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<html><font size=6 face=“Arial”> Is robbing necessarily a crime? </font></html>
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Introduction
In nature, ecosystems are full of ecological interactions. The ecological interactions could occur between two or more species and will be an interchange of services or resources between them. The outcome of ecological interactions can be positive, neutral or negative for each of the involved species. The combination of the outcome for each species is how we classify the type of ecological interaction. For instance, mutualism are interactions in which all interacting partners benefit from the interaction like seed dispersal and others. But, when one species benefit, as a predator, and the other species has a loss, as the prey, this is an antagonism.
Pollination is usually thought as a mutualistic interaction. The reason is because, most plants to successfully reproduce needs to transfer pollen from its own flowers to other's individuals flowers, and the animals do this in the pollination process. On the other hand, animals can get rewards (as nectar or pollen) when they visit the flower, achieving food. In this scenario, both the flower and the pollinator gain from the pollination process. However, relationship are more complicated. Interactions are not happening isolated. Some animals can cheat, having the resource by not proper ways. Some bees, for example, are able to cut a hole in the side of the flower large enough to access the nectar (nectar robbers).
The presence of nectar robbers in plant-pollinator interactions complexifies the predictability of outcome from the interaction. Even though, robbers will always benefit from the interaction, plants and pollinators could be positively, negatively or remain unaffected by interacting with robbers. Nectar robbers could be costly to plants as the obtain pollen and nectar without providing pollination. Nectar robbers could damage ovary or other structures of the flowers not allowing the reproduction to end, or could else interact aggressively with the pollinators, starling them, or even make the robbed flowers unattractive to pollinators. However, some studies point out that we could not be catching up all the plant-pollinator-robber dynamics. Zhang et al (2007) proposed that néctar robbing could indirectly affect plant reproduction, through changing pollinators behavior or frequency of visitation, bringing even positive consequences for the plant.If the presence of flowers robbed changes pollinators behavior, making pollinators visit more flowers, it could improve pollen flow and out-crossing. And, Varma & Sino (2019) observed that the behaviour of the pollinator could change because of the presence of cheaters, indicating a higher foraging efficiency of pollinators.
Assignment
Comprehend the interplay between distinct interacting's partners could allow one to understand the underlying mechanism that regulates interaction species dynamics. Build a mathematical model that enable us to comprehend plant-pollinator-robber dynamics.
Questions & Suggestions
How the proportions of each group (pollinator, plants, robbers) could modulate the dynamic of the interaction?
In which scenarios robbers could act as mutualistic or an antagonistic partner to plant-pollinators?
Would be plant-pollinator-robber an oscillatory dynamic?