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Lin Z, Shen S, Wang K, Ji T. Biotic and abiotic stresses on honeybee health. Integr Zool 2024; 19:442-457. [PMID: 37427560 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12752] [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] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Honeybees are the most critical pollinators providing key ecosystem services that underpin crop production and sustainable agriculture. Amidst a backdrop of rapid global change, this eusocial insect encounters a succession of stressors during nesting, foraging, and pollination. Ectoparasitic mites, together with vectored viruses, have been recognized as central biotic threats to honeybee health, while the spread of invasive giant hornets and small hive beetles also increasingly threatens colonies worldwide. Cocktails of agrochemicals, including acaricides used for mite treatment, and other pollutants of the environment have been widely documented to affect bee health in various ways. Additionally, expanding urbanization, climate change, and agricultural intensification often result in the destruction or fragmentation of flower-rich bee habitats. The anthropogenic pressures exerted by beekeeping management practices affect the natural selection and evolution of honeybees, and colony translocations facilitate alien species invasion and disease transmission. In this review, the multiple biotic and abiotic threats and their interactions that potentially undermine bee colony health are discussed, while taking into consideration the sensitivity, large foraging area, dense network among related nestmates, and social behaviors of honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheguang Lin
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Siyi Shen
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Kang Wang
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ting Ji
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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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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Verrelli BC, Alberti M, Des Roches S, Harris NC, Hendry AP, Johnson MTJ, Savage AM, Charmantier A, Gotanda KM, Govaert L, Miles LS, Rivkin LR, Winchell KM, Brans KI, Correa C, Diamond SE, Fitzhugh B, Grimm NB, Hughes S, Marzluff JM, Munshi-South J, Rojas C, Santangelo JS, Schell CJ, Schweitzer JA, Szulkin M, Urban MC, Zhou Y, Ziter C. A global horizon scan for urban evolutionary ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:1006-1019. [PMID: 35995606 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Research on the evolutionary ecology of urban areas reveals how human-induced evolutionary changes affect biodiversity and essential ecosystem services. In a rapidly urbanizing world imposing many selective pressures, a time-sensitive goal is to identify the emergent issues and research priorities that affect the ecology and evolution of species within cities. Here, we report the results of a horizon scan of research questions in urban evolutionary ecology submitted by 100 interdisciplinary scholars. We identified 30 top questions organized into six themes that highlight priorities for future research. These research questions will require methodological advances and interdisciplinary collaborations, with continued revision as the field of urban evolutionary ecology expands with the rapid growth of cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C Verrelli
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
| | - Marina Alberti
- Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Simone Des Roches
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nyeema C Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Andrew P Hendry
- Department of Biology, Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C4, Canada
| | - Marc T J Johnson
- Department of Biology, Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Amy M Savage
- Department of Biology and Center for Computational & Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08103, USA
| | | | - Kiyoko M Gotanda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada; Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Lynn Govaert
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lindsay S Miles
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - L Ruth Rivkin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON L5L 1C6, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Kristin M Winchell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Kristien I Brans
- Department of Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cristian Correa
- Instituto de Conservación Biodiversidad y Territorio, Centro de Humedales Río Cruces, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 5090000, Chile
| | - Sarah E Diamond
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ben Fitzhugh
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nancy B Grimm
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Sara Hughes
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - John M Marzluff
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jason Munshi-South
- Louis Calder Center & Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Armonk, NY 10504, USA
| | - Carolina Rojas
- Instituto de Estudios Urbanos y Territoriales, Centro de Desarrollo Sustentable CEDEUS, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, El Comendador 1916, Providencia, 7500000, Santiago, Chile
| | - James S Santangelo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Christopher J Schell
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jennifer A Schweitzer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37917, USA
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mark C Urban
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Center of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Yuyu Zhou
- Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Carly Ziter
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
