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Browning A, Smitley D, Studyvin J, Runkle ES, Huang ZY, Hotchkiss E. Variation in pollinator visitation among garden cultivars of marigold, portulaca, and bidens. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 116:872-881. [PMID: 37116900 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toad050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Due to declines in pollinator populations, many people are now interested in learning about which annual flowers they can plant in their garden to better support pollinators. However, reports of experimental evaluation of cultivars of annual flowers for attraction to pollinators are scarce. We sampled pollinators visiting six cultivars of marigold (Tagetes erecta and T. patula), ten cultivars of bidens (Bidens ferulifolia and B. aurea), and eight cultivars of portulaca (Portulaca oleracea and P. grandiflora) for two years to compare pollinator visitation rates among cultivars within each flower type. Pollinators collected on flowers in research plots were categorized into four groups, honey bees (Apis mellifera), common eastern bumble bees (Bombus impatiens), wild bees, and syrphids, to show the proportion of different pollinator visitors to each cultivar. Pollinator visitation rates varied significantly among cultivars of marigold, bidens, and portulaca, with some cultivars having as much as 10-fold the visitation rate of other cultivars of the same flower type. In the second year we also evaluated nectar production and nectar quality of the most and least visited cultivars of portulaca and bidens. Our results show that pollinators have a strong preference for cultivars that produce the most nectar or nectar with the highest sugar content. This research will better inform entomologists, growers, educators, and plant breeders, about which cultivars of marigold, portulaca, and bidens are visited the most by pollinators, and how to accurately determine this at the cultivar level.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Browning
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, 244 Farm Lane, Room 243, East Lansing, MI 48825-1115, USA
| | - D Smitley
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, 244 Farm Lane, Room 243, East Lansing, MI 48825-1115, USA
| | - J Studyvin
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071-303, USA
| | - E S Runkle
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue St, Room A288, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Z Y Huang
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, 244 Farm Lane, Room 243, East Lansing, MI 48825-1115, USA
| | - E Hotchkiss
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, 244 Farm Lane, Room 243, East Lansing, MI 48825-1115, USA
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Erickson E, Junker RR, Ali JG, McCartney N, Patch HM, Grozinger CM. Complex floral traits shape pollinator attraction to ornamental plants. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:561-577. [PMID: 35732011 PMCID: PMC9510942 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Ornamental flowering plant species are often used in managed greenspaces to attract and support pollinator populations. In natural systems, selection by pollinators is hypothesized to result in convergent multimodal floral phenotypes that are more attractive to specific pollinator taxa. In contrast, ornamental cultivars are bred via artificial selection by humans, and exhibit diverse and distinct phenotypes. Despite their prevalence in managed habitats, the influence of cultivar phenotypic variation on plant attractiveness to pollinator taxa is not well resolved. METHODS We used a combination of field and behavioural assays to evaluate how variation in floral visual, chemical and nutritional traits impacted overall attractiveness and visitation by pollinator taxonomic groups and bee species to 25 cultivars of five herbaceous perennial ornamental plant genera. KEY RESULTS Despite significant phenotypic variation, cultivars tended to attract a broad range of pollinator species. Nonetheless, at the level of insect order (bee, fly, butterfly, beetle), attraction was generally modulated by traits consistent with the pollination syndrome hypothesis. At the level of bee species, the relative influence of traits on visitation varied across plant genera, with some floral phenotypes leading to a broadening of the visitor community, and others leading to exclusion of visitation by certain bee species. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate how pollinator choice is mediated by complex multimodal floral signals. Importantly, the traits that had the greatest and most consistent effect on regulating pollinator attraction were those that are commonly selected for in cultivar development. Though variation among cultivars in floral traits may limit the pollinator community by excluding certain species, it may also encourage interactions with generalist taxa to support pollinator diversity in managed landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R R Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - J G Ali
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, ASI Building University Park, PA, USA
| | - N McCartney
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, ASI Building University Park, PA, USA
| | - H M Patch
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, ASI Building University Park, PA, USA
| | - C M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, ASI Building University Park, PA, USA
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Investigating Drivers of Native Plant Production in the United States Green Industry. