Bumblebee diversity and pollination networks along the elevation gradient of Mount Olympus, Greece

Mount Olympus, Greece, hosts one of the richest bumblebee diversities in Mediterranean Europe, with 22 species recorded, including four at their southernmost distribution limits and a new species for Greece. The study, conducted across 10 sites from 327 to 2,596 meters above sea level over three years (2013–2016), revealed that bumblebee and flowering plant richness followed distinct unimodal patterns along the elevation gradient. Bumblebee diversity peaked at high altitudes (1,900–2,200 m a.s.l.), while plant diversity was highest at lower to intermediate altitudes (500–1,500 m a.s.l.). Pollination networks were most diverse and generalized between 1,500–1,800 m a.s.l., with nestedness peaking at low and high elevations. These findings underscore the differential conservation value of Mount Olympus's altitudinal zones for bumblebees, their host plants, and their interactions, particularly in the context of climate change.

Minachilis, K., Kantsa, A., Devalez, J., Trigas, P., Tscheulin, T., & Petanidou, T. (2020). Bumblebee diversity and pollination networks along the elevation gradient of Mount Olympus, Greece. Diversity and Distributions, 26(11), 1566–1581. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13138