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Hénaff E, Najjar D, Perez M, Flores R, Woebken C, Mason CE, Slavin K. Holobiont Urbanism: sampling urban beehives reveals cities' metagenomes. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2023; 18:23. [PMID: 36991491 PMCID: PMC10060141 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-023-00467-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over half of the world's population lives in urban areas with, according to the United Nations, nearly 70% expected to live in cities by 2050. Our cities are built by and for humans, but are also complex, adaptive biological systems involving a diversity of other living species. The majority of these species are invisible and constitute the city's microbiome. Our design decisions for the built environment shape these invisible populations, and as inhabitants we interact with them on a constant basis. A growing body of evidence shows us that human health and well-being are dependent on these interactions. Indeed, multicellular organisms owe meaningful aspects of their development and phenotype to interactions with the microorganisms-bacteria or fungi-with which they live in continual exchange and symbiosis. Therefore, it is meaningful to establish microbial maps of the cities we inhabit. While the processing and sequencing of environmental microbiome samples can be high-throughput, gathering samples is still labor and time intensive, and can require mobilizing large numbers of volunteers to get a snapshot of the microbial landscape of a city. RESULTS Here we postulate that honeybees may be effective collaborators in gathering samples of urban microbiota, as they forage daily within a 2-mile radius of their hive. We describe the results of a pilot study conducted with three rooftop beehives in Brooklyn, NY, where we evaluated the potential of various hive materials (honey, debris, hive swabs, bee bodies) to reveal information as to the surrounding metagenomic landscape, and where we conclude that the bee debris are the richest substrate. Based on these results, we profiled 4 additional cities through collected hive debris: Sydney, Melbourne, Venice and Tokyo. We show that each city displays a unique metagenomic profile as seen by honeybees. These profiles yield information relevant to hive health such as known bee symbionts and pathogens. Additionally, we show that this method can be used for human pathogen surveillance, with a proof-of-concept example in which we recover the majority of virulence factor genes for Rickettsia felis, a pathogen known to be responsible for "cat scratch fever". CONCLUSIONS We show that this method yields information relevant to hive health and human health, providing a strategy to monitor environmental microbiomes on a city scale. Here we present the results of this study, and discuss them in terms of architectural implications, as well as the potential of this method for epidemic surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Hénaff
- NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY USA
- Center for Urban Science and Progress, NYU, Brooklyn, NY USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Christopher E. Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Weill Cornell Medicine, The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, New York, NY USA
- The WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
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Casanelles‐Abella J, Fontana S, Fournier B, Frey D, Moretti M. Low resource availability drives feeding niche partitioning between wild bees and honeybees in a European city. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2727. [PMID: 36054537 PMCID: PMC10077915 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cities are socioecological systems that filter and select species, therefore establishing unique species assemblages and biotic interactions. Urban ecosystems can host richer wild bee communities than highly intensified agricultural areas, specifically in resource-rich urban green spaces such as allotments and family gardens. At the same time, urban beekeeping has boomed in many European cities, raising concerns that the fast addition of a large number of managed bees could deplete the existing floral resources, triggering competition between wild bees and honeybees. Here, we studied the interplay between resource availability and the number of honeybees at local and landscape scales and how this relationship influences wild bee diversity. We collected wild bees and honeybees in a pollination experiment using four standardized plant species with distinct floral morphologies. We performed the experiment in 23 urban gardens in the city of Zurich (Switzerland), distributed along gradients of urban and local management intensity, and measured functional traits related to resource use. At each site, we quantified the feeding niche partitioning (calculated as the average distance in the multidimensional trait space) between the wild bee community and the honeybee population. Using multilevel structural equation models (SEM), we tested direct and indirect effects of resource availability, urban beekeeping, and wild bees on the community feeding niche partitioning. We found an increase in feeding niche partitioning with increasing wild bee species richness. Moreover, feeding niche partitioning tended to increase in experimental sites with lower resource availability at the landscape scale, which had lower abundances of honeybees. However, beekeeping intensity at the local and landscape scales did not directly influence community feeding niche partitioning or wild bee species richness. In addition, wild bee species richness was positively influenced by local resource availability, whereas local honeybee abundance was positively affected by landscape resource availability. Overall, these results suggest that direct competition for resources was not a main driver of the wild bee community. Due to the key role of resource availability in maintaining a diverse bee community, our study encourages cities to monitor floral resources to better manage urban beekeeping and help support urban pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Casanelles‐Abella
- Biodiversity and Conservation BiologySwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Simone Fontana
- Biodiversity and Conservation BiologySwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Nature Conservation and Landscape EcologyUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Bertrand Fournier
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Geography, University of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
| | - David Frey
- Biodiversity and Conservation BiologySwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Marco Moretti
- Biodiversity and Conservation BiologySwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
