Daily temporal structure in African savanna flower visitation networks and consequences for network sampling

摘要: Ecological interaction networks are a valuable approach to understanding plant-pollinator interactions at the community level. Highly structured daily activity patterns feature of biology many flower visitors, particularly provisioning female bees, which often visit different floral sources times. Such temporal structure implies that presence/absence and relative abundance specific flower-visitor (links) in may be highly sensitive timing data collection. Further, is central their possible role competition or facilitation seed set among coflowering plants sharing pollinators. To date, however, no study has examined network impacts variation visitor scale. Here we use temporally sampling examine consequences upon properties using fully quantified for Kenyan savanna habitat. Interactions were sampled four sequential three-hour time intervals between 06:00 18:00, across multiple seasonal points two sites. In all sets richness links depended critically on when during day visitation was observed. Permutation-based null modeling revealed significant three points, driven primarily by bee activity. This sensitivity shows need consider design, both maximize probability relevant plant reproductive success facilitate appropriate interpretation interspecific relationships. Our also suggest structuring level could reduce indirect competitive share pollinators, as commonly observed flowering habitats.