Variation in pollinator-mediated plant reproduction across an urbanization gradient (Oecologia, 2020)
Rivkin, L.R., Nhan, V.J., Weis, A.E. et al. Variation in pollinator-mediated plant reproduction across an urbanization gradient. Oecologia (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-020-04621-z
Urbanization has a significant impact on the ecology and evolution of species, however much less is known about how urbanization affects species interactions. In our study, we sought to understand the role of urbanization in mediating plant-pollinator interactions. We created 30 artificial populations of rapid-cycling Brassica rapa along an urbanization gradient in the Greater Toronto Area to measure how urbanization influences pollinator-mediated plant reproduction and pollen dispersal. Our results suggest that plant reproductive success varies along the urbanization, but whether the effect of urbanization on reproduction is positive or negative is depends on the environmental conditions and pollinator community.
March 2, 2020
