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Pille Arnold J, Tylianakis JM, Murphy MV, Cawthray GR, Webber BL, Didham RK. Body-size-dependent effects of landscape-level resource energetics on pollinator abundance in woodland remnants. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232771. [PMID: 38864334 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Land use change alters floral resource availability, thereby contributing to declines in important pollinators. However, the severity of land use impact varies by species, influenced by factors such as dispersal ability and resource specialization, both of which can correlate with body size. Here. we test whether floral resource availability in the surrounding landscape (the 'matrix') influences bee species' abundance in isolated remnant woodlands, and whether this effect varies with body size. We sampled quantitative flower-visitation networks within woodland remnants and quantified floral energy resources (nectar and pollen calories) available to each bee species both within the woodland and the matrix. Bee abundance in woodland increased with floral energy resources in the surrounding matrix, with strongest effects on larger-bodied species. Our findings suggest important but size-dependent effects of declining matrix floral resources on the persistence of bees in remnant woodlands, highlighting the need to incorporate landscape-level floral resources in conservation planning for pollinators in threatened natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Pille Arnold
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, 6014, Australia
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Mark V Murphy
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Gregory R Cawthray
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Bruce L Webber
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, 6014, Australia
| | - Raphael K Didham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, Western Australia, 6014, Australia
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Goyal P, van Leeuwen JL, Muijres FT. Bumblebees compensate for the adverse effects of sidewind during visually guided landings. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb245432. [PMID: 38506223 PMCID: PMC11112349 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Flying animals often encounter winds during visually guided landings. However, how winds affect their flight control strategy during landing is unknown. Here, we investigated how sidewind affects the landing performance and sensorimotor control of foraging bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). We trained bumblebees to forage in a wind tunnel, and used high-speed stereoscopic videography to record 19,421 landing maneuvers in six sidewind speeds (0 to 3.4 m s-1), which correspond to winds encountered in nature. Bumblebees landed less often in higher windspeeds, but the landing durations from free flight were not increased by wind. By testing how bumblebees adjusted their landing control to compensate for adverse effects of sidewind on landing, we showed that the landing strategy in sidewind resembled that in still air, but with important adaptations. Bumblebees landing in a sidewind tended to drift downwind, which they controlled for by performing more hover maneuvers. Surprisingly, the increased hover prevalence did not increase the duration of free-flight landing maneuvers, as these bumblebees flew faster towards the landing platform outside the hover phases. Hence, by alternating these two flight modes along their flight path, free-flying bumblebees negated the adverse effects of high windspeeds on landing duration. Using control theory, we hypothesize that bumblebees achieve this by integrating a combination of direct aerodynamic feedback and a wind-mediated mechanosensory feedback control, with their vision-based sensorimotor control loop. The revealed landing strategy may be commonly used by insects landing in windy conditions, and may inspire the development of landing control strategies onboard autonomously flying robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pulkit Goyal
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johan L. van Leeuwen
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Florian T. Muijres
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Pattrick JG, Symington HA, Federle W, Glover BJ. Bumblebees negotiate a trade-off between nectar quality and floral biomechanics. iScience 2023; 26:108071. [PMID: 38107877 PMCID: PMC10725025 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
How and why pollinators choose which flowers to visit are fundamental, multifaceted questions in pollination biology, yet most studies of floral traits measure simple relative preferences. Here, we used vertically and horizontally oriented slippery-surfaced artificial flowers to test whether bumblebees could make a trade-off between floral handling difficulty and nectar sucrose concentration. We quantified foraging energetics, thereby resolving the rationale behind the bees' foraging decisions. The bees chose flowers with either a high handling cost or low sucrose concentration, depending on which was the energetically favorable option. Their behavior agreed with the critical currency being the rate of energy return (net energy collected per unit time), not energetic efficiency (net energy collected per unit energy spent). This suggests that bumblebees prioritize immediate carbohydrate flow to the nest rather than energy gain over the working lifespan of each bee. Trade-off paradigms like these are a powerful approach for quantifying pollinator trait preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan G. Pattrick
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, The John Krebs Field Station, Wytham, Oxford OX2 8QJ, UK
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Hamish A. Symington
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Walter Federle
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Beverley J. Glover
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
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Shackleton K, Balfour NJ, Al Toufailia H, James E, Ratnieks FL. Honey bee waggle dances facilitate shorter foraging distances and increased foraging aggregation. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
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Fitzgerald JL, Ogilvie JE, CaraDonna PJ. Ecological Drivers and Consequences of Bumble Bee Body Size Variation. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 51:1055-1068. [PMID: 36373400 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvac093] [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: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Body size is arguably one of the most important traits influencing the physiology and ecology of animals. Shifts in animal body size have been observed in response to climate change, including in bumble bees (Bombus spp. [Hymenoptera: Apidae]). Bumble bee size shifts have occurred concurrently with the precipitous population declines of several species, which appear to be related, in part, to their size. Body size variation is central to the ecology of bumble bees, from their social organization to the pollination services they provide to plants. If bumble bee size is shifted or constrained, there may be consequences for the pollination services they provide and for our ability to predict their responses to global change. Yet, there are still many aspects of the breadth and role of bumble bee body size variation that require more study. To this end, we review the current evidence of the ecological drivers of size variation in bumble bees and the consequences of that variation on bumble bee fitness, foraging, and species interactions. In total we review: (1) the proximate determinants and physiological consequences of size variation in bumble bees; (2) the environmental drivers and ecological consequences of size variation; and (3) synthesize our understanding of size variation in predicting how bumble bees will respond to future changes in climate and land use. As global change intensifies, a better understanding of the factors influencing the size distributions of bumble bees, and the consequences of those distributions, will allow us to better predict future responses of these pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacquelyn L Fitzgerald
- Plant Biology and Conservation, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Chicago Botanic Garden, Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science & Action, Glencoe, IL 60022, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
| | - Jane E Ogilvie
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
| | - Paul J CaraDonna
- Plant Biology and Conservation, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Chicago Botanic Garden, Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science & Action, Glencoe, IL 60022, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
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Ratnieks FLW, Balfour NJ. Plants and pollinators: Will natural selection cause an imbalance between nectar supply and demand? Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1741-1749. [PMID: 34170608 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Pollination is an important ecological process. However, plant and pollinator needs are not always met. Commonly, pollen limitation reduces seed set or bees experience nectar dearth. Using a cost-benefit approach, we show that natural selection will lead to lower nectar production when pollinators are abundant, and vice-versa. At the community level, competition among plants for pollinators causes positive feedback that exacerbates pre-existing seasonal imbalances between nectar supply and demand. When pollinators are scarce, plants will be selected to produce more nectar to outcompete other plants in attracting pollinators, and when pollinators are abundant, plants will be selected to produce less nectar. We suggest ways to test this positive feedback hypothesis and note that evidence for seasonal variation in nectar availability provides preliminary empirical support. If correct, our hypothesis indicates that pollination faces a particular challenge in balancing nectar supply with pollinator demand and is a further example of the underappreciated role of positive feedback in ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis L W Ratnieks
- Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects (LASI), School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Nicholas J Balfour
- Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects (LASI), School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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