Interaction network for eleven Cucurbita pepo sites in Guatemala

In recent years, evidence has been found that plant-pollinator
interactions are altered by land-use and that genetic diversity also plays
a role. However, how land-use and genetic diversity influence
plant-pollinator interactions, particularly in the Neotropics, where many
endemic plants exist is still an open question. Cucurbita pepo is a
monoecious plant and traditional crop wide distributed, with high rates of
molecular evolution, landraces associated with human cultural management
and a history of coevolution with bees, which makes this species a
promising model for studying the effect of landscape and genetic diversity
on plant-pollinator interactions. Here, we assess 1) whether female and
male flowers differences have an effect on the interaction network, 2) how
C. pepo genetic diversity affects flower-bee visitation network structure,
and 3) what is the effect that land-use, accounting for C. pepo genetic
variability, has on pumpkin-bee interaction network variables. 
Our results indicate that female and male flowers presented the same
community composition and network structure suggesting that the
differences do not have a significant effect on network evolution. Genetic
diversity has a positive effect on modularity, nestedness, and number of
interactions, which, when considered, allows to observe how land-use
variables can have an enhancing or buffering effect on nestedness. Our
results suggest that considering genetic diversity is relevant for a
better understanding of the effect of landscape on interaction networks.
Additionally, this understanding has great value in conserving
biodiversity and enhancing the stability of interaction networks in a
world facing great challenges of habitat and diversity loss.