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Levenson HK, Metz BN, Tarpy DR. Effects of study design parameters on estimates of bee abundance and richness in agroecosystems: a meta-analysis. ANNALS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 117:92-106. [PMID: 38486925 PMCID: PMC10933562 DOI: 10.1093/aesa/saae001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Pollinators are critical for agricultural production and food security, leading to many ongoing surveys of pollinators (especially bees) in crop and adjacent landscapes. These surveys have become increasingly important to better understand the community of potential pollinators, quantify relative insect abundance, and secure crop ecosystem services. However, as some bee populations are declining, there is a need to align and improve bee survey efforts, so that they can best meet research and conservation goals, particularly in light of the logistical and financial constraints of conducting such studies. Here, we mined the existing literature on bee surveys in or around agricultural lands to better understand how sampling methods can be optimized to maximize estimates of 2 key measures of bee communities (abundance and richness). After reviewing 72 papers spanning 20 yr of publication, we found that study duration, number of sites, sampling time, and sampling method most significantly influenced abundance, while the number of trips per year and collection method significantly influenced richness. Our analysis helps to derive thresholds, priorities, and recommendations that can be applied to future studies describing bee communities in agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah K Levenson
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Bradley N Metz
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - David R Tarpy
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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2
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Ren P, Didham RK, Murphy MV, Zeng D, Si X, Ding P. Forest edges increase pollinator network robustness to extinction with declining area. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:393-404. [PMID: 36717744 PMCID: PMC9998274 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01973-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Edge effects often exacerbate the negative effects of habitat loss on biodiversity. In forested ecosystems, however, many pollinators actually prefer open sunny conditions created by edge disturbances. We tested the hypothesis that forest edges have a positive buffering effect on plant-pollinator interaction networks in the face of declining forest area. In a fragmented land-bridge island system, we recorded ~20,000 plant-pollinator interactions on 41 islands over 3 yr. We show that plant richness and floral resources decline with decreasing forest area at both interior and edge sites, but edges maintain 10-fold higher pollinator abundance and richness regardless of area loss. Edge networks contain highly specialized species, with higher nestedness and lower modularity than interior networks, maintaining high robustness to extinction following area loss while forest interior networks collapse. Anthropogenic forest edges benefit community diversity and network robustness to extinction in the absence of natural gap-phase dynamics in small degraded forest remnants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Raphael K Didham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.,CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mark V Murphy
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Di Zeng
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingfeng Si
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Ding
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Decourtye A, Rollin O, Requier F, Allier F, Rüger C, Vidau C, Henry M. Decision-making criteria for pesticide spraying considering the bees’ presence on crops to reduce their exposure risk. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1062441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The risk of poisoning bees by sprayed pesticides depends on the attractiveness of plants and environmental and climatic factors. Thus, to protect bees from pesticide intoxication, an usual exemption to pesticide regulations allows for spraying on blooming flowers with insecticides or acaricides when no bees are foraging on crops. Nevertheless, decision-making criteria for farmers to assess the absence of bees on their crops remain under debate. To fill this gap, we present here a review of the literature and an analysis of weather conditions and environmental factors that affect the presence of bees on flowering crops that may be treated with pesticides, with the objective of proposing to farmers a series of decision-making criteria on how and when to treat. We conclude that the criteria commonly considered, such as ambient temperature, crop attractiveness, or distance from field edges, cannot guarantee the absence of forager exposure during pesticide sprays. Nocturnal sprays of pesticides on crops would be the most effective action to help farmers avoid unintentional acute poisoning of bees.