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Bio-Inspired Robots and Structures toward Fostering the Modernization of Agriculture. Biomimetics (Basel) 2022; 7:biomimetics7020069. [PMID: 35735585 PMCID: PMC9220914 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics7020069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomimetics is the interdisciplinary cooperation of biology and technology that offers solutions to practical problems by analyzing biological systems and transferring their principles into applications. This review article focused on biomimetic innovations, including bio-inspired soft robots and swarm robots that could serve multiple functions, including the harvesting of fruits, pest control, and crop management. The research demonstrated commercially available biomimetic innovations, including robot bees by Arugga AI Farming and the Robotriks Traction Unit (RTU) precision farming equipment. Additionally, soft robotic systems have made it possible to mitigate the risk of surface bruises, rupture, the crushing destruction of plant tissue, and plastic deformation in the harvesting of fruits with a soft rind such as apples, cherries, pears, stone fruits, kiwifruit, mandarins, cucumbers, peaches, and pome. Even though the smart farming technologies, which were developed to mimic nature, could help prevent climate change and enhance the intensification of agriculture, there are concerns about long-term ecological impact, cost, and their inability to complement natural processes such as pollination. Despite the problems, the market for bio-inspired technologies with potential agricultural applications to modernize farming and solve the abovementioned challenges has increased exponentially. Future research and development should lead to low-cost FEA robotic grippers and FEA-tendon-driven grippers for crop harvesting. In brief, soft robots and swarm robotics have immense potential in agriculture.
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A holistic survey on mechatronic Systems in Micro/Nano scale with challenges and applications. JOURNAL OF MICRO-BIO ROBOTICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12213-021-00145-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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A global horizon scan of the future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on urban ecosystems. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:219-230. [PMID: 33398104 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01358-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Technology is transforming societies worldwide. A major innovation is the emergence of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS), which have the potential to revolutionize cities for both people and nature. Nonetheless, the opportunities and challenges associated with RAS for urban ecosystems have yet to be considered systematically. Here, we report the findings of an online horizon scan involving 170 expert participants from 35 countries. We conclude that RAS are likely to transform land use, transport systems and human-nature interactions. The prioritized opportunities were primarily centred on the deployment of RAS for the monitoring and management of biodiversity and ecosystems. Fewer challenges were prioritized. Those that were emphasized concerns surrounding waste from unrecovered RAS, and the quality and interpretation of RAS-collected data. Although the future impacts of RAS for urban ecosystems are difficult to predict, examining potentially important developments early is essential if we are to avoid detrimental consequences but fully realize the benefits.
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Terenzi A, Cecchi S, Spinsante S. On the Importance of the Sound Emitted by Honey Bee Hives. Vet Sci 2020; 7:E168. [PMID: 33142815 PMCID: PMC7711573 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci7040168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen a worsening in the decline of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) colonies. This phenomenon has sparked a great amount of attention regarding the need for intense bee hive monitoring, in order to identify possible causes, and design corresponding countermeasures. Honey bees have a key role in pollination services of both cultivated and spontaneous flora, and the increase in bee mortality could lead to an ecological and economical damage. Despite many smart monitoring systems for honey bees and bee hives, relying on different sensors and measured quantities, have been proposed over the years, the most promising ones are based on sound analysis. Sounds are used by the bees to communicate within the hive, and their analysis can reveal useful information to understand the colony health status and to detect sudden variations, just by using a simple microphone and an acquisition system. The work here presented aims to provide a review of the most interesting approaches proposed over the years for honey bees sound analysis and the type of knowledge about bees that can be extracted from sounds.
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Averting robo-bees: why free-flying robotic bees are a bad idea. Emerg Top Life Sci 2020; 3:723-729. [PMID: 32915225 DOI: 10.1042/etls20190063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Food security and the sustainability of native ecosystems depends on plant-insect interactions in countless ways. Recently reported rapid and immense declines in insect numbers due to climate change, the use of pesticides and herbicides, the introduction of agricultural monocultures, and the destruction of insect native habitat, are all potential contributors to this grave situation. Some researchers are working towards a future where natural insect pollinators might be replaced with free-flying robotic bees, an ecologically problematic proposal. We argue instead that creating environments that are friendly to bees and exploring the use of other species for pollination and bio-control, particularly in non-European countries, are more ecologically sound approaches. The computer simulation of insect-plant interactions is a far more measured application of technology that may assist in managing, or averting, 'Insect Armageddon' from both practical and ethical viewpoints.
