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Compartmentalization in plant–insect flower visitor webs

  1. L. V. Dicks1,*,
  2. S. A. Corbet1,2,
  3. R. F. Pywell2

Article first published online: 5 MAR 2002

DOI: 10.1046/j.0021-8790.2001.00572.x

Issue

Journal of Animal Ecology

Journal of Animal Ecology

Volume 71, Issue 1, pages 32–43, January 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Dicks, L. V., Corbet, S. A. and Pywell, R. F. (2002), Compartmentalization in plant–insect flower visitor webs. Journal of Animal Ecology, 71: 32–43. doi: 10.1046/j.0021-8790.2001.00572.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK;

  2. 2

    1, St Loy Cottages, St Buryan, Penzance TR19 6DH, UK; and

* Lynn Dicks, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK (e-mail lvh22@cam.ac.uk).

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 5 MAR 2002
  2. Article first published online: 5 MAR 2002
  3. Received 27 February 2001; revision accepted 30 August 2001

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Keywords:

  • community;
  • mutualism;
  • pollination syndromes;
  • trophic similarity

Summary

  • 1
    Interactions between entomophilous flowering plants and their insect visitors were recorded at two mesotrophic grassland communities in Norfolk, and a diagrammatic quantitative web produced for each community.
  • 2
    The systems were analysed for compartmentalization using the method of Raffaelli & Hall (1992), based on trophic similarity between pairs of species. Good evidence was found for compartmentalization at both sites.
  • 3
    Ordination of the data was used to suggest how the species fall into compartments. The likelihood that groups of plants and insects implied by this method represent real compartments in the web was assessed quantitatively, using trophic similarity indices, and qualitatively, by consideration of the species involved.
  • 4
    The compartments reflected classic pollination syndromes to some extent, dividing the insect fauna into a group of butterflies and bees, and a group of flies, at both sites. The compartmentalization was also affected by phenology.
  • 5
    Dominant interactions fell within compartments in the web, as might be expected in mutualistic systems.
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