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Lin CH, Suresh S, Matcham E, Monagan P, Curtis H, Richardson RT, Johnson RM. Soybean is a Common Nectar Source for Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in a Midwestern Agricultural Landscape. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 115:1846-1851. [PMID: 36130184 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toac140] [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: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivation has substantially transformed the Midwestern landscape in recent decades. Floral nectar produced by immense fields of soybeans has the potential to influence foraging ecology and resource accumulation of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies. In this study, we combined microscopic and molecular pollen analysis of honey samples with waggle dance inference of spatial foraging patterns to demonstrate that honey bees routinely forage on soybeans in Ohio. In analyzing honey samples from across the state, we found ubiquitous presence of soybean pollen in honey collected from agricultural lands during soybean bloom. The abundance of soybean pollen in honey increased with the amount of soybean fields surrounding the apiaries. Honey bee waggle dances recorded during soybean bloom revealed that honey bees preferred soybean fields for foraging over other habitat types. With these results, future research efforts aimed at enhancing mutual interactions between soybeans and honey bees may represent an unexplored pathway for increasing soybean production while supporting honey bees and other pollinators in the surrounding landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hua Lin
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Rothenbuhler Honey Bee Research Laboratory, 2501 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Sreelakshmi Suresh
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Rothenbuhler Honey Bee Research Laboratory, 2501 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Emma Matcham
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Agronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32605, USA
| | - Paityn Monagan
- Metro Early College High School, 1929 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Hailey Curtis
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Rothenbuhler Honey Bee Research Laboratory, 2501 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Rodney T Richardson
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Rothenbuhler Honey Bee Research Laboratory, 2501 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Reed M Johnson
- Department of Entomology, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
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Astolfi ML, Conti ME, Messi M, Marconi E. Probiotics as a promising prophylactic tool to reduce levels of toxic or potentially toxic elements in bees. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 308:136261. [PMID: 36057357 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bees are precious living beings for our planet. Thanks to their essential service of pollination, these insects allow the maintenance of biodiversity and the variety and amount of food available. Unfortunately, we are observing an increasingly devastating reduction of bee families and other pollinating insects for factors related to human activities, environmental pollution, diseases and parasites, compromise of natural habitats, and climate change. We show that probiotics can protect bees from element pollution. We collected bees, beeswax, honey, pollen, and propolis directly from hives in a rural area of central Italy to investigate the content of 41 elements in control (not supplemented with probiotics) and experimental (supplemented with probiotics) groups. Our data show a significantly lower concentration of some elements (Ba, Be, Cd, Ce, Co, Cu, Pb, Sn, Tl, and U) in experimental bees than in control groups, indicating a possible beneficial effect of probiotics in reducing the absorption of chemicals. This study presents the first data on element levels after probiotics have been fed to bees and provides the basis for future research in several activities relating to the environment, agriculture, economy, territory, and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Astolfi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy; CIABC, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Marcelo Enrique Conti
- Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Messi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Marconi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
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5
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Fisher JC, Rankin E, Irvine KN, Goddard MA, Davies ZG, Dallimer M. Can biodiverse streetscapes mitigate the effects of noise and air pollution on human wellbeing? ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113154. [PMID: 35341752 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113154] [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: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Most of the global population are urban, with inhabitants exposed to raised levels of pollution. Pollutants negatively impact human wellbeing, and can alter the structure and diversity of ecosystems. Contrastingly, urban biodiversity can positively contribute to human wellbeing. We know little, however, about whether the negative impacts of pollution on wellbeing could be lessened for householders living on more biodiverse streets, as the complex interlinkages between pollution, biodiversity and wellbeing have rarely been examined. Here, we used structural equation modelling to simultaneously test whether biodiversity (actual and perceived) mediates the relationship between traffic-related pollution (noise, dB; nitrogen dioxide, NO2) or air pollution (PM2.5) and wellbeing (mental wellbeing, happiness). In summer 2019, we conducted questionnaires and biodiversity surveys, and collected noise and air pollution data, from households (n = 282) across the streetscapes of Leeds, UK. Biodiversity (actual or perceived) showed no mediating effects. However, increased flowering plant richness was positively associated with mental wellbeing. Traffic-related pollution negatively affected pollinator and flowering plant richness, but not wellbeing. This could be because householders are not exposed to high levels of noise or NO2 because they do not maintain front gardens on noisier streets. There was no measurable effect of air pollution on biodiversity or wellbeing. These findings shed light on the complex mechanisms through which biodiversity could improve human wellbeing. Enhancing the diversity of plant species in streetscapes would have a positive effect on wellbeing, further emphasising the important role that biodiverse urban streetscapes play in improving the liveability of cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Fisher
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NR, UK.
