Abstract Detail

Ecology

Lampe, Laura [1], Ivey, Christopher [2], Donatello, Robin [3].

Long-term collection records reveal phenological misalignment between Northern California plants and their pollinators.

Phenologies of taxa across the globe have shifted in recent decades as climatic cues have changed. Interspecific interactions, including those between flowering plants and pollinators, are dependent on the alignment of their respective flowering and flight phenologies. We investigated historical phenological shifts in selected plants and pollinators, as well as the potential for phenological mismatches, within lowland and alpine habitats of Northern California. We examined 120 years of plant and insect pollinator collection records and used collection dates to test whether phenological shifts have occurred over this time period in related taxa occurring in these contrasting habitats. In lowland habitats, the magnitude or direction of apparent phenological change varied between plants and their pollinators, suggesting that misalignment of plant-pollinator phenologies in lowland habitats may be a concern. Alpine collection records, on the other hand, were limited, especially for pollinators, and as a consequence, estimates of phenological change over time had lower precision. Our ability to evaluate the hypothesis of plant-pollinator phenological change was thereby constrained in alpine habitats. Identifying the potential for phenological misalignment, especially in communities thought to be at more acute risk from ongoing climate change such as alpine habitats, will aid in predicting and ameliorating consequences for species interactions and, by extension, biodiversity.

1 - California State University, Chico, Department of Biological Sciences, 400 W. First St., Chico, CA, 95929, USA
2 - California State University, Chico, Biological Sciences, 400 W 1st St., Chico, CA, 95929, United States
3 - California State University, Chico, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, 400 W. First St., Chico, CA, 95929, USA

Keywords:
Pollination
phenology
climate change
herbaria
entomology collections
alpine
Bees
plant-pollinator interactions
phenological shifts
phenological mismatch.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Number: EC06004
Abstract ID:952
Candidate for Awards:Ecological Section Best Graduate Student Paper