Plant-hummingbird interactions, floral abundance and floral traits for three altitudinal gradients in the Americas

Plant-animal interactions result in many ecosystem services, such as pollination. In the western hemisphere, and especially the Neotropics, hummingbirds are important pollinators for thousands of plant species, yet there is much to be learned about the spatial and temporal variation in mechanisms influencing these interactions. We collected an extensive dataset from 39 sites across elevation gradients spanning 4.7 to 3,522 meters above sea level in three regions, the Pacific slope of the Talamanca mountain range in central-southern Costa Rica, the Chocó-Andean region of northwestern Pichincha province in Ecuador, and the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. These regions have very different biogeographic histories to uncover general patterns of interactions and mechanisms influencing these interactions. Data on flower abundance and plant-hummingbird interactions were gathered monthly for 1.5 to 2 years along 1.5 km transects situated along an elevation gradient in each country during 2017 and 2024. Trait data for flowers was also measured. This effort resulted in 95,825 interactions between 713 plants and 79 hummingbird species, and also 873 interactions with another 12 bird species in Ecuador. These data are being used to develop a predictive framework on species interactions necessary to understand and conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. These data also provide detailed information on plants important for hummingbird conservation which have, for example, been used to guide restoration projects.