| | - Eleanor Rankin
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NR, UK
| | - Katherine N Irvine
- Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Department, James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Mark A Goddard
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Zoe G Davies
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NR, UK
| | - Martin Dallimer
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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Ohlinger BD, Schürch R, Silliman MR, Steele TN, Couvillon MJ. Dance-communicated distances support nectar foraging as a supply-driven system. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220155. [PMID: 36043303 PMCID: PMC9428537 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Much like human consumers, honeybees adjust their behaviours based on resources' supply and demand. For both, interactions occur in fluctuating conditions. Honeybees weigh the cost of flight against the benefit of nectar and pollen, which are nutritionally distinct resources that serve different purposes: bees collect nectar continuously to build large honey stores for overwintering, but they collect pollen intermittently to build modest stores for brood production periods. Therefore, nectar foraging can be considered a supply-driven process, whereas pollen foraging is demand-driven. Here we compared the foraging distances, communicated by waggle dances and serving as a proxy for cost, for nectar and pollen in three ecologically distinct landscapes in Virginia. We found that honeybees foraged for nectar at distances 14% further than for pollen across all three sites (n = 6224 dances, p < 0.001). Specific temporal dynamics reveal that monthly nectar foraging occurs at greater distances compared with pollen foraging 85% of the time. Our results strongly suggest that honeybee foraging cost dynamics are consistent with nectar supply-driven and pollen demand-driven processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley D Ohlinger
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Roger Schürch
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Mary R Silliman
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Taylor N Steele
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Margaret J Couvillon
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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Malagnini V, Cappellari A, Marini L, Zanotelli L, Zorer R, Angeli G, Ioriatti C, Fontana P. Seasonality and Landscape Composition Drive the Diversity of Pollen Collected by Managed Honey Bees. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.865368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The western honey bee, Apis mellifera, is the most important and widespread managed pollinator species. Honey bee diet is based on nectar and pollen, and pollen diversity and composition, in particular, affect colony health and fitness. As landscape composition is strongly linked to floral resource heterogeneity, it could influence the resource intake of honey bees. This work aimed to explore how the composition of pollen collected by honey bees was modulated by seasonality and landscape composition heterogeneity in a mountainous cultivated area of Northern Italy. We selected 13 locations, and at each location, we placed two honey bee colonies from which we collected pollen samples every month during the whole flowering season for two consecutive years. We then analyzed pollen samples in the laboratory and determined the Shannon diversity index of each pollen sample and the temporal pollen taxon replacement. We extracted the cover of the main habitat types at three spatial scales and tested the effect of landscape diversity and composition using Principal Component Analysis. Honey bees foraged on a high number of floral resources, however, they mostly collected pollen from a small number of taxa, with pollen type composition changing throughout the flowering season. In early spring and late summer, most pollen grains were collected from a few plant species, while from May to August the number of collected pollen types was significantly higher. Landscape composition affected pollen diversity only at the end of the flowering season. While honey bees were able to collect highly diverse pollen throughout spring and summer regardless of landscape composition, in late summer, when pollen collected is fundamental for the overwintering of the colony and its development in the following season, semi-natural areas became crucial for honey bee foraging activities, with pollen diversity increasing with increasing percentages of semi-natural areas. Our research highlighted the importance for honey bees of certain seasonal resources and of semi-natural habitats at the end of the flowering season, which ensure the subsistence of their colonies throughout the year.
