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Body-size-dependent effects of landscape-level resource energetics on pollinator abundance in woodland remnants

Pille Arnold, Juliana1; Tylianakis, Jason M.2; Murphy, Mark V.1; Cawthray, Gregory R.1; Webber, Bruce L.3; Didham, Raphael K.1

Published Dec 23, 2023 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1zcrjdfwr

Data files

Dec 24, 2023 version files 327.90 KB
Dec 25, 2023 version files 327.94 KB
Dec 23, 2023 version files 327.94 KB

Abstract

Land use change reduces floral resource availability, thereby driving declines in important pollinators. However, the severity of land use impact varies by species, influenced by factors such as dispersal ability and resource specialization, both of which can correlate with body size. Here we test whether floral resource availability in the surrounding landscape (the ‘matrix’) influences bee species’ abundance in isolated remnant woodlands, and whether this effect varies with body size. We sampled quantitative flower-visitation networks within woodland remnants and quantified floral energy resources (nectar and pollen calories) available to each bee species both within woodland and the matrix. Bee abundance in woodland increased with floral energy resources in the surrounding matrix, with strongest effects on larger-bodied species. Our findings suggest important but size-dependent effects of declining matrix floral resources on the persistence of bees in remnant woodlands, highlighting the need to incorporate landscape-level floral resources in conservation planning for pollinators in threatened natural habitats.