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Gardein H, Fabian Y, Westphal C, Tscharntke T, Hass A. Ground-nesting bees prefer bare ground areas on calcareous grasslands. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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5
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Ganuza C, Redlich S, Uhler J, Tobisch C, Rojas-Botero S, Peters MK, Zhang J, Benjamin CS, Englmeier J, Ewald J, Fricke U, Haensel M, Kollmann J, Riebl R, Uphus L, Müller J, Steffan-Dewenter I. Interactive effects of climate and land use on pollinator diversity differ among taxa and scales. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm9359. [PMID: 35544641 PMCID: PMC9075793 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm9359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Changes in climate and land use are major threats to pollinating insects, an essential functional group. Here, we unravel the largely unknown interactive effects of both threats on seven pollinator taxa using a multiscale space-for-time approach across large climate and land-use gradients in a temperate region. Pollinator community composition, regional gamma diversity, and community dissimilarity (beta diversity) of pollinator taxa were shaped by climate-land-use interactions, while local alpha diversity was solely explained by their additive effects. Pollinator diversity increased with reduced land-use intensity (forest < grassland < arable land < urban) and high flowering-plant diversity at different spatial scales, and higher temperatures homogenized pollinator communities across regions. Our study reveals declines in pollinator diversity with land-use intensity at multiple spatial scales and regional community homogenization in warmer and drier climates. Management options at several scales are highlighted to mitigate impacts of climate change on pollinators and their ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Ganuza
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Redlich
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Uhler
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Cynthia Tobisch
- Institute of Ecology and Landscape, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Freising, Germany
- Chair of Restoration Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Sandra Rojas-Botero
- Chair of Restoration Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Marcell K. Peters
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Caryl S. Benjamin
- TUM School of Life Sciences, Ecoclimatology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Jana Englmeier
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Ewald
- Institute of Ecology and Landscape, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Freising, Germany
| | - Ute Fricke
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Maria Haensel
- Professorship of Ecological Services, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Johannes Kollmann
- Chair of Restoration Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Rebekka Riebl
- Professorship of Ecological Services, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Lars Uphus
- TUM School of Life Sciences, Ecoclimatology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Jörg Müller
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Eckerter PW, Albrecht M, Bertrand C, Gobet E, Herzog F, Pfister SC, Tinner W, Entling MH. Effects of temporal floral resource availability and non-crop habitats on broad bean pollination. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 2022; 37:1573-1586. [PMID: 35611158 PMCID: PMC9122849 DOI: 10.1007/s10980-022-01448-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Flowering plants can enhance wild insect populations and their pollination services to crops in agricultural landscapes, especially when they flower before the focal crop. However, characterizing the temporal availability of specific floral resources is a challenge. OBJECTIVES Developing an index for the availability of floral resources at the landscape scale according to the specific use by a pollinator. Investigating whether detailed and temporally-resolved floral resource maps predict pollination success of broad bean better than land cover maps. METHODS We mapped plant species used as pollen source by bumblebees in 24 agricultural landscapes and developed an index of floral resource availability for different times of the flowering season. To measure pollination success, patches of broad bean (Vicia faba), a plant typically pollinated by bumblebees, were exposed in the center of selected landscapes. RESULTS Higher floral resource availability before bean flowering led to enhanced seed set. Floral resource availability synchronous to broad bean flowering had no effect. Seed set was somewhat better explained by land cover maps than by floral resource availability, increasing with urban area and declining with the cover of arable land. CONCLUSIONS The timing of alternative floral resource availability is important for crop pollination. The higher explanation of pollination success by land cover maps than by floral resource availability indicates that additional factors such as habitat disturbance and nesting sites play a role in pollination. Enhancing non-crop woody plants in agricultural landscapes as pollen sources may ensure higher levels of crop pollination by wild pollinators such as bumblebees. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-022-01448-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp W. Eckerter
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Matthias Albrecht
- Agricultural Landscapes and Biodiversity, Agroscope, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Colette Bertrand
- Agricultural Landscapes and Biodiversity, Agroscope, Zurich, Switzerland
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UMR ECOSYS, AgroParisTech, Versailles, France
| | - Erika Gobet
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Felix Herzog
- Agricultural Landscapes and Biodiversity, Agroscope, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonja C. Pfister
- Institute for Agroecology and Biodiversity (IFAB), Mannheim, Germany
| | - Willy Tinner
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin H. Entling
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
