Data from: Wind alters plant-pollinator community structure, bee foraging rate & movements between plants

Wind is an important abiotic factor that influences an array of biological
processes including animal behaviour, but it is rarely considered in
plant–pollinator interactions. Here, we investigate the impact of wind
speed on plant-pollinator community structure under natural conditions. In
our field experiment, we observed threefold greater abundance of
pollinators and double the species richness under low (<0.5 m/s)
versus moderate (>2.5 m/s) wind speeds. Significant differences in
plant-pollinator community structure were also observed, with Diptera most
abundant under low wind conditions, with Hymenoptera predominant and
Lepidoptera absent in windier conditions. Across three plant species the
foraging rate of both honey and bumble bees were 15% greater at low versus
moderate wind speeds. Lastly, at greater wind speeds bees made more
movements between plants, suggesting that wind may improve yield for crops
that require cross-pollination. Overall, our findings show that wind is an
important factor in determining which pollinator groups are active and
that eusocial bees, which are often the most important pollinators, were
little affected by moderate wind speeds. Our results raise several
important issues for further study and suggest that the use of linear
features such as trees and hedges that act as wind breaks in horticultural
cropland may be beneficial to crop pollination and conservation efforts.