Question

from a plant's perspective, is it better to be visited by many different kinds of pollinators or by a single species?

Answer 1

In perspective of pollination, a plant who is dependent upon multiple pollinators is a generalized type and a plant who is dependent upon a single pollinator is specialised type.

Both of the forms have advantages and disadvantages.

A generalized type of plant must not need to be well distributed throughout a large area. It should not possess any special features in the flowers, so that multiple pollinators have access to the flowers. Whereas a specialised plant must need to be well distributed throughout a large area, so that the special pollinator can find it. It should also possess special features in its flowers.

But if the specialist is not well distributed then it's very hard for the pollinator to find it. Thus pollination is very difficult for them. Whereas although pollination is not difficult for a generalized type, the frequency of pollination varies for them because all of the generalized types do not positively benefited equally. Thus in this situation pollination is difficult for them.

The specialized type also needs to co-evolve with its pollinator during the course of evolution, whereas a generalized type doesn't need that.

But for a specialised type, the reproductive benefits are higher than a generalized type.

Thus, it is better to be a specialized type where a plant is accessed by only a single type of pollinator during pollination. And it is seen in the environment then most of plant species are specialized type.