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McMinn-Sauder H, Lin CH, Eaton T, Johnson R. A Comparison of Springtime Pollen and Nectar Foraging in Honey Bees Kept in Urban and Agricultural Environments. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.825137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spring is an essential time for honey bee foraging in temperate climates. This is a period of increased brood rearing supporting colony growth and demands access to high-quality pollen and nectar resources. With the expansion of urban and agricultural landscapes, the availability of pollen and nectar producing flowers is declining in many areas. We aim to determine how patterns of spring pollen and nectar foraging differ between colonies surrounded by varying degrees of urban and agricultural intensity, as well as to assess the potential for nectar sampling to serve as a proxy for pollen collection. Thirteen apiaries in Central Ohio, along a gradient of urban and agricultural intensity, were monitored in spring of 2019 through the periodic collection of pollen and nectar samples and continuous colony weight monitoring. We found that spring honey bees in urban and agricultural areas gain comparable amounts of weight and use similar spring resources. Foraging was heavily focused on flowering trees and shrubs including Malus (apple), Salix (willow), and Prunus (cherry), until the beginning of clover bloom (Trifolium spp.). We also identified differences in pollen and nectar foraging within colonies, with nectar containing fewer species collected more evenly than matched pollen samples. These results demonstrate that honey bees in both agricultural and urban environments exhibit similar foraging patterns during the spring, and that plant species important for nectar collection are substantially different from plants important for pollen foraging, though limitations in nectar collection hinder our ability to draw definitive comparisons of pollen and nectar foraging in this region.
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9
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Zarić NM, Brodschneider R, Goessler W. Honey bees as biomonitors - Variability in the elemental composition of individual bees. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112237. [PMID: 34688641 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Homogenized or pooled samples of honey bees are already used for monitoring of metal pollution in the environment for a couple of decades. This is the first study that analyzed the elemental composition of individual honey bees. One apiary with 21 hives was used to test in-hive and between-hive differences at the same location. Highest in-hive variability was observed for Al (14.1x), Li (10.3x), V (10.3x), As (8.9x) and Cd (7.9x). For the elements Cu, K, Mg, Na, P, S and Zn the smallest both in-hive (2.3x, 1.8x, 2.0x, 2.2x, 1.9x, 1.7x, 2.4x respectively) as well as between-hive variability (1.5x, 1.4x, 1.4x, 1.6x, 1.4x, 1.4x and 1.5x respectively) was observed. Nonetheless, between-hive variability was statistically significant for all the analyzed elements. We proved that these differences significantly influence comparison of element concentrations in bees from different locations. One hive from Mesić apiary had significantly lower concentrations of Al (hive 18: 18.6 mg kg-1) and U (hive 1: 0.0013 mg kg-1), while at the same time a different hive from the same apiary showed higher concentration of these elements (Al, hive 14: 125 mg kg-1; U, hive 13: 0.012 mg kg-1) compared to another location (thermal power plant, Al: 97 mg kg-1, U: 0.0044 mg kg-1). Therefore, when using honey bees as biomonitors, we recommend a larger number of hives to be sampled at each location to provide an adequate dataset for reliable interpretation of results. Comparing individual bee elemental concentrations, for Na, Mg, P, S, K, Fe, Cu, and Zn negative correlations were found between dry mass of a bee and concentrations of these elements. These negative correlations could be a consequence of higher honey or nectar content in some of the sampled bees. However, this should also be considered when using honey bees as bioindicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nenad M Zarić
- University of Belgrade - Faculty of Biology, Studentski Trg 16, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia; University of Graz, Institute of Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry for Health and Environment, Universitaetsplatz 1, 8010, Graz, Austria.