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Schoch K, Tschumi M, Lutter S, Ramseier H, Zingg S. Competition and Facilitation Effects of Semi-Natural Habitats Drive Total Insect and Pollinator Abundance in Flower Strips. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.854058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Flower strips are an effective agri-environmental measure to promote functional biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. In particular, tailored annual flower strips are increasingly implemented to foster insect pollination and biological pest control. While positive effects of flower strips on service providers and associated ecosystem services were recently demonstrated, little is known about how their effectiveness is affected by the surrounding landscape. We investigated how landscape composition and configuration, as well as flower strip traits influence the abundance of all insects, pollinators and natural enemies in 74 annual flower strips across 7 years (2014–2020). Landscape characteristics such as crop diversity, mean field size, area, and quality of semi-natural farmland habitats were assessed in a 1-km radius surrounding flower strips and combined with flower strip traits such as size, flower coverage, and flowering plant species richness to model insect abundance and diversity. Total insect and pollinator abundance, as well as wild bee abundance, richness, and diversity in flower strips were negatively affected by the share of semi-natural farmland habitats in the surrounding landscape, suggesting a dilution effect. On the other hand, semi-natural habitats with elevated ecological quality (i.e., biodiversity promotion areas with high botanical and structural diversity) enhanced total insect and pollinator abundance in flower strips. Furthermore, pollinator abundance and wild bee abundance in specific were positively affected by the flower coverage of the strips. Our results therefore suggest simultaneous competition and facilitation effects of semi-natural habitats on the landscape scale depending on their ecological quality. Annual flower strips will therefore be most effective in fostering services in landscapes of moderate to low complexity but with a high share of semi-natural habitats with increased ecological quality. For additional benefits for pollinator and wild bee abundance, flower strips should be designed to yield high flower cover. Our study thus highlights the importance of quality of ecological infrastructure and provides recommendations to maximize ecosystem services and biodiversity by means of flower strips at the landscape scale.
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Olynyk M, Westwood AR, Koper N. Effects of Natural Habitat Loss and Edge Effects on Wild Bees and Pollination Services in Remnant Prairies. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:732-743. [PMID: 33492391 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Habitat loss and edge effects resulting from habitat fragmentation are key processes implicated in the decline of bee populations globally. Their effects on wild bees and their pollination services in natural ecosystems are poorly understood, particularly in North American prairies. Our objectives were to determine whether natural habitat loss and edge effects affect bee abundance and pollination services in the Northern Great Plains. We sampled bee abundance and pollination services along transects beginning at road or tree edges in grasslands located in Manitoba, Canada. We measured bee abundance using pan traps, and pollination services using seed-set of Brassica rapa (L.) (Brassicales: Brassicaceae) phytometers. We collected local-scale habitat data by measuring occurrence of flowering species, vegetation type, and vegetation structure, and we measured habitat amount at 1-km radii using GIS analysis of landscape cover. Increasing amounts of habitat loss resulted in declines in bee abundance, and sometimes in pollination services. Results varied with bee life-history: proximity to road edges negatively affected social bees, and litter depth had negative effects on below- ground-nesting bees. Surprisingly, few effects on bees led to corresponding impacts on pollination services. This suggests that conservation of intact natural habitat across the northern Great Plains is important for maintaining resilient and diverse bee communities, but that efforts to conserve bee populations cannot be assumed to also maintain all associated pollination services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marika Olynyk
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - A Richard Westwood
- Department of Biology, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Nicola Koper
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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9
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Agroecological Strategies to Safeguard Insect Pollinators in Biodiversity Hotspots: Chile as a Case Study. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13126728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Industrial agriculture (IA) has been recognized among the main drivers of biodiversity loss, climate change, and native pollinator decline. Here we summarize the known negative effects of IA on pollinator biodiversity and illustrate these problems by considering the case of Chile, a “world biodiversity hotspot” (WBH) where food exports account for a considerable share of the economy in this country. Most of Chile’s WBH area is currently being replaced by IA at a fast pace, threatening local biodiversity. We present an agroecological strategy for sustainable food production and pollinator conservation in food-producing WBHs. In this we recognize native pollinators as internal inputs that cannot be replaced by IA technological packages and support the development of agroecological and biodiversity restorative practices to protect biodiversity. We suggest four fundamental pillars for food production change based on: (1) sharing the land, restoring and protecting; (2) ecological intensification; (3) localized knowledge, research, and technological development; and (4) territorial planning and implementation of socio-agroecological policies. This approach does not need modification of native pollination services that sustain the world with food and basic subsistence goods, but a paradigm change where the interdependency of nature and human wellbeing must be recognized for ensuring the world’s food security and sovereignty.
