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1 July 2014 Plant and Pollinator Communities of High Elevation Rock Outcrops
Katherine Mathews, Beverly Collins
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Abstract

High-elevation rock outcrop ecosystems are home to a unique flora, with endemic and disjunct species hypothesized to be susceptible to shifts in species composition or phenology with climate warming. Easily accessed outcrops also are susceptible to human disturbance. We surveyed vegetation, flowering plant species, and insect pollinators on seven outcrops that range from relatively inaccessible to frequently visited to determine if: (1) vegetation composition or abundance correlates with accessibility; (2) establish baseline information on species composition and abundance; and (3) determine if specialized plant-pollinator interactions indicate susceptibility to shifts in flowering time. Richness of plant cover was not related to outcrop accessibility; however, the least accessible outcrop had the lowest frequency of bare rock, relatively high lichen cover, and vegetation patches with a distinct flora of spikemoss (Selaginella sp.), mosses, lichens, and vascular plants. Bare rock was most abundant on the most accessible outcrop. Almost half of obligate outcrop plant species within sampled vegetation occurred on only one or two of the seven outcrops. Each outcrop had a unique subset of species in flower at each sampling time. Flowering plants were visited, on average, by five different insect morpho-species and families. Each insect morpho-species visited at least two plant species; bumblebees (Bombus) and sweatbees (Halictidae) visited as many as eight plant species. Generalist interactions suggest lower susceptibility to temporal mismatches between plants and pollinators with climate warming; however, individual outcrops do not harbor the full suite of specialized and sensitive plant species, and conservation efforts should focus on retaining outcrop plant communities.

Katherine Mathews and Beverly Collins "Plant and Pollinator Communities of High Elevation Rock Outcrops," Natural Areas Journal 34(3), 300-309, (1 July 2014). https://doi.org/10.3375/043.034.0306
Published: 1 July 2014
KEYWORDS
floral diversity
plant-pollinator interactions
rock outcrops. Southern Appalachians
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