The Roles of Cheaters and Abiotic Stress in the Disruption of a Pollination Mutualism

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Mutualisms are ecological relationships in which both participating species benefit. These beneficial interactions are universal among organisms, impacting ecosystem function and community integrity. In this project the investigator addresses the ecological conditions leading to the collapse of a pollination mutualism by conducting three experiments in the field. In the first experiment, nectar-thieving ants will be introduced to plants to determine whether the stability of the pollination mutualism depends on the abundance of floral antagonists. In the second experiment the diversity of pollinators visiting the host plant will be manipulated to test whether alternative pollinator species can buffer a host plant from the destabilizing effect of floral antagonists. The third experiment will manipulate drought stress experimentally to test whether plant-pollinator relationships are more vulnerable to disruption under harsh environmental conditions. The proposed research evaluates how abiotic stress affects the net benefits derived from aplant's relationship with its animal pollinators in the presence and absence of cheaters.