Seasonal Plant-Pollinator Interaction Networks in the UF Teaching Garden

Abstract

Agriculture is a driving factor of climate change and biodiversity loss. Conventional agricultural practices, including the conversion of diverse habitats into monocultures, threaten wild and managed pollinators that provide the essential service of pollination. Polyculture production, the simultaneous cultivation of more than one crop, is a widely proposed alternative system with benefits for sustainable food production and biodiversity conservation. This study examines seasonal plant-pollinator interaction networks in the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department Teaching Garden to assess the ability of a small-scale agricultural system to support non-managed pollinators throughout the year. Interactions between honey bees, non-honey bees, the plants they visit, and overall bee diversity were evaluated. Seasonal variation in plant blooms, specifically blueberry and sunflower, suggest a dynamic shift in network structure and function between the two seasons. Using evidence from the garden, this study suggests management strategies to support North American native pollinators in agricultural systems.