Assessing ecological interactions in urban areas using citizen science data: Insights from hummingbird–plant meta-networks in a tropical megacity

《Assessing ecological interactions in urban areas using citizen science data: Insights from hummingbird–plant meta-networks in a tropical megacity》

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作者: Oscar H. Marín-Gómez;Claudia Rodríguez Flores;María del Coro Arizmendi

来源: URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING,Vol.74,Issue1,Article 127658

语言: 英文

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作者单位: Laboratorio de Ecología, Unidad de Biotecnología y Prototipos (UBIPRO), Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. de los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico;Departamento Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Villahermosa, Tabasco 86280, Mexico;Laboratorio de Ecología, Unidad de Biotecnología y Prototipos (UBIPRO), Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. de los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico;Departamento Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Villahermosa, Tabasco 86280, Mexico;University of Minnesota, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, 1420 Eckles Ave #190, St. Paul 55108, MN, United States;Department of Systems Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic;Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Kaplanova 1931/1, 148 00 Prague 11-Chodov, Czech Republic;Department of Architecture, University of Pretoria, Bag X 20 Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa;Geospatial Sciences, School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Victoria 3001, Australia;School of Tourism and Geography Science, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China;Department of Horticulture, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung City 402, Taiwan;Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung City 402, Taiwan;Observer Ecological Consultant Co., Ltd., Taipei City 10343, Taiwan;International Master Program of Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung City 402, Taiwan;Research Area Spatial Information and Modelling, Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER), Weberplatz 1, 01217 Dresden, Germany;Technische Universität Dresden, Institute for Cartography, Helmholtzstr. 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany

摘要: Urbanization is one of the most intensive threats to biodiversity worldwide. The rapid sprawl of urban settings often comprises a drastic landscape transformation due to the replacement of natural vegetation by impervious surfaces. However, cities can serve as critical refuges for some native fauna, particularly for pollinators. Here we used citizen data to contrast the structure of hummingbird-plant meta-networks across different greenspaces (natural protected areas, urban parks, urban gardens and street trees areas) in a tropical megacity. We compiled hummingbird-plant visitation records in Mexico City available in two citizen science resources: iNaturalist and eBird. We first determined whether the retrieved dataset was representative to estimate network metrics by calculating sample coverage and estimating species richness in different greenspaces. Then, we characterized network structure and plant importance for network organization according to plant origin, life form and pollination syndrome. We recorded 17 hummingbirds visiting 84 plant species, encompassing a total of 742 interactions. Natural protected areas and urban parks showed a higher richness of hummingbirds and plants. All networks had low levels of connectance, specialization, and nestedness. Modularity was significant across all networks with higher values in natural protected areas and urban gardens. Native and introduced plant species showed a similar contribution to network organization. Non-ornithophilous plants were most important in natural protected areas, while tree species were most important in street trees greenspaces. Our results provide evidence of generalization of hummingbird-plant networks in urban areas. Introduced species and non-ornithophilous plants were equally important for hummingbirds, suggesting an integration of alien plants with no specialized bird pollination traits into ecological networks in urban scenarios. Promoting conservation initiatives as pollinator gardens with key native species for hummingbirds across the city could contribute to the functional connectivity and restoration of ecological interactions in cities.