Do plant traits influence a species’ response to habitat disturbance? A meta-analysis

The vast majority of plant species, including one-third of crops, require a pollinator in order to set seed. While habitat disturbance has been shown to reduce the abundance and species richness of native bee species, a comprehensive study of the impacts of disturbance on plant reproductive success is lacking. In a meta-analysis of 41 studies we show that, overall, habitat disturbance is associated with a decrease in fruit set. Moreover, the magnitude of this effect depends on disturbance type. The presence of livestock or fire in a plant’s habitat was associated with a reduction in fruit set, whereas the presence of human use, deforestation, or agricultural use was associated with a non-significant trend in the same direction. We also examined the potential for plant traits to influence a species’ response to disturbance. We found that tropical plants suffered a greater impact of habitat disturbance than temperate plants, as did plants with dry relative to fleshy fruit types. No differences were found between woody and herbaceous plants, or between crops and non-crop species. Self-incompatible species in disturbed temperate habitats suffered a greater reduction in fruit set than self-compatible species, suggesting a role of pollination on the effect of the disturbance. Our results indicate that while species’ responses to habitat disturbance are highly variable, certain plant traits could serve to predict the impact of a disturbance on a species’ reproductive success. This information will be useful in focusing conservation efforts on the plant species most vulnerable to disturbance.