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10
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Key factors influencing forager distribution across macadamia orchards differ among species of managed bees. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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11
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Pollination in Agroecosystems: A Review of the Conceptual Framework with a View to Sound Monitoring. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10050540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The pollination ecology in agroecosystems tackles a landscape in which plants and pollinators need to adjust, or be adjusted, to human intervention. A valid, widely applied approach is to regard pollination as a link between specific plants and their pollinators. However, recent evidence has added landscape features for a wider ecological perspective. Are we going in the right direction? Are existing methods providing pollinator monitoring tools suitable for understanding agroecosystems? In Italy, we needed to address these questions to respond to government pressure to implement pollinator monitoring in agroecosystems. We therefore surveyed the literature, grouped methods and findings, and evaluated approaches. We selected studies that may contain directions and tools directly linked to pollinators and agroecosystems. Our analysis revealed four main paths that must come together at some point: (i) the research question perspective, (ii) the advances of landscape analysis, (iii) the role of vegetation, and (iv) the gaps in our knowledge of pollinators taxonomy and behavior. An important conclusion is that the pollinator scale is alarmingly disregarded. Debate continues about what features to include in pollinator monitoring and the appropriate level of detail: we suggest that the pollinator scale should be the main driver.
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12
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Landscape and Local Drivers Affecting Flying Insects along Fennel Crops ( Foeniculum vulgare, Apiaceae) and Implications for Its Yield. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12050404. [PMID: 33946366 PMCID: PMC8146141 DOI: 10.3390/insects12050404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Agricultural landscapes are increasingly characterized by intensification and habitat losses. Landscape composition and configuration are known to mediate insect abundance and richness. In the context of global insect decline, and despite 75% of crops being dependent on insects, there is still a gap of knowledge about the link between pollinators and aromatic crops. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is an aromatic plant cultivated in the South of France for its essential oil, which is of great economic interest. Using pan-traps, we investigated the influence of the surrounding habitats at landscape scale (semi-natural habitat proportion and vicinity, landscape configuration) and local scale agricultural practices (insecticides and patch size) on fennel-flower-visitor abundance and richness, and their subsequent impact on fennel essential oil yield. We found that fennel may to be a generalist plant species. We did not find any effect of intense local management practices on insect abundance and richness. Landscape configuration and proximity to semi-natural habitat were the main drivers of flying insect family richness. This richness positively influenced fennel essential oil yield. Maintaining a complex configuration of patches at the landscape scale is important to sustain insect diversity and crop yield.
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Building a shared vision of the future for multifunctional agricultural landscapes. Lessons from a long term socio-ecological research site in south-western France. ADV ECOL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Elisante F, Ndakidemi P, Arnold SEJ, Belmain SR, Gurr GM, Darbyshire I, Xie G, Stevenson PC. Insect pollination is important in a smallholder bean farming system. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10102. [PMID: 33150065 PMCID: PMC7583606 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many crops are dependent on pollination by insects. Habitat management in agricultural landscapes can support pollinator services and even augment crop production. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important legume for the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in many low-income countries, particularly so in East Africa. While this crop is autogamous, it is frequently visited by pollinating insects that could improve yields. However, the value of pollination services to common beans (Kariasii) yield is not known. Methods We carried out pollinator-exclusion experiments to determine the contribution of insect pollinators to bean yields. We also carried out a fluorescent-dye experiment to evaluate the role of field margins as refuge for flower-visitors. Results Significantly higher yields, based on pods per plant and seeds per pod, were recorded from open-pollinated and hand-pollinated flowers compared to plants from which pollinators had been excluded indicating that flower visitors contribute significantly to bean yields. Similarly, open and hand-pollinated plants recorded the highest mean seed weight. Extrapolation of yield data to field scale indicated a potential increase per hectare from 681 kg in self-pollinated beans to 1,478 kg in open-pollinated beans indicating that flower visitors contributed significantly to crop yield of beans. Our marking study indicated that flower-visiting insects including bees, flies and lepidopterans moved from the field margin flowers into the bean crop. Overall, these results show that insect pollinators are important for optimising bean yields and an important food security consideration on smallholder farms. Field margin vegetation also provides habitat for flower-visiting insects that pollinate beans. Hence, non-crop habitats merit further research focusing on establishing which field margin species are most important and their capacity to support other ecosystem services such as natural pest regulation or even pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filemon Elisante
