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Green FB, Peterson EM, Emert AD, Subbiah S, Smith PN. Bee Pollinator Mortality Due to Pesticide-Laden Particulate Matter from Beef Cattle Feedyards. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:14839-14848. [PMID: 37723142 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Wild and managed bees are critical for the stability of trophic webs, angiosperm reproduction, and agricultural productivity. Unfortunately, as many as 40% of crop pollinators are in a steep decline due to habitat loss and exposure to agrochemicals. Pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and macrocyclic lactones are among the many agrochemicals toxic to pollinating insects that are used extensively in industrial beef cattle feeding operations throughout the world. Fugitive feedyard particulate matter (PM) transports agrochemicals into the surrounding environs. To determine the impact of agrochemical-laden feedyard particulate matter on bee pollinators, we conducted in situ experiments wherein honeybees and mason bees were placed downwind and upwind of feedyards (N = 40). Concurrent, colocated total suspended particulate matter samples contained multiple insecticides and parasiticides including pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and macrocyclic lactones, in significantly higher concentrations downwind of feedyards (bifenthrin, 8.45 ± 4.92; permethrin, 1032.34 ± 740.76; clothianidin, 3.61 ± 1.48; imidacloprid, 73.32 ± 47.52; thiamethoxam, 5.81 ± 3.16; abamectin, 0.45 ± 0.29; ivermectin, 8.88 ± 5.06 ng/g). Honeybees and mason bees sited downwind of feedyards always experienced higher mortality than those correspondingly sited upwind, and male mason bees experienced significantly higher mortality compared to females when both were sited downwind. Bees occurring downwind of beef cattle feedyards for 1 h are 232-260% more likely to die than those occurring upwind. Thus, agrochemicals used on and emitted from beef cattle feedyards are significant threats to bee pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank B Green
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79406, United States
| | - Eric M Peterson
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79406, United States
| | - Amanda D Emert
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79406, United States
| | - Seenivasan Subbiah
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79406, United States
| | - Philip N Smith
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79406, United States
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2
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Roch JC, Malfi R, Van Wyk JI, Muñoz Agudelo DC, Milam J, Adler LS. The intersection of bee and flower sexes: pollen presence shapes sex-specific bee foraging associations in sunflower. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:480-490. [PMID: 36961107 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvad021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Foraging preferences are known to differ among bee taxa, and can also differ between male and female bees of the same species. Similarly, bees can prefer a specific flower sex, particularly if only one sex provides pollen. Such variation in foraging preferences could lead to divergent bee communities visiting different flower sexes of a plant species. We sampled bees visiting sunflowers to characterize bee species richness, abundance, and sex ratios on pollen-fertile and pollen-sterile cultivars. We asked whether female or male bees were more abundant on sunflowers, whether female bees were more abundant on pollen-fertile or pollen-sterile cultivars, and whether pollen presence predicted the sex of sampled bees. We further asked whether the bee community differed between pollen-fertile and pollen-sterile cultivars. Females of most bee species were more abundant on sunflowers compared to males, and females were usually more abundant on pollen-fertile cultivars. In three bee species, pollen presence was predictive of a bee's sex, with females more abundant on pollen-fertile cultivars than males. Further, the bee community differed significantly between pollen-fertile and pollen-sterile cultivars, with two bee species functioning as indicators for pollen-fertile sunflowers. Our results demonstrate that a bee's sex shapes foraging associations on sunflowers and influences abundance between pollen-fertile and pollen-sterile cultivars, and that pollen-fertile and pollen-sterile cultivars are visited by different bee communities. Bee sexes and flower pollen presence may be under-appreciated factors shaping pollination services in both agricultural and natural ecosystems, and could be important considerations for pollination of crops with pollen-fertile and pollen-sterile flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C Roch
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Rosemary Malfi
- Massachusetts Pollinator Network, Northeast Organic Farming Association, Florence, MA 01062, USA
| | - Jennifer I Van Wyk
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Deicy Carolina Muñoz Agudelo
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Joan Milam
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Lynn S Adler
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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3
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Sexton AN, Garces KR, Huber MR, Emery SM. Urban grassland restorations have reduced plant fitness but not pollinator limitation. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2023.103898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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4
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Fernandes K, Prendergast K, Bateman PW, Saunders BJ, Gibberd M, Bunce M, Nevill P. DNA metabarcoding identifies urban foraging patterns of oligolectic and polylectic cavity-nesting bees. Oecologia 2022; 200:323-337. [PMID: 36098815 PMCID: PMC9675668 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05254-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Urbanisation modifies natural landscapes resulting in built-up space that is covered by buildings or hard surfaces and managed green spaces that often substitute native plant species with exotics. Some native bee species have been able to adapt to urban environments, foraging and reproducing in these highly modified areas. However, little is known on how the foraging ecology of native bees is affected by urbanised environments, and whether impacts vary among species with different degrees of specialisation for pollen collection. Here, we aim to investigate the responses of native bee foraging behaviour to urbanisation, using DNA metabarcoding to identify the resources within nesting tubes. We targeted oligolectic (specialist) and polylectic (generalist) cavity-nesting bee species in residential gardens and remnant bushland habitats. We were able to identify 40 families, 50 genera, and 23 species of plants, including exotic species, from the contents of nesting tubes. Oligolectic bee species had higher diversity of plant pollen in their nesting tubes in residential gardens compared to bushland habitats, along with significantly different forage composition between the two habitats. This result implies a greater degree of forage flexibility for oligolectic bee species than previously thought. In contrast, the diversity and composition of plant forage in polylectic bee nesting tubes did not vary between the two habitat types. Our results suggest a complex response of cavity-nesting bees to urbanisation and support the need for additional research to understand how the shifts in foraging resources impact overall bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Fernandes
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia. .,Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, Denmark. .,Food Agility CRC Ltd, 175 Pitt St, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia.
