Impact of Deforestation on Pollinator Communities in Tropical Landscapes
04-2022An article discussing the role of pollinators on flowering plants and the downward trends due to deforestation. The research was expanding on past research done by Torres-Vanegas et al. My research discussed the direct and indirect effects of tropical deforestation on mating quality in Heliconia tortuosa. The results of the study showed that "deforestation has a clear impact on the functional composition of pollinators." One result was that the proportion of high-mobility hummingbirds was found to increase significantly when there is a higher proportion of forested area within 1 km. Deforestation was found to decrease the proportion of high-mobility hummingbirds, decrease the genetic diversity among tropical plants, alter the distribution of floral resources, and increase direct competition for floral resources.
Data collected throughout the experiment in 2013 and 2016. (a) A higher proportion of observations were taken in 2013 compared to in 2016. (b) As haplotype diversity increased, biparental inbreeding decreased. (c) Flower density was lower in 2013 compared to 2016.