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Patrick Ndakidemi
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Sarah E J Arnold
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania.,Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Steven R Belmain
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Geoff M Gurr
- School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Orange, Australia
| | - Iain Darbyshire
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Gang Xie
- Quantitative Consulting Unit, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
| | - Philip C Stevenson
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, United Kingdom.,Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom
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15
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Le Provost G, Badenhausser I, Violle C, Requier F, D’Ottavio M, Roncoroni M, Gross L, Gross N. Grassland-to-crop conversion in agricultural landscapes has lasting impact on the trait diversity of bees. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 2020; 36:281-295. [PMID: 33505122 PMCID: PMC7810634 DOI: 10.1007/s10980-020-01141-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Global pollinator decline has motivated much research to understand the underlying mechanisms. Among the multiple pressures threatening pollinators, habitat loss has been suggested as a key-contributing factor. While habitat destruction is often associated with immediate negative impacts, pollinators can also exhibit delayed responses over time. OBJECTIVES We used a trait-based approach to investigate how past and current land use at both local and landscape levels impact plant and wild bee communities in grasslands through a functional lens. METHODS We measured flower and bee morphological traits that mediate plant-bee trophic linkage in 66 grasslands. Using an extensive database of 20 years of land-use records, we tested the legacy effects of the landscape-level conversion of grassland to crop on flower and bee trait diversity. RESULTS Land-use history was a strong driver of flower and bee trait diversity in grasslands. Particularly, bee trait diversity was lower in landscapes where much of the land was converted from grassland to crop long ago. Bee trait diversity was also strongly driven by plant trait diversity computed with flower traits. However, this relationship was not observed in landscapes with a long history of grassland-to-crop conversion. The effects of land-use history on bee communities were as strong as those of current land use, such as grassland or mass-flowering crop cover in the landscape. CONCLUSIONS Habitat loss that occurred long ago in agricultural landscapes alters the relationship between plants and bees over time. The retention of permanent grassland sanctuaries within intensive agricultural landscapes can offset bee decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëtane Le Provost
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- INRAE, USC 1339, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- LTSER « Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre », Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre SBIK-F, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Isabelle Badenhausser
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- INRAE, USC 1339, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- LTSER « Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre », Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- INRAE, Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies Plantes Fourragères, 86600 Lusignan, France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- UMR 5175 CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry 3, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Fabrice Requier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marie D’Ottavio
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- INRAE, USC 1339, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- LTSER « Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre », Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- Laboratoire de Lutte Biologique, Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC C.P. 8888 Canada
| | - Marilyn Roncoroni
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- INRAE, USC 1339, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- LTSER « Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre », Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Ecosystème Prairial, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Louis Gross
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- INRAE, USC 1339, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- LTSER « Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre », Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- INRAE, UR 0633, URZF Unité de Recherche Zoologie Forestière, 45075 Orléans, France
| | - Nicolas Gross
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Ecosystème Prairial, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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16