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14116774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Native plant use in United States (U.S.) ornamental landscapes is expected to increase in upcoming years. Various market, production, and economic factors may influence a nursery firm’s likelihood of growing and selling native plants. The objective of this study was to investigate production-related factors (e.g., integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, firm characteristics, and plant types sold) that impact commercial native plant sales in the U.S. The research questions included the following: (a) What production factors drive growers to produce native plants? (b) What production factors increase native plant sales? Insights on production-related factors that influence native plant production can be used to understand the decision-making process of native plant growers and encourage additional production of native plants to meet expected increases in demand. Data from the 2014 and 2019 Green Industry Research Consortium’s National Green Industry Survey were used to address this research objective. Green industry firms were categorized by their annual native plant sales, and an ordered probit model was used to assess differences in IPM strategies, firm characteristics, number of plant types grown, sales attributed to different plant types, and actions to address labor issues. In general, firms selling native plants participated in more IPM strategies, sold a more diverse array of plants, and used more sales avenues than non-native plant firms. IPM strategies varied by native plant sales, with firms generating higher native plant sales exhibiting a higher likelihood of removing infested plants, circulating air, managing irrigation, using beneficial insects, and planting pest resistant varieties as part of their IPM strategy than non-native plant firms. Annual native sales and paying higher wages were impacted by plant types sold. Understanding current production and business practices can help identify practices resulting in market success for native plants, the use of which can enhance sustainable landscapes by increasing biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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Herbaceous perennial ornamental plants can support complex pollinator communities. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17352. [PMID: 34462447 PMCID: PMC8405689 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95892-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-designed landscapes can host diverse pollinator communities, and the availability of floral resources is central to supporting insect biodiversity in highly modified environments. However, some urban landscapes have relatively few pollinator-attractive plant species and management in urban environments rarely considers the function of these plants in generating and supporting a stable ecological community. Evaluations of 25 cultivars within five commercially popular herbaceous perennial ornamental plant genera (Agastache, Echinacea, Nepeta, Rudbeckia, and Salvia) revealed variation in the total and proportional abundance of visitors attracted. These varieties supported multiple pollinator functional groups, however bees were the primary visitors to in this system. Cultivars were assessed according to their function within a plant–pollinator network. Comparisons of artificial networks created with the six most attractive and six least attractive cultivars demonstrated that a planting scheme using the most attractive cultivars would attract nearly four times as many bee species, including several specialists and rare species. Plant diversity in the landscape was correlated with abundance and diversity of pollinator visitors, demonstrating that community context shapes a plant’s relative attractiveness to pollinators. We conclude that herbaceous perennial cultivars can support an abundance and diversity of pollinator visitors, however, planting schemes should take into consideration the effects of cultivar, landscape plant diversity, floral phenology, floral area, and contribution to a stable ecological community.
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Baker AM, Redmond CT, Malcolm SB, Potter DA. Suitability of native milkweed ( Asclepias) species versus cultivars for supporting monarch butterflies and bees in urban gardens. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9823. [PMID: 33033658 PMCID: PMC7521339 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Public interest in ecological landscaping and gardening is fueling a robust market for native plants. Most plants available to consumers through the horticulture trade are cultivated forms that have been selected for modified flowers or foliage, compactness, or other ornamental characteristics. Depending on their traits, some native plant cultivars seem to support pollinators, specialist insect folivores, and insect-based vertebrate food webs as effectively as native plant species, whereas others do not. There is particular need for information on whether native cultivars can be as effective as true or “wild-type” native species for supporting specialist native insects of conservation concern. Herein we compared the suitability of native milkweed species and their cultivars for attracting and supporting one such insect, the iconic monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.), as well as native bees in urban pollinator gardens. Wild-type Asclepias incarnata L. (swamp milkweed) and Asclepias tuberosa L. (butterfly milkweed) and three additional cultivars of each that vary in stature, floral display, and foliage color were grown in a replicated common garden experiment at a public arboretum. We monitored the plants for colonization by wild monarchs, assessed their suitability for supporting monarch larvae in greenhouse trials, measured their defensive characteristics (leaf trichome density, latex, and cardenolide levels), and compared the proportionate abundance and diversity of bee families and genera visiting their blooms. Significantly more monarch eggs and larvae were found on A. incarnata than A. tuberosa in both years, but within each milkweed group, cultivars were colonized to the same extent as wild types. Despite some differences in defense allocation, all cultivars were as suitable as wild-type milkweeds in supporting monarch larval growth. Five bee families and 17 genera were represented amongst the 2,436 total bees sampled from blooms of wild-type milkweeds and their cultivars in the replicated gardens. Bee assemblages of A. incarnata were dominated by Apidae (Bombus, Xylocopa spp., and Apis mellifera), whereas A. tuberosa attracted relatively more Halictidae (especially Lasioglossum spp.) and Megachilidae. Proportionate abundance of bee families and genera was generally similar for cultivars and their respective wild types. This study suggests that, at least in small urban gardens, milkweed cultivars can be as suitable as their parental species for supporting monarch butterflies and native bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Baker
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Carl T Redmond
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Stephen B Malcolm
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Daniel A Potter
