Empirical evidence for the ecological significance of interaction network indices within a mutualistic network

Community resilience and stability have often been considered outcomes of interaction network structure. These assumptions have faced strong criticism, given implicit biases in metrics used and a lack of integration with ecological outcomes, leading to the overinterpretation of network properties. Within pollination networks, there is a need to integrate knowledge of network structure with estimates of pollination success that reflect the full complexity of this process. Here, we evaluated the effect of complementary plant-floral visitor network structural properties on male and female estimates of pollination success across multiple stages of the pollination process. Network properties differentially affected male and female reproductive functions. An increase in plant species partner diversity and contribution to nestedness was positively associated with the proportion of flowers receiving conspecific pollen but had no effect on pollen dispersal or tube formation. Specialization was the only network property that maximized both functions, suggesting this component plays a larger role in the long-term stability of plant communities. These results emphasize the need to incorporate empirical knowledge of interaction outcomes into our understanding of the functional consequences of network structure. This knowledge is key to overcoming fundamental limitations in network ecology providing meaningful insights into the resilience and stability of ecological systems.