Characterization of plant-pollinator networks of the Little Fork Shale Barren, Sugar Grove, WV
Faculty Advisor Name
Conley K. McMullen
Department
Department of Biology
Description
Conservation efforts prioritize the biologically significant and/or rare, and there is a globally rare ecosystem unique to the central Appalachian Mountains that is home to 18 endemic plant species. Shale barrens are steep sloping mountainsides characterized by rocky Upper Devonian age shale substrate, high light, and low water availability. They form an array of biogeographical “islands” throughout Mid-Appalachia whose evolutionary history, niche dynamics, species distribution, response to disturbance, and pollination biology remain to be investigated. This project intends to address gaps in information regarding the pollination biology of shale barrens using a network analysis approach, a set of statistical techniques used to display relationships. For the past decade, applying network analyses to ecological systems has become an increasingly popular technique in ecology. Historically, conservation efforts have applied two-dimensional approaches to three-dimensional systems and have not considered dynamic interactions between service providers at the ecosystem level. Our team, seeks to describe the network of interactions between the plant and pollinator communities in the Little Fork Shale Barren (LFSB), a shale barren located in Pendleton County, West Virginia to achieve five objectives. First, we will identify key plant and pollinator species or network hubs. Network hubs are species that are highly connected to other species in a network. They act as cores or foundations for overall network function. Identifying those species, outlining their connectance, and highlighting how many species are acting as network hubs informs efforts to protect those species as well as the overall function and integrity of the ecosystem. Second, we aim to identify any specialist interactions. Specialist interactions are those between specific species in a network. These species are not highly connected in network but their specific connections create a network interaction redundancy. Interaction redundancy, the repetition of interactions filling the same functional role in a network, increases a network’s resilience to change or disturbance. Third, describe flowering synchrony of the ecosystem, and essentially map the flowering activity of the shale barren over the season. We want to highlight whether there are seasonal variations in floral resources and do those variations influence network structure. Fourth, we intend to benchmark the role of invasive species in network structure. Invasive species encroachment is considered the biggest threat to shale barrens but is that threat reflected in the function of a shale barren pollination network. The consensus on how invasive species effect the function of pollination networks is still up for debate. There is evidence suggesting invasive species disrupt network function and evidence suggesting instead that they contribute towards stabilizing a network. We want to mark the integration of invasive species into the network. Finally, we will compare vegetative species composition, richness, and diversity to a descriptive vegetation study completed 20 years prior. Information recorded from this study will inform future conservation and management plans for the shale barren and contribute to the small pool of information surrounding such a biologically unique ecosystem.
Characterization of plant-pollinator networks of the Little Fork Shale Barren, Sugar Grove, WV
Conservation efforts prioritize the biologically significant and/or rare, and there is a globally rare ecosystem unique to the central Appalachian Mountains that is home to 18 endemic plant species. Shale barrens are steep sloping mountainsides characterized by rocky Upper Devonian age shale substrate, high light, and low water availability. They form an array of biogeographical “islands” throughout Mid-Appalachia whose evolutionary history, niche dynamics, species distribution, response to disturbance, and pollination biology remain to be investigated. This project intends to address gaps in information regarding the pollination biology of shale barrens using a network analysis approach, a set of statistical techniques used to display relationships. For the past decade, applying network analyses to ecological systems has become an increasingly popular technique in ecology. Historically, conservation efforts have applied two-dimensional approaches to three-dimensional systems and have not considered dynamic interactions between service providers at the ecosystem level. Our team, seeks to describe the network of interactions between the plant and pollinator communities in the Little Fork Shale Barren (LFSB), a shale barren located in Pendleton County, West Virginia to achieve five objectives. First, we will identify key plant and pollinator species or network hubs. Network hubs are species that are highly connected to other species in a network. They act as cores or foundations for overall network function. Identifying those species, outlining their connectance, and highlighting how many species are acting as network hubs informs efforts to protect those species as well as the overall function and integrity of the ecosystem. Second, we aim to identify any specialist interactions. Specialist interactions are those between specific species in a network. These species are not highly connected in network but their specific connections create a network interaction redundancy. Interaction redundancy, the repetition of interactions filling the same functional role in a network, increases a network’s resilience to change or disturbance. Third, describe flowering synchrony of the ecosystem, and essentially map the flowering activity of the shale barren over the season. We want to highlight whether there are seasonal variations in floral resources and do those variations influence network structure. Fourth, we intend to benchmark the role of invasive species in network structure. Invasive species encroachment is considered the biggest threat to shale barrens but is that threat reflected in the function of a shale barren pollination network. The consensus on how invasive species effect the function of pollination networks is still up for debate. There is evidence suggesting invasive species disrupt network function and evidence suggesting instead that they contribute towards stabilizing a network. We want to mark the integration of invasive species into the network. Finally, we will compare vegetative species composition, richness, and diversity to a descriptive vegetation study completed 20 years prior. Information recorded from this study will inform future conservation and management plans for the shale barren and contribute to the small pool of information surrounding such a biologically unique ecosystem.
