2026/06/09 by Miguel Angel Quispe Puma, César R. Luque‐Fernández · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · Psychology · #Animal and Plant Science Education #Plant and animal studies #Species Distribution and Climate Change
paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/arphapreprints.e203160
openalex publication_date 2026/06/09 · openalex created_date 2026/06/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Plant-hummingbird interactions are key components of Neotropical ecosystems, yet they remain poorly documented in arid inter-Andean valleys of southern Peru, where floral resources are strongly seasonal. We evaluated the structure, temporal dynamics, and central species of a plant-hummingbird interaction network in the Sogay valley, Arequipa. From March to August 2025, feeding, perching, and competitive interactions were recorded through direct observation surveys. The feeding network comprised 10 plant species, four hummingbird species, and 21 observed links. It showed moderately high connectance (0.525), intermediate specialization (H2’ = 0.550), moderate modularity ( Q = 0.386), and presence-absence-based nestedness (NODF = 65.23). Visits were concentrated on Tecoma fulva (47.5%), Ligaria cuneifolia (25.1%), and Nicotiana glauca (10.3%), whereas Rhodopis vesper was the most central hummingbird species. Activity peaked in May and June, which also showed the highest temporal similarity. Nectar concentration was not associated with visitation frequency (ρ = 0.018; p = 0.969), and floral length showed only a non-significant positive trend. These results suggest a temporally dynamic network structured by core floral resources and by the complementary use of plants as perches and sites of agonistic interaction. Overall, this study highlights the ecological importance of floral and structural resources in sustaining hummingbird assemblages in arid Andean landscapes.