LAUSR

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The loss of natural habitats may strongly affect the fitness of plants that depend on animals for reproduction. However, still very little is known about the differential effects of habitat disturbance on the distinct phases of the reproductive cycle of plants, especially in non-rewarding species. METHODS We assessed the effects of habitat disturbance on the entire reproductive cycle of Arum pictum ssp. sagittifolium, a species with deceptive pollination endemic to the western Mediterranean Basin. For this, we performed hand-pollination and bagging experiments, evaluated the role of pollinators and dispersers on reproduction, and estimated seedling recruitment in three natural and three disturbed populations (according to their surrounding natural habitat) in Mallorca Island. KEY RESULTS Pollinators were sphaerocerid flies (mainly Coproica, with ca. 50% of visits) and staphylinid beetles, and were required for sexual reproduction. Habitat disturbance affected differently the reproductive phases of A. pictum ssp. sagittifolium. Habitat disturbance did have a positive effect on Shannon pollinator diversity (but not on pollinator richness), and total pollinator and Coproica abundance were three times higher in disturbed habitats, where overall seed production was also ca. 30% higher in natural ones. Seed production increased with Coproica abundance, but only in natural habitats. Seed dispersers of A. pictum ssp. sagittifolium were birds, mainly Sylvia atricapilla. Although habitat disturbance did not influence disperser diversity or abundance, the majority of seedlings appeared under adult plants and in natural habitats. CONCLUSIONS Overall recruitment was higher in natural habitats, but this effect could have been masked by only assessing pollinator and disperser numbers, as processes related to the quality of these interactions might be influencing fitness. Our study highlights the need to study different reproductive phases and their multiple components and processes to properly understand the effects of habitat disturbance on the regeneration of plant populations.