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Grocock NL, Evenden ML. Local and Landscape-Scale Features Influence Bumble Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Bycatch in Bertha Armyworm Mamestra configurata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Pheromone-Baited Monitoring Traps. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 49:1127-1136. [PMID: 32815534 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The bertha armyworm (BAW) Mamestra configurata Walker is a significant pest of canola Brassica napus L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae) in western Canada. Its activity is monitored through a large network of pheromone-baited monitoring traps as a part of the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network across the Canadian Prairies. The unintentional bycatch of bee pollinators in pheromone-baited traps targeting moth pests occurs in many agroecosystems and may have repercussions for biodiversity and pollination services of wild plants and managed crops. We conducted field experiments to determine the abundance and diversity of bees attracted to green-colored BAW pheromone-baited traps across the canola growing regions of Alberta, Canada. A higher species diversity and more bumble bees were captured in BAW pheromone-baited than in unbaited control traps. Bombus rufocinctus Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was the most commonly captured species. Few other wild bees or honey bees Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were captured during this study. Additionally, we evaluated the influence of local and landscape-level habitat features on bee bycatch. Local flowering plant abundance improved overall model fit but did not directly impact bee bycatch. The proportion of natural and seminatural habitat, and especially forested area, in the area surrounding monitoring traps affected bee bycatch. Both local and landscape-scale factors were important in this study and often have combined effects on bee communities. This study provides recommendations to reduce the bycatch of beneficial bee pollinators in a large-scale pheromone-baited monitoring network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas L Grocock
- Department of Biological Sciences, CW405 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maya L Evenden
- Department of Biological Sciences, CW405 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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17
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Yang KF, Gergel SE, Duriaux-Chavarría JY, Baudron F. Forest Edges Near Farms Enhance Wheat Productivity Measures: A Test Using High Spatial Resolution Remote Sensing of Smallholder Farms in Southern Ethiopia. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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18
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Devkota K, dos Santos CF, Blochtein B. Mustard plants distant from forest fragments receive a lower diversity of flower-visiting insects. Basic Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2020.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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19
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Gergel SE, Powell B, Baudron F, Wood SLR, Rhemtulla JM, Kennedy G, Rasmussen LV, Ickowitz A, Fagan ME, Smithwick EAH, Ranieri J, Wood SA, Groot JCJ, Sunderland TCH. Conceptual Links between Landscape Diversity and Diet Diversity: A Roadmap for Transdisciplinary Research. Bioscience 2020; 70:563-575. [PMID: 32665737 PMCID: PMC7340543 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malnutrition linked to poor quality diets affects at least 2 billion people. Forests, as well as agricultural systems linked to trees, are key sources of dietary diversity in rural settings. In the present article, we develop conceptual links between diet diversity and forested landscape mosaics within the rural tropics. First, we summarize the state of knowledge regarding diets obtained from forests, trees, and agroforests. We then hypothesize how disturbed secondary forests, edge habitats, forest access, and landscape diversity can function in bolstering dietary diversity. Taken together, these ideas help us build a framework illuminating four pathways (direct, agroecological, energy, and market pathways) connecting forested landscapes to diet diversity. Finally, we offer recommendations to fill remaining knowledge gaps related to diet and forest cover monitoring. We argue that better evaluation of the role of land cover complexity will help avoid overly simplistic views of food security and, instead, uncover nutritional synergies with forest conservation and restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Gergel
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Bronwen Powell
- Department of Geography and BP is also affiliated with the Departments of African Studies and Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - FrÉdÉric Baudron
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center CIMMYT-Southern Africa Regional Office, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Jeanine M Rhemtulla
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Laura V Rasmussen
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Amy Ickowitz
- Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Matthew E Fagan
- Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland—Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Erica A H Smithwick
- Department of Geography and BP is also affiliated with the Departments of African Studies and Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Stephen A Wood
- Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia, and with the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jeroen C J Groot
- Department of Farming Systems Ecology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Terry C H Sunderland
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia
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20
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Landsman AP, Ladin ZS, Gardner D, Bowman JL, Shriver G, D'Amico V, Delaney DA. Local landscapes and microhabitat characteristics are important determinants of urban–suburban forest bee communities. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P. Landsman
