How is climate change affecting synchrony?
AClimate change is throwing a spanner in the works of many plant-animal partnerships. A good example is the buffish mining bee – one of the first bees to emerge in spring – and its specialised relationship with the early spider orchid.
Using their arachnid-like flowers, the orchids emit a scent that closely mimics that produced by the female bees. So alluring is the aroma that males will make repeated attempts to mate with the deceitful bloom. In doing so, they dislodge its pollen and deliver it to the next orchid. Timing is everything though and for the ruse to work, the orchids must flower before the female bees fly. But as springs become warmer, the emergence of the bees and blooming of the orchids are occurring earlier – and not at equal rates. Females are increasingly flying before peak flowering, putting pollination at risk.
Loss of synchrony is not restricted to flowers and pollinators. Seabirds may also be at risk as their prey alters its breeding patterns due to changing oceanic conditions, leading to mismatches in food abundance during chick-feeding time.