The prevalence of keystone plant species in plant-pollinator communities

The prevalence of keystone plant species in plant-pollinator communities | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 8 July 2025 V1 Latest version Share on The prevalence of keystone plant species in plant-pollinator communities Authors : Han Yan 0009-0000-2881-4485 [email protected] , Jane Memmott , and I. P. Vaughan 0000-0002-7263-3822 Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175200126.62783336/v1 335 views 231 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Pollination is an essential ecosystem service for crop production and wild plant reproduction. The interactions between plants and pollinators can be visualized as networks of interactions. In this study, plant species that have disproportionately high pollinator visitation relative to their floral abundance were identified using a null modeling approach and classified as keystone species. Replicate field sites were studied in four different habitats and three types of keystone plant species were defined. Local keystones are plants identified as keystones at individual field sites within a habitat, habitat keystones are consistently identified as local keystone plants in a given habitat and general keystones are keystones which were visited more often than expected by multiple orders of pollinating insects within each habitat type. Each of our focal habitats had all three types of keystone plants, with Heracleum sphondylium, Mentha aquatica, Ulex europaeus satisfying the definition of all three keystone types in urban, wetland and heathland habitats respectively; in meadow habitat, the keystone plant were Centaurea nigra and H. sphondylium. Keystone plants are likely to make good targets for management interventions focusing on pollinators, when conserving existing communities, creating new communities or restoring damaged ones. Supplementary Material File (oik-11822-file002.pdf) Download 1.21 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 08 July 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords ecological communities keystone plants plant-pollinator networks pollinators Authors Affiliations Han Yan 0009-0000-2881-4485 [email protected] University of Bristol View all articles by this author Jane Memmott University of Bristol View all articles by this author I. P. Vaughan 0000-0002-7263-3822 Cardiff University View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 335 views 231 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Han Yan, Jane Memmott, I. P. Vaughan. The prevalence of keystone plant species in plant-pollinator communities. Authorea . 08 July 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175200126.62783336/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. 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