Co-Evolution Dynamics of Pollinators and Plants Under Climate Stress

Abstract

The intricate mutualism between plants and their pollinators, a cornerstone of terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem function, is facing unprecedented threats from anthropogenic climate change. This review synthesizes current evidence on how climate stress-encompassing warming, shifts in precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme events-disrupts the delicate co-evolutionary dynamics of these partnerships. We posit that climate change acts as a destabilizing force by generating phenological mismatches, altering floral trait distributions, shifting pollinator behavior, and testing the limits of physiological tolerance in both partners. These disruptions alter the selective landscapes that have historically shaped the co-evolutionary arms race, potentially leading to the breakdown of specialized interactions and a homogenization of pollination networks. However, this review also highlights mechanisms of resilience, including phenotypic plasticity, adaptive evolutionary potential quantified through genetic variance and selection analyses, and the stability offered by generalized networks. We explore the genomic and epigenomic mechanisms that may underpin rapid adaptation. A dedicated analysis of agricultural ecosystems underscores the magnification of these threats to food security. By integrating insights from community ecology, evolutionary biology, and climate science, this article presents a framework for understanding the vulnerabilities and potential fates of plant-pollinator interactions. We conclude that the persistence of these critical relationships will depend on the pace of climate change relative to the inherent adaptive capacity and co-evolutionary potential of both plants and pollinators, urging for conservation and management strategies that actively safeguard this evolutionary capacity.