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Pollinator choices when selecting flowers for nectar or pollen collection are crucial in determining the effectiveness of pollination services provided to plants. From the plant's perspective, this effectiveness is a phenomenon shaped by factors at both the species‐ (e.g. pollinator density and flower morphology) and community‐level, including pollinator diversity and plant competition for pollinators. At the species level, individual pollinator effectiveness is influenced by foraging choices, plant identity, and the resulting pollen flow within and between plant species. In natural ecosystems, these species coexist within a complex community, where various interactions can modify foraging choices and alter pollen flows, giving rise to community‐level effectiveness, a less explored aspect of pollinator effectiveness. This study investigates the drivers of individual pollinator foraging choices across two study areas and two flowering seasons. It also assesses the community‐level effectiveness of pollination services received by different plant species, considering indirect interactions between plants through shared pollinators and evaluating their impact on plant reproductive success. Our results show that the determinants of pollinator foraging choices are consistent across different habitats, with floral constancy and flower abundance playing pivotal roles across all species and sites. Foraging choices can shift throughout the flowering season as plant and pollinator composition changes, significantly impacting pollination effectiveness. The overlap in pollination service use by individuals of the same plant species decreases their fruit set, whereas sharing pollinator services with individuals of other plant species increases fruit set. Our results support significant, positive biodiversity–ecosystem functioning associations driven by both plant and pollinator species richness, suggesting that the overlap in pollination service use by different plant species fosters facilitative interactions rather than competition. This is likely influenced by more stable pollination supplies under high plant species diversity conditions and the existence of mechanisms to mitigate the negative impacts of heterospecific pollen deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, an extended body of literature has focused on the importance of either temporal or spatial dynamics in shaping the structure of interacting plant and pollinator communities. This improvement from a previously static and aggregated perspective has allowed us to understand many of the ecological processes that shape community assembly. However, fewer are the studies that have simultaneously focused on spatial and temporal dynamics, and even fewer are those that collect data across different habitat types to assess the generality of their findings. Here, we used a dataset collected weekly throughout the full flowering season for two consecutive years and within two contrasting habitat types in N and SW Spain: a mountain grassland area and the understory of sparse pine forests. We evaluated species and interaction persistence through space and time, pollinator fidelity, and turnover patterns in interaction composition while providing a potential mechanistic explanation for the patterns observed. Our results show that although species generalization does not explain species or interaction persistence, moderately generalist species are those showing the greatest fidelity to the subset of plant species they visit through space and time. Further, we find that interaction turnover through time is mostly driven by changes in species composition, while through space it is mostly driven by interaction rewiring resulting from indirect competitive interactions between pollinator species. Our results help to shed light on the potential mechanisms driving community assembly patterns beyond niche or neutral processes by adding within‐trophic‐level interactions that can modify pollinator preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cider represents a habitat that allows the growth of different bacteria involved in the fermentation process. The process involves interactions between yeasts, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and acetic acid bacteria (AAB). The activity of some bacteria is responsible for cider spoilage. This study examines the efficacy of UVC for reducing the microbial load in natural cider and characterizes the different LAB and AAB colonies. For this purpose, an inline UVC treatment has been designed and fabricated. Different flow rates have been tested. Moreover, the presence of the genes related to cider spoiling has been studied by PCR. The results have shown that UVC irradiation has been effective in all flow rates by reducing the bacterial load significantly, by 90%–99%. The presence of an enzyme related to bitterness has been found in some LAB. In conclusion, the developed UVC equipment has the potential effect of reducing the microbial load in the beverage. Novelty impact statement: This article shows a significant reduction of the microbial load in beverages such as cider. The results show an important advance for the treatment of these beverages in the industry as it allows to control the microbial load present and increases the shelf life of the products. Furthermore, this research could increase the shelf life of the beverages in a market that is constantly growing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]