Mutualistic networks in the Galapagos Islands. impacts of invasive species on their structure

Abstract

The Galapagos Islands are well known for their valuable natural heritage and for the model ecotourism developed in them. Nevertheless, despite currently having a rather complete knowledge on their biota, there is still a large gap of information on how it functions, as well as on the ecological ‘architecture’ of these peculiar island ecosystems. Thus, for instance, limited information exists regarding two important ecological processes that can modulate the structure and functioning of biodiversity: (1) pollination and (2) seed dispersal. In this talk, I am going to present you the results of an ongoing research project that deepens into such ecological interactions. The aim of the project is to describe the pollination and seed dispersal networks in different islands of the archipelago and to investigate on the mechanisms underlying such network topology. We have compared different habitats and examined the influence of the introduction of alien plants on the structure of pollination and seed dispersal networks. Oceanic islands are known to be highly vulnerable ecosystems to different drivers of global change, including biological invasions. The study of mutualistic networks contributes to better understand how these new species are being integrated into the native communities at the same time that allows making predictions on the risk of extinctions of both native species and ecological/evolutionary interactions in this no-longer pristine archipelago