Threatened pollinator and plant species in megadiverse countries: what we have learned from a synthesis of interactions for Brazil.

Plant-pollinator interactions are essential for the reproduction of most flowering plants and the maintenance of biodiversity. With each new assessment of threat status, new plants and pollinators are included in the list of threatened species. However, the ecological interactions established by threatened plants and pollinators are largely unknown. To support conservation planning for threatened plants and pollinators, we surveyed interactions for the plant and pollinator species listed in the official threatened species lists for Brazil. We found data on plant-pollinator interactions for less than 30% of the species listed as threatened. From what is known, abundant species with generalist characteristics play a central role in the interaction meta-network of threatened species. This information can be used to promote better actions for their conservation. Nevertheless, more efforts are required to focus on pollination interactions of threatened animals and plants. We highlight and discuss the relevance of exotic species such as Apis mellifera and Lantana camara in our set of mapped interactions. We conclude that the data synthesized here can support actions for the long-term maintenance of threatened species and the functioning of ecosystems.