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The context dependency of pollinator interference: how environmental conditions and species abundances impact floral visitation
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  • Alba Cervantes-Loreto,
  • Carolyn Ayers,
  • Emily Dobbs,
  • Berry Brosi,
  • Daniel Stouffer
Alba Cervantes-Loreto
University of Canterbury

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Carolyn Ayers
Emory University
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Emily Dobbs
Emory University
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Berry Brosi
University of Washington
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Daniel Stouffer
University of Canterbury
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Abstract

Pollinator foraging behavior determines floral visitation rates, an important proxy to the strength of mutual- istic interactions. Although there is evidence that pollinators modify their behavior in the presence of other foragers, there are equivocal findings regarding whether or not pollinators interfere with one another. We employ a functional-response framework to analyse experimental data of times between floral visits made by a focal pollinator and to estimate pollinator interference by conspecifics and three other species. Additionally we develop and compare models that allow different levels of resource availability and the sub-lethal exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide to modify how pollinators forage alone and with co-foragers. We found that all co-foragers interfere with a focal pollinator under at least one set of abiotic conditions; for most species, interference was strongest at higher levels of resource availability and with pesticide exposure. Overall our results highlight that density-dependent responses are often context dependent themselves.
17 Nov 2020Submitted to Ecology Letters
19 Nov 2020Submission Checks Completed
19 Nov 2020Assigned to Editor
20 Nov 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
21 Dec 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
24 Dec 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Major
06 Mar 20211st Revision Received
12 Mar 2021Submission Checks Completed
12 Mar 2021Assigned to Editor
22 Mar 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
23 Mar 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
29 Mar 20212nd Revision Received
30 Mar 2021Submission Checks Completed
30 Mar 2021Assigned to Editor
03 Apr 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
03 Apr 2021Editorial Decision: Accept