Biological Constraints Determining Specialization in Canadian Plant-Pollinator Communities

Villalobos, Soraya

Biological Constraints Determining Specialization in Canadian Plant-Pollinator Communities

dc.contributor.advisor	Vamosi, Jana C.
dc.contributor.author	Villalobos, Soraya
dc.contributor.committeemember	Cartar, Ralph
dc.contributor.committeemember	Kevan, Peter G.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Johnson, Steig E.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Samuel, Marcus A.
dc.date	2018-06
dc.date.accessioned	2018-04-19T21:14:33Z
dc.date.available	2018-04-19T21:14:33Z
dc.date.issued	2018-04-16
dc.description.abstract	The overall objective of the research reported in this dissertation was to investigate biological factors underlying ecological specialization in Canadian plant-pollinator communities. Using a combination of fieldwork and the analysis of previously collected data, my research determined that landscape degradation led to observed local-scale differences in the prevalence of ecologically specialized clades of plants and pollinators in Canadian ecosystems. Through ecological and phylogenetic community analysis, I found that the alteration in community composition increases the prevalence of zygomorphic clades in the more degraded zones. Thus, plant community composition in disturbed areas favours the persistence of ecologically specialized groups (notably nitrogen fixers) that may enhance soil conditions. The prevalence of particular clades of pollinators in the two different habitats across Canada is partly due to the environmental tolerances of certain pollinator clades. Bombus clade comprised a higher proportion of prairie bees, whereas assemblages in Garry oak sites exhibited higher representation from solitary bees (e.g., Osmia, Andrena, Ceratina). Likewise, pollinator traits associated with areas that had more precipitations was soil nesting and traits related to areas that exhibited high temperatures were cavity-nesting. I identified specific cases of reciprocal specialization in plant-pollinator interactions as well as selective environmental occupancy of ecologically specialized clades. These findings can inform conservation efforts to maintain adequate pollination services to plant communities. Although disturbance interactions remained consistent in the number of reciprocal specialization cases, I hypothesize plant-pollinator interactions in prairie grassland systems in Alberta exhibit more interesting cases of specialization than previously thought.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Villalobos, S. (2018). Biological Constraints Determining Specialization in Canadian Plant-Pollinator Communities (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31807	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/31807
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/106520
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.faculty	Science
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.publisher.place	Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Specialization
dc.subject	ecophylogenetics
dc.subject	ecosystem services
dc.subject.classification	Ecology	en_US
dc.title	Biological Constraints Determining Specialization in Canadian Plant-Pollinator Communities
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Biological Sciences
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true
ucalgary.thesis.checklist	I confirm that I have submitted all of the required forms to Faculty of Graduate Studies.	en_US