Climate change, range shifts, and the disruption of a pollinator-plant complex.

Climate change, range shifts, and the disruption of a pollinator-plant complex.

1. Mexican long-nosed bats migrate up to 1200 km north from central Mexico to the south-western United States every spring, following the blooms of paniculate agaves. Why is this migration considered an “endangered phenomenon”?

2. Ecosystem services are the benefits humans derive from healthy and functional ecosystems. What are some ecosystem services this pollinator-angiosperm relationship provides?

3. The authors ran several models to predict the future of this relationship affected by climate change. Explain one of those predictions here.

4. Consider whether Mexican long-nosed bats have many choices regarding what Agave species to visit or if Agaves have other bats that can pollinate them. How does the presence or absence of alternative relationships impact the future of these species?

5. Two other bats, L. yerbabuenae, and C. mexicana, can pollinate Agave. Explain why the Mexican long-nosed bats provide a more substantial benefit to the Agave.

6. In the radio clip and video you learned that tequila makers harvest agave before the flowers grow and often use clones to regenerate their crop rather than relying on natural reproduction and seed formation. What are the costs and benefits to doing this? Be sure to discuss how allowing natural pollination between individuals can benefit the farmers.

Climate change, range shifts, and the disruption of a pollinator-plant complex.