Interactions between birds and flowers of Rhododendron spp., and their implications for mountain communities in Nepal

Abstract

Plant–pollinator relationships are fundamentally important for the conservation of the terrestrial biodiversity that rural communities in low-income countries rely upon. In Nepal, a country that is biologically rich but economically poor, Rhododendron forests provide a range of ecosystem services that are under threat from overexploitation and climate change. Here, we suggest a vital role for pollinating birds in ensuring the sexual reproduction, and thus the long-term survival, of Rhododendron populations. In this respect, the pollinators are an important link between people and the plants on which they depend. However, we also highlight how little we know about these interactions, with significant knowledge gaps for even the most basic aspects of their ecology.