2023 review

Urban Pollination Ecology

[Review of ]. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS, 54, 21–42.

By: E. Youngsteadt n & M. Keighron n

author keywords: cities; pollinators; mutualism; dispersal; connectivity; network
Source: Web Of Science
Added: November 27, 2023

Pollination is an essential component of plant reproduction that is transformed by the novel environmental conditions in cities. We summarize patterns of urban plant reproduction and trace the mechanisms by which urban environments influence pollination, beginning at the level of the individual plant. We then progress through several processes unique to animal-pollinated plants, including plant–pollinator signaling, community-level effects, and emergent plant–pollinator interaction networks. Last, we review pollen movement and plant spatial mating networks. Despite a global signal of reduced pollination in urban, animal-pollinated plants, effects vary among studies, and the extent of pollen dispersal through a city remains difficult to predict. We highlight recent progress, as well as areas where new research will help crystallize our understanding of urban pollination. These advances have the potential to spur exciting new insights into network dynamics and pollen movement, and may ultimately inform the sustainable design of urban conservation and ecosystem services.