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On the inconsistency of pollinator species traits for predicting either response to agricultural intensification or functional contribution

Ignasi Bartomeus, Daniel P. Cariveau, Tina Harrison, Rachael Winfree
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/072132
Ignasi Bartomeus
1Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.
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  • For correspondence: nacho.bartomeus@gmail.com
Daniel P. Cariveau
2Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
3Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55113, USA
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Tina Harrison
2Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
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Rachael Winfree
2Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
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Abstract

The response and effect trait framework, if supported empirically, would provide for powerful and general predictions about how biodiversity loss will lead to loss in ecosystem function. This framework proposes that species traits will explain how different species respond to disturbance (i.e. response traits) as well as their contribution to ecosystem function (i.e. effect traits). However, predictive response and effect traits remain elusive for most systems. Here, we present detailed data on crop pollination services provided by native, wild bees to explore the role of six commonly used species traits in determining how crop pollination is affected by increasing agricultural intensification. Analyses were conducted in parallel for three crop systems (watermelon, cranberry, and blueberry) located within the same geographical region (mid-Atlantic USA). Bee species traits did not strongly predict species’ response to agricultural intensification, and the few traits that were weakly predictive were not consistent across crops. Similarly, no trait predicted species’ overall functional contribution in any of the three crop systems, although body size was a good predictor of per capita efficiency in two systems. So far, most studies looking for response or effect traits in pollination systems have found weak and often contradicting links. Overall we were unable to make generalizable predictions regarding species responses to land-use change and its effect on the delivery of ecosystem services. Pollinator traits may be useful for understanding ecological processes in some systems, but thus far the promise of traits-based ecology has yet to be fulfilled for pollination ecology.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
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Posted March 14, 2017.
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On the inconsistency of pollinator species traits for predicting either response to agricultural intensification or functional contribution
Ignasi Bartomeus, Daniel P. Cariveau, Tina Harrison, Rachael Winfree
bioRxiv 072132; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/072132
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On the inconsistency of pollinator species traits for predicting either response to agricultural intensification or functional contribution
Ignasi Bartomeus, Daniel P. Cariveau, Tina Harrison, Rachael Winfree
bioRxiv 072132; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/072132

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