SEMINAR: Plant Biology Research Seminar

Global changes, such as in atmospheric composition, land use, introduction of non-native species, and changes in soil structure can act individually or in combination to change plant-pollinator interactions. Impacts of global changes can influence both plant reproductive traits and/or pollinator behaviour. Therefore, we aim to further understand how plant-pollinator interactions are influenced by two effects of global change - non-native plant invasion and addition of nitrogen (N) - in the context of a revegetated agroecosystem. The study was completed within a large restoration experiment in southwestern Australia. I will describe a previously unknown pollinator community and present an understanding of how plant-pollinator interactions develop in an assembling community following restoration, and how these interactions and networks are influenced by the presence of flowering non-native plants and addition of N fertilization. The results suggest that it might not be necessary to remove non-native species for restoration of plant-pollinator networks in early stages of restoration. This research provides a foundation for further analyses of the development of plant-pollinator networks as the restoration progresses.