Having compiled all this information, I will be faced with the daunting task of comparing the two communities. There is no doubt that the suite of flower visiting species differs between the two sites. The main visitors to oxeye daisy, for example, are bumblebees at one site, hoverflies at the other. Pollinating communities are known to vary greatly from place to place and it is just as likely to be a function of the history of each site, and the surrounding landscape, as to have anything to do with the age of the meadow. Biologically speaking, it raises intriguing questions about the evolution of oxeye daisy, and other similar flowers, if they can be effectively pollinated by such distinct types of insect.
Some differences are directly relevant to restoration.
Consequently the flowers are hardly visited by bees, and they have a much lower seed set that those at the ancient meadow. So perhaps a higher density of cowslips in the original seed mix would help. By carrying out such a detailed study, we can begin to tease out the complexity of interactions in a pollinating community, with a view to highlighting those relationships which are particularly important and may be used to monitor the success of other restoration projects.