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware Newark Delaware 19716 USA
- Department of Biology Hood College Frederick Maryland 21701 USA
| | - Zachary S. Ladin
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware Newark Delaware 19716 USA
| | - David Gardner
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware Newark Delaware 19716 USA
| | - Jacob L. Bowman
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware Newark Delaware 19716 USA
| | - Greg Shriver
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware Newark Delaware 19716 USA
| | - Vince D'Amico
- United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Newark Delaware 19716 USA
| | - Deborah A. Delaney
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware Newark Delaware 19716 USA
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21
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Badillo‐Montaño R, Aguirre A, Munguía‐Rosas MA. Pollinator-mediated interactions between cultivated papaya and co-flowering plant species. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:587-597. [PMID: 30680139 PMCID: PMC6342130 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Many modern crop varieties rely on animal pollination to set fruit and seeds. Intensive crop plantations usually do not provide suitable habitats for pollinators so crop yield may depend on the surrounding vegetation to maintain pollination services. However, little is known about the effect of pollinator-mediated interactions among co-flowering plants on crop yield or the underlying mechanisms. Plant reproductive success is complex, involving several pre- and post-pollination events; however, the current literature has mainly focused on pre-pollination events in natural plant communities. We assessed pollinator sharing and the contribution to pollinator diet in a community of wild and cultivated plants that co-flower with a focal papaya plantation. In addition, we assessed heterospecific pollen transfer to the stigmatic loads of papaya and its effect on fruit and seed production. We found that papaya shared at least one pollinator species with the majority of the co-flowering plants. Despite this, heterospecific pollen transfer in cultivated papaya was low in open-pollinated flowers. Hand-pollination experiments suggest that heterospecific pollen transfer has no negative effect on fruit production or weight, but does reduce seed production. These results suggest that co-flowering plants offer valuable floral resources to pollinators that are shared with cultivated papaya with little or no cost in terms of heterospecific pollen transfer. Although HP reduced seed production, a reduced number of seeds per se are not negative, given that from an agronomic perspective the number of seeds does not affect the monetary value of the papaya fruit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Badillo‐Montaño
- Laboratorio de Ecología TerrestreCinvestavMéridaMéxico
- Red de Interacciones MultitróficasInstituto de Ecología, A.C.XalapaMéxico
| | - Armando Aguirre
- Red de Interacciones MultitróficasInstituto de Ecología, A.C.XalapaMéxico
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22
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Garratt MP, Brown R, Hartfield C, Hart A, Potts SG. Integrated crop pollination to buffer spatial and temporal variability in pollinator activity. Basic Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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23
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Williamson J, Adams CG, Isaacs R, Gut LJ. Evaluation of Nasonov Pheromone Dispensers for Pollinator Attraction in Apple, Blueberry, and Cherry. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 111:1658-1663. [PMID: 29688446 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toy107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Declines in the number of commercial honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and some wild bee species around the world threaten fruit, nut, and vegetable production and have prompted interest in developing methods for gaining efficiencies in pollination services. One possible approach would be to deploy attractants within the target crop to increase the number of floral visits. In this study, we evaluate two new pollinator attractants, Polynate and SPLAT Bloom, for their ability to increase pollinator visitation and fruit set in apple (Malus pumila Mill.), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium sp. L.), and tart cherry (Prunus cerasus L.). Polynate is a plastic twin-tube dispenser loaded with a mixture of floral scent and Nasonov pheromone. SPLAT Bloom contains the same chemical formula as Polynate, but is applied as a 3 g wax dollop directly onto the tree or bush. The objectives of this study were to determine if Polynate and SPLAT Bloom increase the number of honey bee foragers and fruit set in apples, highbush blueberries, and tart cherries. We conducted replicated evaluations of 32 fields or orchards with and without putative attractants over three growing seasons. Both products failed to provide a measurable increase in pollinator visits or fruit set in these crops, indicating no return on investment for either product.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Williamson
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - C G Adams
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - R Isaacs
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - L J Gut
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
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24
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Joshi NK, Otieno M, Rajotte EG, Fleischer SJ, Biddinger DJ. Proximity to Woodland and Landscape Structure Drives Pollinator Visitation in Apple Orchard Ecosystem. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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25