| | - Robert Brodschneider
- University of Graz, Institute of Biology, Universitaetsplatz 2, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Walter Goessler
- University of Graz, Institute of Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry for Health and Environment, Universitaetsplatz 1, 8010, Graz, Austria
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No statistical evidence that honey bees competitively reduced wild bee abundance in the Munich Botanic Garden-a comment on Renner et al. (2021). Oecologia 2022; 198:337-341. [PMID: 35064820 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05112-z] [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: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In a recent paper, Renner et al. (Oecologia 195:825-831, 2021) concluded, without supporting statistical evidence, that increased density of managed honey-bee hives between 2019 and 2020 intensified competitive effects of honey bees on non-Apis bee species in the Munich Botanic Garden. Analysis of Renner et al.'s observations revealed that, contrary to their assumption, the change in hive numbers did not statistically alter honey-bee visitation to 29 plant species within or between years. Given this consistency, changes in the proportion of non-Apis bees among visitors of the surveyed plant species between years likely represent their responses to reduced overall availability of floral resources during 2020. Thus, Renner et al.'s observations do not provide convincing evidence that honey bees competitively reduced the abundance of non-Apis bees in the Munich Botanic Garden.
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Mráz P, Hýbl M, Kopecký M, Bohatá A, Hoštičková I, Šipoš J, Vočadlová K, Čurn V. Screening of Honey Bee Pathogens in the Czech Republic and Their Prevalence in Various Habitats. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12121051. [PMID: 34940139 PMCID: PMC8706798 DOI: 10.3390/insects12121051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is one of the most important pollinators in the world. Thus, a recent honey bee health decline and frequent honey bee mass losses have drawn attention and concern. Honey bee fitness is primarily reduced by pathogens, parasites, and viral load, exposure to pesticides and their residues, and inadequate nutrition from both the quality and amount of food resources. This study evaluated the prevalence of the most common honey bee pathogens and viruses in different habitats across the Czech Republic. The agroecosystems, urban ecosystems, and national park were chosen for sampling from 250 colonies in 50 apiaries. Surprisingly, the most prevalent honey bee pathogens belong to the family Trypanosomatidae including Lotmaria passim and Crithidia mellificae. As expected, the most prevalent viruses were DWV, followed by ABPV. Additionally, the occurrence of DWV-B and DWV-C were correlated with honey bee colony mortality. From the habitat point of view, most pathogens occurred in the town habitat, less in the agroecosystem and least in the national park. The opposite trend was observed in the occurrence of viruses. However, the prevalence of viruses was not affected by habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Mráz
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Studentska 1668, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; (M.H.); (M.K.); (A.B.); (I.H.); (K.V.); (V.Č.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Marian Hýbl
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Studentska 1668, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; (M.H.); (M.K.); (A.B.); (I.H.); (K.V.); (V.Č.)
| | - Marek Kopecký
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Studentska 1668, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; (M.H.); (M.K.); (A.B.); (I.H.); (K.V.); (V.Č.)
| | - Andrea Bohatá
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Studentska 1668, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; (M.H.); (M.K.); (A.B.); (I.H.); (K.V.); (V.Č.)
| | - Irena Hoštičková
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Studentska 1668, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; (M.H.); (M.K.); (A.B.); (I.H.); (K.V.); (V.Č.)
| | - Jan Šipoš
- Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Kateřina Vočadlová
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Studentska 1668, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; (M.H.); (M.K.); (A.B.); (I.H.); (K.V.); (V.Č.)
| | - Vladislav Čurn
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Studentska 1668, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; (M.H.); (M.K.); (A.B.); (I.H.); (K.V.); (V.Č.)
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12
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CSI Pollen: Diversity of Honey Bee Collected Pollen Studied by Citizen Scientists. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12110987. [PMID: 34821788 PMCID: PMC8625907 DOI: 10.3390/insects12110987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A diverse supply of pollen is an important factor for honey bee health, but information about the pollen diversity available to colonies at the landscape scale is largely missing. In this COLOSS study, beekeeper citizen scientists sampled and analyzed the diversity of pollen collected by honey bee colonies. As a simple measure of diversity, beekeepers determined the number of colors found in pollen samples that were collected in a coordinated and standardized way. Altogether, 750 beekeepers from 28 different regions from 24 countries participated in the two-year study and collected and analyzed almost 18,000 pollen samples. Pollen samples contained approximately six different colors in total throughout the sampling period, of which four colors were abundant. We ran generalized linear mixed models to test for possible effects of diverse factors such as collection, i.e., whether a minimum amount of pollen was collected or not, and habitat type on the number of colors found in pollen samples. To identify habitat effects on pollen diversity, beekeepers' descriptions of the surrounding landscape and CORINE land cover classes were investigated in two different models, which both showed that both the total number and the rare number of colors in pollen samples were positively affected by 'urban' habitats or 'artificial surfaces', respectively. This citizen science study underlines the importance of the habitat for pollen diversity for bees and suggests higher diversity in urban areas.
