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Published March 3, 2020 | Version v1
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Ecological mechanisms explaining interactions within plant-hummingbird networks: morphological matching increases towards lower latitudes

Authors/Creators

  • 1. University of Copenhagen
  • 2. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
  • 3. State University of Campinas
  • 4. Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul
  • 5. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo
  • 6. State University of Feira de Santana
  • 7. Plymouth University
  • 8. Instituto de Ecología
  • 9. Autonomous University of Tlaxcala
  • 10. Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia
  • 11. Universidad Estatal a Distancia
  • 12. Federal University of Paraná
  • 13. Federal Institute of Brasília
  • 14. Federal University of Uberlândia
  • 15. Universidade Federal de Sergipe
  • 16. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
  • 17. University of Cambridge
  • 18. Universidad del Azuay
  • 19. Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais
  • 20. Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  • 21. Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre*

Description

Interactions between species are influenced by different ecological mechanisms, such as morphological matching, phenological overlap, and species abundances. How these mechanisms explain interaction frequencies across environmental gradients remains poorly understood. Consequently, we also know little about the mechanisms that drive the geographical patterns in network structure, such as complementary specialization and modularity. Here, we use data on morphologies, phenologies and abundances to explain interaction frequencies between hummingbirds and plants at a large geographic scale. For 24 quantitative networks sampled throughout the Americas, we found that the tendency of species to interact with morphologically matching partners contributed to specialized and modular network structures. Morphological matching best explained interaction frequencies in networks found closer to the equator and in areas with low temperature seasonality. When comparing the three ecological mechanisms within networks, we found that both morphological matching and phenological overlap generally outperformed abundances in the explanation of interaction frequencies. Together, these findings provide insights into the ecological mechanisms that underlie geographical patterns in resource specialization. Notably, our results highlight morphological constraints on interactions as a potential explanation for increasing resource specialization towards lower latitudes.

Notes

Funding provided by: Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003141
Award Number:

Funding provided by: Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação > Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number: CONACYT 417094

Funding provided by: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002322
Award Number: 23/200.638/2014 8012/2014-08

Funding provided by: U.S. Department of Defense > U.S. Army > U.S. Army Corps of Engineers > Engineer Research and Development Center
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number:

Funding provided by: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001807
Award Number: 2015/21457-4

Funding provided by: European Commission > Horizon 2020 Framework Programme > H2020 Excellent Science > H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number: H2020-MSCA-IF-2015-704409

Funding provided by: Research Councils UK > Natural Environment Research Council
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number: NE/L002507/1

Funding provided by: PQ scholarships
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number: 309453/2013-5 313801/2017-7

Funding provided by: Danish National Research Foundation
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number: DNRF96

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