Data and R code from: Downscaling species to individual-level networks reveals the importance of population-level processes in mediating generalized community-wide interaction patterns

Patterns and consequences of community-wide interactions have been
evaluated at the species-level, thus ignoring differences in individual
behavior. In plant–pollinator networks, downscaling interactions to the
individual level may further help reconcile the high level of
generalization related to community stability with the specificity needed
for pollination functioning. Here, we built species-level and
individual-level networks using pollen loads on individual pollinators
collected in a diverse serpentine seep community in Northern California.
Plant–pollinator interactions were almost two times more specialized at
the individual- compared to the species-level, suggesting a higher level
of niche partitioning among individual insects which may increase
pollination functioning within the community. However, we observed
differences in individual specialization even among generalist pollinator
species, which may differentially impact conspecific pollen movement and
pollination efficacy despite similar niches at species level. Furthermore,
intraspecific trait variation (i.e., body size) did not impact pollinator
niche, suggesting that other population-level factors related to resource
use may drive plant–pollinator network structure. We did find that female
bees are more specialized than males, suggesting that sex-based
differences may contribute to variation in individual specialization with
potential consequences for community-wide pollination success. Overall,
using individual-level networks this study links individual foraging
patterns with population-level processes that may scale up to mediate the
structure of species-level plant–pollinator networks. In doing so, this
study further aids in our understanding of perceived conflicts between
specialization and generalization in plant–pollinator communities.