Designing sampling protocols for plant-pollinator interactions - timing, meteorology, flowering variations and failed captures matter

Plant-pollinator interactions are key components of ecosystem functioning and therefore increasingly studied. Of all the approaches used to estimate these interactions, capture pollinators along transects is a widely recognized method. However, specific choices sampling design can strongly influence observations insect visits bias ecological interpretations. Yet, there no agreement on best transect design. Sampling intensity (number length transects) an important element choices, but not only one. Here we investigate three other facets protocol that commonly arise when designing pollination transects: (i) conditions may interact with variables interest or observations, (ii) measurement floral availability frequency, (iii) management insects observed captured. We quantified importance using large dataset 720 plant-pollinator in protected wet meadows France. Our results demonstrate need cover wide range temporal meteorological for each site, repeat assessment plot attractiveness (a major covariate, usually simply derived from one-off vegetation surveys). In addition, show analyses visitation density among groups, failed captures should be discarded incorporated into analyses. Overall, this research identifies highlights their our understanding interactions.