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Flowering phenology and nesting resources influence pollinator community composition in a fragmented ecosystem

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Abstract

Introduction

Habitat loss is the leading cause of extinctions on the planet. However, negative effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on biodiversity can be reduced if resources in urban or semi-natural areas in the surrounding matrix can be used by wildlife.

Methods

We investigated the influence of floral and nesting resources in urban- and forest-associated oak-savannah fragments, surrounding urban and forest matrix, and urban areas spatially independent from oak-savannah habitat on pollinator community composition in a fragmented oak-savannah ecosystem.

Results

Both independent urban and urban matrix sites supported high abundance and richness of plants and pollinators relative to other fragment categories, especially towards the end of the season when plants and pollinators in oak-savannah fragments were scarce. A species of particular conservation concern in our region, Bombus occidentalis, was supported by late-flowering resources in our urban sites. Forest-associated oak-savannah fragments were missing late-season species while urban-associated fragments supported high abundance and richness of mid- to late-season pollinators, likely due to supplemental use of floral resources in the urban matrix. Female cavity-nesting and ground-nesting bees were not restricted by the availability of natural nesting resources we expected them to require (e.g. small cavities, bare soil).

Conclusion

These results provide important information on native pollinators in a highly fragmented habitat, and suggest that we should consider matrix quality in conservation planning.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to T. Haapalainen for exceptional assistance in the field, and to E. Reimer and A. Martins for assistance in the lab. D. Green, M. Krawchuk, the Elle lab, and two anonymous reviewers provided valuable comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. S. C. Anderson assisted with plotting the redundancy analysis. Site access was granted by the Capitol Regional District, the National Research Council Canada, Districts of Saanich, Central Saanich, Municipalities of Oak Bay and Esquimalt and City of Victoria, and 62 hospitable property owners. Funding was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council (NSERC) of Canada through the Canadian Pollination Initiative (NSERC-CANPOLIN) and a Discovery Grant to E. Elle, and a Canada Graduate Scholarship to J. Wray. This is publication No. 114 of NSERC-CANPOLIN.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

    Julie C. Wray & Elizabeth Elle

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  1. Julie C. Wray
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  2. Elizabeth Elle
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Correspondence to Julie C. Wray.

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Wray, J.C., Elle, E. Flowering phenology and nesting resources influence pollinator community composition in a fragmented ecosystem. Landscape Ecol 30, 261–272 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-014-0121-0

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