Study sites
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Gran Paradiso National Park is located in north-western Italy in the Alps. Established in 1922, it is the oldest national park in Italy and harbours a wide range of habitats and a rich biodiversity. The park’s highest peak, Gran Paradiso, reaches 4,061 m above sea level (a.s.l.).
We selected ten study sites along an elevational gradient ranging from 800 to 2,600 m a.s.l., allowing us to investigate changes in plant–pollinator interactions across contrasting environmental conditions. |
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Experimental setup
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Each site was sampled twice during the flowering season (June–July and August–September) using a combination of traditional survey methods and automated camera traps. Traditional sampling consisted of transect walks, during which plant–pollinator interactions were recorded across a large number of flowers within a defined area, with each flower observed only briefly.
In parallel, automated camera traps were positioned above individual flowers and recorded interactions continuously for approximately six hours. Flowering plant species richness and floral cover were assessed in three 2 × 2 m plots along each transect. |
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Aims
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The project aims to develop and test protocols for the automated monitoring of plant–pollinator interactions and to compare their performance with traditional field methods in mountainous areas. In addition, we assess how pollinator activity and community composition vary along an elevational gradient, identifying the dominant pollinator groups at different altitudes. Finally, we analyse plant–pollinator network properties—such as modularity and specialisation—and examine how these change with elevation.
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BiodivMon Call
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Duration of the project
01.04.2024 - 31.03.2027 |
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