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Buchmann-Duck J, Beazley KF. An urgent call for circular economy advocates to acknowledge its limitations in conserving biodiversity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 727:138602. [PMID: 32325313 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This discussion paper explores the relationship between biodiversity and the circular economy and the potential implications of this relationship. The circular economy has emerged as an alternative model to a traditional linear economy. It aims to tackle the resource exploitation that accompanies a linear economy and decouple economic growth from reliance on primary resources. In the face of global environmental degradation and an urgent need for change, the concept has become popular around the world and has led to the release of national policies and strategies on the circular economy. Problematically, while the basic concept is clear, it is ambiguous in how it will achieve some of its objectives, and it fails to address some key issues. In light of the accelerating rate of change, precipitous biodiversity decline is one such key issue. Through a content analysis of relevant circular economy publications, authors demonstrate that biodiversity protection is rarely mentioned in theory and policy. While the circular economy holds many benefits for society, its evasion of scrutiny has prevented it from manifesting in a comprehensive solution to environmental issues. The circular economy advocates for biomimicry, ecosystem service valuation, bioeconomy, and renewable energy. Each of these, however, has its own set of conflicts with biodiversity protection. Given the imminent need to protect biodiversity, the authors call for further research on the interaction between biodiversity and the circular economy, and for circular economy advocates to explicitly acknowledge the concept's limitations, thereby revealing the need for intersectional and complementary policies which aim to protect biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Buchmann-Duck
- School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Karen F Beazley
- School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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Abstract
Natural and artificial flower pollination are critical processes in the life cycle of flowering plants. Declines in the number of global pollinator insects, the heavy labor of conducting artificial pollination manually, and the rising cost of pollen grains are considered to be significant worldwide problems. Here we show that chemically functionalized soap bubbles exhibit effective and convenient delivery of pollen grains to the targeted flowers thanks to their stickiness, softness, high flexibility, and enhancement of pollen activity. By exploring the physicochemical properties of functional soap bubbles, we could prepare mechanically stabilized soap bubbles capable of withstanding the windmills produced by robotic pollination. An unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a soap bubble maker was autonomously controlled to pollinate flowers. Such technology of automatic intelligent robotic pollination with functional soft materials would lead to innovative agricultural systems that can tackle the global issues of pollination. Developed soap bubbles exhibit various biological and physicochemical properties The soap bubbles allow effective flower pollination A flying robot equipped with a bubble maker can be used for autonomous pollination
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Decourtye A, Alaux C, Le Conte Y, Henry M. Toward the protection of bees and pollination under global change: present and future perspectives in a challenging applied science. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 35:123-131. [PMID: 31473587 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 30 years (1987-2016), bibliometric data have shown a drastic change in the scientific investigation of threats to bee populations. Bee research efforts committed to studying bioagressors of honeybees (mainly Varroa sp.) were predominant, but now appear to be shifting from bioagressors to global change in the published literature. This rise of global change science reveals prevailing topics, for current and future years: climate change, landscape alteration, agricultural intensification and invasive species. We argue that with increased investment in applied research and development, the scientific, beekeeping and agricultural communities will be able to find management strategies for productive agrosystems and enhanced resilience of pollination and beekeeping. This implies the need for restoring and improving food resources and shelters of bees by ecological intensification of diversified farming systems, and also reconciling sustainable beekeeping with wild pollinator conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Decourtye
- UMT PrADE, Avignon, France; ITSAP-Institut de l'abeille, Avignon, France; ACTA, Avignon, France.
| | - Cédric Alaux
- UMT PrADE, Avignon, France; INRA, UR406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - Yves Le Conte
- UMT PrADE, Avignon, France; INRA, UR406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - Mickaël Henry
- UMT PrADE, Avignon, France; INRA, UR406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
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