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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Erickson E, Adam S, Russo L, Wojcik V, Patch HM, Grozinger CM. More Than Meets the Eye? The Role of Annual Ornamental Flowers in Supporting Pollinators. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 49:178-188. [PMID: 31755522 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvz133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ornamental flowers are commonly planted in urban and suburban areas to provide foraging resources for pollinator populations. However, their role in supporting broad pollinator biodiversity is not well established as previous studies have been conducted in urban landscapes with pollinator communities that are distinct from those in natural systems. We observed pollinator visitation patterns to five ornamental annual plant genera and their cultivars over multiple years at two semi-natural sites in Pennsylvania to understand their potential for supporting diverse pollinator communities. There was significant variation in visitor abundance and diversity by season and year for many annual ornamental cultivars. Within some genera, cultivars had similar visitor abundance, diversity, and main visitor taxa, while cultivars in other genera varied greatly in these measures. We observed only polylectic (pollen generalist) bee species visiting annual ornamentals, despite the presence of oligolectic (pollen specialist) bee species in the background population. We conclude that the attractiveness of annual ornamental plants likely depends on both cultivar characteristics and environmental context. While their role in supporting complex pollinator populations is limited both based on the number of and dietary breadth of the species they support, ornamental plants may nonetheless provide long-lasting supplemental foraging resources for the generalist pollinator communities characteristic of urban and suburban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Erickson
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - S Adam
- Pennsylvania State University Extension, Lebanon, PA
| | - L Russo
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
| | - V Wojcik
- Pollinator Partnership, San Francisco, CA
| | - H M Patch
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - C M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
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Kramer AT, Crane B, Downing J, Hamrick J, Havens K, Highland A, Jacobi SK, Kaye TN, Lonsdorf EV, Ramp Neale J, Novy A, Smouse PE, Tallamy DW, White A, Zeldin J. Sourcing native plants to support ecosystem function in different planting contexts. Restor Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea T. Kramer
- Department of Plant Science and ConservationChicago Botanic Garden Glencoe IL 60035 U.S.A
| | - Barbara Crane
- Forest Management Timber UnitUSDA Forest Service Atlanta GA 30309 U.S.A
| | | | - J.L. Hamrick
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of Georgia Athens GA 30602 U.S.A
| | - Kayri Havens
- Department of Plant Science and ConservationChicago Botanic Garden Glencoe IL 60035 U.S.A
| | | | - Sarah K. Jacobi
- Department of Plant Science and ConservationChicago Botanic Garden Glencoe IL 60035 U.S.A
| | - Thomas N. Kaye
- Institute for Applied EcologyCorvallis OR 97333 U.S.A
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyOregon State University Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
| | - Eric V. Lonsdorf
- Institute on the EnvironmentUniversity of Minnesota St Paul MN 55108 U.S.A
| | - Jennifer Ramp Neale
- Department of Science and ResearchDenver Botanic Gardens Denver CO 80206 U.S.A
| | - Ari Novy
- San Diego Botanic Garden Encinitas CA 92024 U.S.A
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of California‐San Diego San Diego CA 92093 U.S.A
- Department of Botany, Smithsonian InstitutionNational Museum of Natural History Washington DC 20002 U.S.A
| | - Peter E. Smouse
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Natural ResourcesRutgers University New Brunswick NJ 08901 U.S.A
| | - Douglas W. Tallamy
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Delaware Newark DE 19716 U.S.A
| | - Abigail White
- Department of Plant Science and ConservationChicago Botanic Garden Glencoe IL 60035 U.S.A
| | - Jacob Zeldin
- Department of Plant Science and ConservationChicago Botanic Garden Glencoe IL 60035 U.S.A
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Henríquez-Piskulich P, Vera A, Sandoval G, Villagra C. Along urbanization sprawl, exotic plants distort native bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) assemblages in high elevation Andes ecosystem. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5916. [PMID: 30425897 PMCID: PMC6228549 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Native bees contribute a considerable portion of pollination services for endemic as well as introduced plant species. Their decline has been attributed to several human-derived influences including global warming as well as the reduction, alteration, and loss of bees' habitat. With human expansion comes along the introduction of exotic plant species with negative impacts over native ecosystems. Anthropic effects may even have a deeper impact on communities adapted to extreme environments, such as high elevation habitats, where abiotic stressors alone are a natural limitation to biodiversity. Among these effects, the introduction of exotic plants and urbanization may have a greater influence on native communities. In this work, we explored such problems, studying the relationship between the landscape and its effect over richness and abundance of native bees from the subandean belt in the Andes mountain chain. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of exotic plant abundance on this high-altitude bee assemblage. Despite the landscape not showing an effect over bee richness and abundance, exotic plants did have a significant influence over the native bee assemblage. The abundance of exotic plants was associated with a relative increase in the proportion of small and medium bee species. Moreover, Halictidae was the only family that appeared to be favored by an increase in the abundance of exotic plant species. We discuss these results and the urgent need for further research of high-altitude environments due to their vulnerability and high endemicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Henríquez-Piskulich
- Instituto de Entomología, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Alejandro Vera
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Gino Sandoval
- Departamento de Historia y Geografía, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Cristian Villagra
- Instituto de Entomología, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile
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