Plant–pollinator interactions in a tropical dry forest: Spatiotemporal shifts in floral trait importance

Abstract

The pollination syndrome hypothesis predicts that plants pollinated by the same pollinator group exhibit convergent combinations of specific floral traits. However, studies show these combinations often predict pollinators with relatively low accuracy. This discrepancy may result from shifts in the relative importance of floral traits for different pollinator groups under varying environmental conditions. In particular, the role of phenological patterns (e.g. seasonality) and habitat type in shaping pollination syndromes remains understudied. Understanding these influences is crucial, especially in seasonally tropical systems where environmental fluctuations can strongly impact plant–pollinator interactions. To investigate this, we collected data on floral traits and documented plant–pollinator interactions across multiple seasons and habitat types in a tropical dry forest. Using machine learning models, we evaluated how the relative importance of floral traits shifts among primary pollinator groups and examined the extent to which seasonality and habitat type influence trait inclusion and importance. This approach allowed us to disentangle the interplay between floral traits, environmental factors and pollinator visitation patterns across different ecological contexts, revealing nonlinear relationships and subtle patterns that traditional methods might overlook. Our results demonstrate that floral trait importance is context‐dependent and dynamic, varying across seasons, habitat types and pollinator groups. We found that preferences for floral traits among primary pollinator groups are largely consistent with traditional pollination syndromes; however, the floral trait most important to a pollinator group often shifts depending on habitat and season. Furthermore, traits that ranked highly in one habitat or season were often less critical in others, suggesting that plant–pollinator interactions are influenced by a combination of temporal and spatial factors. These findings challenge the static view of pollination syndromes at the community level and reveal their inherent flexibility. Synthesis. This study highlights the dynamic nature of pollination syndromes, showing that floral trait importance shifts across time and space. Future research should incorporate temporal and spatial variability when examining pollination syndromes to avoid oversimplifying these complex systems. Recognizing the flexibility of trait associations is essential for understanding plant–pollination networks and their resilience in a changing world.