Climate change can disrupt the delicate balance between pollinators and plants in the northern forests, exacerbating the already strained pollination process. “Unfortunately, research is very limited, especially in the boreal realm”, says Dr. Joan Díaz Calafat.
The boreal forest in the Northern Hemisphere is undergoing rapid climate-driven changes. These shifts are expected to impact pollinator effectiveness and alter plant reproductive success.
However, research is limited on how pollination dynamics will be affected. In a recent literature review, researchers from SLU, Stockholm University and Ghent University found only 11 relevant studies, highlighting significant knowledge gaps. None of the studies comprehensively addressed the issue in its entirety.
Key findings from the review include:
Additionally, a pattern of pollen limitation in boreal understory plants has been observed, often attributed to reduced pollinator activity in low-temperature conditions. Rising temperatures due to climate change could potentially enhance insect activity and improve pollination rates.
However, different species may respond differently to climate warming, creating potential mismatches among interdependent organisms. Cold-adapted species may struggle to survive in warmer conditions. Phenological mismatches could emerge.
“For instance, in plant-pollinator systems, plants may flower before pollinators emerge from hibernation, or vice versa,” explains lead author Joan Díaz Calafat.
With climate change accelerating, he is advocating for addressing these research gaps which is essential to safeguarding the complex relationships between plants and pollinators in boreal forests.
“Increased attention and research efforts are crucial, as this area remains significantly understudied compared to other regions,” states Associate Professor Per-Ola Hedwall, Principal Investigator.
Figure 1. Overview of the possible mechanisms through which climate change may affect boreal plant-pollinator systems. Organisms depicted in red represent warm-adapted species, and blue ones represent cold-adapted species. In response to warming, cold-adapted plant and pollinator species may shift their distribution ranges towards cooler, more suitable areas (1), or fail to do so and reduce their local abundance or become locally extinct. Moreover, in response to warming, species may alter their phenology (2). Both changes in distribution ranges and phenology may lead to interaction mismatches when plant-pollinator partners fail to adapt at the same spatial or temporal scale. Moreover, warm-adapted species will benefit from warming compared to cold-adapted species, and together with species shifting their distribution from warmer areas will produce the thermophilization of species communities (3). Warmer temperatures benefit more generalistic interactions (4), and may negatively impact specific interactions. In addition, the arrival of new species from warmer areas and potential local species loss may rewire plant-pollinator interactions.
1/1
Click here to read the article i The effects of climate change on boreal plant-pollinator interactions are largely neglected by science, in Basic and Applied Ecology.