syndromes were recorded in the eleven canga patches, except that chiropterophily was not recorded in N2
Summary
Habitat fragmentation is one of the major threats to biodiversity [1]. Fragmented landscapes with low connectivity and covered by degraded or poor native vegetation can face extinction cascades, especially if keystone species or entire functional groups of species are lost [2]. The negative effects of fragmentation on biodiversity have been discussed for several taxa, such as plants [3], birds [4], reptiles and amphibians [5], and insects [6], and at different trophic levels. Size and isolation of naturally isolated habitats do not affect plant-pollinator interactions br/ NO - The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