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Samuelson AE, Schürch R, Leadbeater E. Dancing bees evaluate central urban forage resources as superior to agricultural land. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ash E. Samuelson
- Department of Biological Sciences Royal Holloway University of London Egham UK
| | - Roger Schürch
- Department of Entomology Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USA
| | - Ellouise Leadbeater
- Department of Biological Sciences Royal Holloway University of London Egham UK
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Japanese Honeybees ( Apis cerana japonica Radoszkowski, 1877) May Be Resilient to Land Use Change. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12080685. [PMID: 34442251 PMCID: PMC8396638 DOI: 10.3390/insects12080685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Pollinators are threatened globally by growing urban sprawl and agriculture. The Western Honeybee (Apis mellifera) readily adapts to whatever food is available, so people have made it the most widely distributed pollinator across the world. Previous research has suggested that the Western Honeybee may be less resilient to land use change outside of its natural range. This study examines a different honeybee species—the Japanese Honeybee (Apis cerana japonica). Unlike the Western Honeybee, this species is found almost exclusively in its natural range in Japan. Consequently, it may be better adapted to its local food sources and therefore more resilient. Working in southern Japan, in the Nagasaki and Saga prefectures, we looked at the nectar and pollen that the Japanese Honeybee feeds on. Their food intake was then examined in relation to local land use composition. We found minimal impact of increasing urban sprawl on the forage of the Japanese Honeybee. This goes against previous studies on the Western Honeybee elsewhere in the world. Though in need of a direct comparison with Western Honeybee, these preliminary results could be due to differences in urban green infrastructure in Japan, or due to an adaptation by the Japanese honeybee to its surroundings. Abstract Pollinators are being threatened globally by urbanisation and agricultural intensification, driven by a growing human population. Understanding these impacts on landscapes and pollinators is critical to ensuring a robust pollination system. Remote sensing data on land use attributes have previously linked honeybee nutrition to land use in the Western Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.). Here, we instead focus on the less commonly studied Apis cerana japonica—the Japanese Honeybee. Our study presents preliminary data comparing forage (honey and pollen) with land use across a rural-urban gradient from 22 sites in Kyushu, southern Japan. Honey samples were collected from hives between June 2018 and August 2019. Pollen were collected and biotyped from hives in urban and rural locations (n = 4). Previous studies of honey show substantial variation in monosaccharide content. Our analysis of A. cerana japonica honey found very little variation in glucose and fructose (which accounted for 97% of monosaccharides), despite substantial differences in surrounding forage composition. As expected, we observed temporal variation in pollen foraged by A. cerana japonica, likely dependent on flowering phenology. These preliminary results suggest that the forage and nutrition of A. cerana japonica may not be negatively affected by urban land use. This highlights the need for further comparative studies between A. cerana japonica and A. mellifera as it could suggest a resilience in pollinators foraging in their native range.
