Hurricane Andrew and a Florida fig pollination mutualism: resilience of an obligate interaction

Reports on the recovery of a Florida fig pollination mutualism devastated by Hurricane Andrew in August 1992. Damage to Ficus aurea included loss of all leaves and fruits and many branches, as well as the presumed local extinction of its pollinator Pegoscapus jimenezi. Within five months, however, fig flowering phenology and fig wasp abundance had recovered to near prehurricane levels. Unusual phenological traits of F. aurea may have aided in the rapid reestablishment of pollinator populations; also, the wasps may have previously underappreciated capacities for long distance movements. This study suggests that obligate interactions can be resilient to certain population-level catastrophes. -from Authors