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Ahrenfeldt EJ, Klatt BK, Arildsen J, Trandem N, Andersson GKS, Tscharntke T, Smith HG, Sigsgaard L. Pollinator communities in strawberry crops - variation at multiple spatial scales. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 105:497-506. [PMID: 25908227 DOI: 10.1017/s000748531500036x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Predicting potential pollination services of wild bees in crops requires knowledge of their spatial distribution within fields. Field margins can serve as nesting and foraging habitats for wild bees and can be a source of pollinators. Regional differences in pollinator community composition may affect this spill-over of bees. We studied how regional and local differences affect the spatial distribution of wild bee species richness, activity-density and body size in crop fields. We sampled bees both from the field centre and at two different types of semi-natural field margins, grass strips and hedges, in 12 strawberry fields. The fields were distributed over four regions in Northern Europe, representing an almost 1100 km long north-south gradient. Even over this gradient, daytime temperatures during sampling did not differ significantly between regions and did therefore probably not impact bee activity. Bee species richness was higher in field margins compared with field centres independent of field size. However, there was no difference between centre and margin in body-size or activity-density. In contrast, bee activity-density increased towards the southern regions, whereas the mean body size increased towards the north. In conclusion, our study revealed a general pattern across European regions of bee diversity, but not activity-density, declining towards the field interior which suggests that the benefits of functional diversity of pollinators may be difficult to achieve through spill-over effects from margins to crop. We also identified dissimilar regional patterns in bee diversity and activity-density, which should be taken into account in conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Ahrenfeldt
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences,Faculty of Science,University of Copenhagen,Thorvaldsensvej 40,1871 Frederiksberg C,Denmark
| | - B K Klatt
- Agroecology,Georg-August-University Göttingen,Grisebachstraße 6,37077 Göttingen,Germany
| | - J Arildsen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences,Faculty of Science,University of Copenhagen,Thorvaldsensvej 40,1871 Frederiksberg C,Denmark
| | - N Trandem
- Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research (Bioforsk),Høgskoleveien 7,1432 Ås,Norway
| | - G K S Andersson
- Department of Biology,Lund University,Ecology building,223 62 Lund,Sweden
| | - T Tscharntke
- Agroecology,Georg-August-University Göttingen,Grisebachstraße 6,37077 Göttingen,Germany
| | - H G Smith
- Department of Biology,Lund University,Ecology building,223 62 Lund,Sweden
| | - L Sigsgaard
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences,Faculty of Science,University of Copenhagen,Thorvaldsensvej 40,1871 Frederiksberg C,Denmark
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26
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Somme L, Mayer C, Jacquemart AL. Multilevel spatial structure impacts on the pollination services of Comarum palustre (Rosaceae). PLoS One 2014; 9:e99295. [PMID: 24915450 PMCID: PMC4051681 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat destruction and fragmentation accelerate pollinator decline, consequently disrupting ecosystem processes such as pollination. To date, the impacts of multilevel spatial structure on pollination services have rarely been addressed. We focused on the effects of population spatial structure on the pollination services of Comarum palustre at three levels (i.e. within-population, between-populations and landscape). For three years, we investigated 14 Belgian populations, which differed in their within-population flower density, population surface, closure (i.e. proportion of the population edge that consisted of woody elements) and isolation (i.e. percentage of woody area cover within a 500 m radius from the population centre). We tested whether these spatial characteristics impact on pollinator abundance and visitation rate and thus, reproductive success of C. palustre. Insects were observed in 15 randomly-chosen plots in each population. We tested for pollen limitation with supplemental hand-cross pollination. Bumble bees and solitary bees were the major pollinators through all populations. Within populations, plots with high flower densities attracted high numbers of bumble bees and other insects. High bumble bee and solitary bee abundance was observed in populations presenting high proportions of woody edges and in populations within landscapes presenting high proportions of woody areas. Seed set resulting from open pollination varied with bumble bee and solitary bee visitation rate, leading to increased pollen limitation when pollinators were scarce. Since the reproductive success depended on the visitation rate of the main pollinators, which depended on multilevel spatial structure, wetland management plans should pay special attention to favour a mosaic of biotopes, including nesting sites and food resources for insects. This study particularly supports the relevance of a mix wetlands and woody habitats to bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Somme
- Earth and Life Institute-Agronomy, Research Team Genetics, Reproduction, Populations, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Carolin Mayer
- Earth and Life Institute-Agronomy, Research Team Genetics, Reproduction, Populations, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Anne-Laure Jacquemart
- Earth and Life Institute-Agronomy, Research Team Genetics, Reproduction, Populations, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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