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Carr-Markell MK, Spivak M. External validation of the new calibration for mapping honey bee waggle dances. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Richardson RT, Eaton TD, Lin CH, Cherry G, Johnson RM, Sponsler DB. Application of plant metabarcoding to identify diverse honeybee pollen forage along an urban-agricultural gradient. Mol Ecol 2020; 30:310-323. [PMID: 33098151 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding animal foraging ecology requires large sample sizes spanning broad environmental and temporal gradients. For pollinators, this has been hampered by the laborious nature of morphologically identifying pollen. Identifying pollen from urban environments is particularly difficult due to the presence of diverse ornamental species associated with consumer horticulture. Metagenetic pollen analysis represents a potential solution to this issue. Building upon prior laboratory and bioinformatic methods, we applied quantitative multilocus metabarcoding to characterize the foraging ecology of honeybee colonies situated in urban, suburban, mixed suburban-agricultural and rural agricultural sites in central Ohio, USA. In cross-validating a subset of our metabarcoding results using microscopic palynology, we find strong concordance between the molecular and microscopic methods. Our results suggest that forage from the agricultural site exhibited decreased taxonomic diversity and temporal turnover relative to the urban and suburban sites, though the generalization of this observation will require replication across additional sites and cities. Our work demonstrates the power of honeybees as environmental samplers of floral community composition at large spatial scales, aiding in the distinction of taxa characteristically associated with urban or agricultural land use from those distributed ubiquitously across the sampled landscapes. Observed patterns of high forage diversity and compositional turnover in our more urban sites are likely reflective of the fine-grain heterogeneity and high beta diversity of urban floral landscapes at the scale of honeybee foraging. This provides guidance for future studies investigating how relationships between urbanization and measures of pollinator health are mediated by variation in floral resource dynamics across landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodney T Richardson
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD, USA
| | - Tyler D Eaton
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA
| | - Chia-Hua Lin
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA
| | - Garrett Cherry
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA
| | - Reed M Johnson
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA
| | - Douglas B Sponsler
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Botany, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Zięba K, Szostak E, Czekońska K, Miśkowiec P, Moos-Matysik A, Nyczyk-Malinowska A, Szentgyörgyi H. Usefulness of bee bread and capped brood for the assessment of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels in the environment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 265:114882. [PMID: 32563139 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring airborne pollutants, like aromatic hydrocarbons, are raising more and more concerns recently. Various sampling techniques and methods are known to collect, measure, and analyse environmental pollution levels based on honey bee bodies or bee product samples. Although honey bees are studied in detail and sampling methods are becoming more and more sophisticated biological samples may significantly differ in pollutant accumulation, showing a wide range of pollution levels even in the same site and environment. We have compared the pollution levels of honey bee capped brood and bee bread (pollen collected by honey bees and deposited in the hive) originating from four sites during two years of study and twelve honey bee families near various pollution sources emitting monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) to the environment. Our result showed, that the environmental monitoring of BTEX can be based on sampling honey bees, and bee bread in particular. However, we found a significant difference in the uptake of these pollutants regarding sample type. Pollen collected as a food source revealed consistently higher levels of BTEX than bee brood, as well as some other differences in pollution levels between samples and between seasons, as opposed to capped brood. Based on our results, we suggest that for measuring and monitoring of BTEX pollution in the environment the use of bee bread is a valuable source of information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Zięba
- Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Kraków, 30-387, Poland.
| | - Elżbieta Szostak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Kraków, 30-387, Poland.
| | - Krystyna Czekońska
- Faculty of Animal Science, University of Agriculture in Kraków, al. 29 Listopada 56, Kraków, 31-425, Poland.
| | - Paweł Miśkowiec
- Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Kraków, 30-387, Poland.
| | | | - Anna Nyczyk-Malinowska
- Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, University of Science and Technology, ul. Akademicka 2, Kraków, 30-059, Poland.
| | - Hajnalka Szentgyörgyi
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Kraków, al. 29 Listopada 56, Kraków, 31-425, Poland.
