Pollination Webs: Impacts of a Plant Invasion on Native Plant-Pollinator Interactions, Linkage Strength, and Native Plant Reproduction

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Human activities have dramatically altered Earth's natural systems. Chief among these alterations is the accidental and intentional movement of plants and animals around the world. Biological invasions, the establishment and spread of non-native species into new environments, have substantial economic and environmental costs and are now considered a leading component of human-induced environmental change. Many invasive plants require pollinators for successful reproduction and spread. If invasive plants are very successful in attracting pollinators in their new environment, what impact might this have on the pollination of native flowering species? The aim of this proposal is to test how an invasive plant affects native plant communities by measuring pollinator visitation, pollination, and native plant seed production. The work will address this aim using the invasive plant, Linaria vulgaris, in the western United States. Linaria vulgaris is considered a noxious invasive species in the Rocky Mountains. The abundant, showy flowers of Linaria vulgaris are very attractive to native pollinators; however, the effects of this invader on native plant-pollinator interactions and native plant seed production are unknown. On a world-wide basis, almost 90% of flowering plants rely on insects or other animals for pollination service, and the conservation of native plant-pollinator interactions has both ecological and economic importance. Results from this project will contribute broadly to our understanding of the effects of invasive species on native species, in this case through a relatively unexplored mechanism, changes in pollination service. Overall, this project will provide training opportunities for 18 undergraduate students, 2 graduate students, and one research technician. Studies combining pollination biology and species invasions offer an excellent opportunity to train students in experimental methods and natural history, and this proposal provides for human resource development at multiple academic levels.