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Smith KE, Weis D. Evaluating Spatiotemporal Resolution of Trace Element Concentrations and Pb Isotopic Compositions of Honeybees and Hive Products as Biomonitors for Urban Metal Distribution. GEOHEALTH 2020; 4:e2020GH000264. [PMID: 32671313 PMCID: PMC7340846 DOI: 10.1029/2020gh000264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Assessing metal distributions in cities is an important aspect of urban environmental quality management. Western honeybees (Apis mellifera) and their products are biomonitors that can elucidate small-scale metal distribution within a city. We compare range and variations in trace element (TE) concentrations and lead (Pb) isotopic compositions of honey, bee tissue, bee pollen, and propolis collected throughout Metro Vancouver (BC, Canada). Honey, bee, and bee pollen results have similar TE and isotopic trends; samples collected in urban and industrialized areas exhibit elevated concentrations of anthropogenically influenced TE (e.g., Pb, Zn, V, and Ti) and a less radiogenic Pb isotopic composition (i.e., lower 206Pb/207Pb and elevated 208Pb/206Pb) relative to their suburban and rural counterparts. For example, 206Pb/207Pb, 208Pb/206Pb in honey range from 1.126, 2.131 and 1.184, 2.063; extremes measured in honey from urban and suburban/rural areas, respectively. Except for propolis, measured and interpolated (kriged) results in all materials reflect the immediate zoning or land use setting near the hive, providing kilometer-scale geospatial resolution, suitable for monitoring urban systems. Statistical analysis reveals that no systematic variations or intra- or inter-annual trends exist in TE concentrations or Pb isotopic compositions, including among sampling and field methods (i.e., old vs. new hive equipment and honey from the brood nest box vs. honey super). The results of this systematic study using honeybees and hive products in Metro Vancouver provide a robust, current baseline for future comparison of local land use and environmental policy change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate E. Smith
- Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric SciencesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Dominique Weis
- Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric SciencesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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Samuelson AE, Gill RJ, Leadbeater E. Urbanisation is associated with reduced Nosema sp. infection, higher colony strength and higher richness of foraged pollen in honeybees. APIDOLOGIE 2020; 51:746-762. [PMID: 33122866 PMCID: PMC7584562 DOI: 10.1007/s13592-020-00758-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Bees are vital pollinators, but are faced with numerous threats that include loss of floral resources and emerging parasites amongst others. Urbanisation is a rapidly expanding driver of land-use change that may interact with these two major threats to bees. Here we investigated effects of urbanisation on food store quality and colony health in honeybees (Apis mellifera) by sampling 51 hives in four different land-use categories: urban, suburban, rural open and rural wooded during two seasons (spring and autumn). We found positive effects of urban land use on colony strength and richness of stored pollen morphotypes, alongside lower late-season Nosema sp. infection in urban and suburban colonies. Our results reveal that honeybees exhibit lower colony performance in strength in rural areas, adding to the growing evidence that modern agricultural landscapes can constitute poor habitat for insect pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ash E. Samuelson
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Richard J. Gill
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, UK
| | - Ellouise Leadbeater
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
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Birdshire KR, Carper AL, Briles CE. Bee community response to local and landscape factors along an urban-rural gradient. Urban Ecosyst 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-00956-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AbstractOver a third of the world’s crops require insect pollination, and reliance on pollination services for food continues to rise as human populations increase. Furthermore, as interest in urban agriculture has grown, so has a need for studies of urban pollinator ecology and pollination. Analyzing pollinator assemblages along a rural-urban gradient provides powerful mechanistic insight into how urbanization impacts pollinators. Yet, studies examining pollinators along urban-rural gradients are limited and results vary. Since pollinators vary tremendously in life history characteristics and respond to urbanization differently, studies from different regions would improve our understanding of pollinator response to urbanization. This study documents different bee assemblages along a high-plains semi-arid urban-rural gradient in Denver, Colorado, USA. Percent impervious surface was used to define the extent of urbanization at 12 sites and local and landscape characteristics were estimated using field assessments and geospatial analysis. Wild bees were collected and the relationships between urbanization and bee communities were explored using linear modeling. Overall, bee abundance and diversity decreased with increasing urbanization, suggesting that urban areas negatively impact bee communities. However, all bee guilds responded positively to local floral richness and negatively to the degree of landscape urbanization, suggesting that different types of bees responded similarly to urbanization. These findings suggest that providing a greater diversity of floral resources is key to mitigating the negative impacts of urbanization on pollinator communities.
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Stange E, Zulian G, Rusch G, Barton D, Nowell M. Ecosystem services mapping for municipal policy: ESTIMAP and zoning for urban beekeeping. ONE ECOSYSTEM 2017. [DOI: 10.3897/oneeco.2.e14014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Martins KT, Gonzalez A, Lechowicz MJ. Patterns of pollinator turnover and increasing diversity associated with urban habitats. Urban Ecosyst 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-017-0688-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Geslin B, Gauzens B, Baude M, Dajoz I, Fontaine C, Henry M, Ropars L, Rollin O, Thébault E, Vereecken N. Massively Introduced Managed Species and Their Consequences for Plant–Pollinator Interactions. ADV ECOL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2016.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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25
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Schürch R, Ratnieks FLW. The spatial information content of the honey bee waggle dance. Front Hum Neurosci 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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