| | - Kit Prendergast
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Philip W Bateman
- Behavioural Ecology Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,MBioMe - Mine Site Biomonitoring using eDNA Research Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Benjamin J Saunders
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Mark Gibberd
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Michael Bunce
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), Kenepuru, Porirua, 5022, New Zealand
| | - Paul Nevill
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,MBioMe - Mine Site Biomonitoring using eDNA Research Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
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5
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Nabors A, Hung KLJ, Corkidi L, Bethke JA. California Native Perennials Attract Greater Native Pollinator Abundance and Diversity Than Nonnative, Commercially Available Ornamentals in Southern California. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 51:836-847. [PMID: 35854655 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvac046] [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: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
While many factors have been implicated in global pollinator decline, habitat loss is a key driver of wild pollinator decline in both abundance and species richness. An increase in and diversification of pollinator habitat, even in urban settings, can assist in the conservation of pollinator populations. In Southern California, a highly fragmented and urbanized landscape with a rich yet threatened native pollinator fauna, the availability of food resources for native pollinators hinges largely upon the selection of ornamental plants grown in the urban landscape. To examine the pollinator attractiveness of ornamental plants in a Southern California context, we installed an experimental garden with common California native and nonnative ornamental perennials and observed floral visitation and visitor community composition for 3 yr. Our study demonstrates that while native pollinators visited common ornamental perennials native to California at a higher rate than they visited nonnative ornamentals, introduced honey bees showed no significant preference for either native or nonnative species. Native plants also received a greater diversity of visitor taxa, including a richer suite of native bees. Plant species differed dramatically in attractiveness, by as much as a factor of 12, even within the native status group. Our results suggest that including a data-driven selection of both native and non-native ornamental perennials in the urban landscape can diversify the assemblage of native pollinators, provide critical floral resources throughout the year, and reduce the impact of honey bee landscape foraging dominance by providing plants highly attractive to native pollinators and less so to honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Nabors
- University of California Cooperative Extension, San Diego County, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Keng-Lou James Hung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory & Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Lea Corkidi
- University of California Cooperative Extension, San Diego County, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - James A Bethke
- University of California Cooperative Extension, San Diego County, San Diego, CA, USA
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6
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Reproductive patterns of solitary cavity-nesting bees responsive to both local and landscape factors. Urban Ecosyst 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-021-01116-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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7
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LeBuhn G, Vargas Luna J. Pollinator decline: what do we know about the drivers of solitary bee declines? CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 46:106-111. [PMID: 34082166 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators and the environments where they live are experiencing increasing human impacts leading to changes, primarily declines, in species richness and population abundances. The drivers of pollinator decline vary. Almost every type human resource use leads to some level of loss of habitat. The effects of pollution, particularly heavy metals, pesticides and the role of disease are increasingly recognized as important drivers of pollinator declines, however, significant gaps in our knowledge exist. Of particular concern is the feedback loop between decreasing pollination service, plant inbreeding, declines in nectar quality and further pollinator decline. When viewed in the context of the abiotic and biotic shifts associated with climate change, we suggest that focusing on ensuring there is adequate habitat remaining to provide resilience should be a central strategy for preserving pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretchen LeBuhn
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Joshua Vargas Luna
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, USA
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8
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Díaz SS, Carisio L, Manino A, Biella P, Porporato M. Nesting, Sex Ratio and Natural Enemies of the Giant Resin Bee in Relation to Native Species in Europe. INSECTS 2021; 12:545. [PMID: 34208066 PMCID: PMC8230627 DOI: 10.3390/insects12060545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Megachile sculpturalis (Smith, 1853) is the first exotic bee species in Europe. Its remarkably fast expansion across this continent is leading to a growing concern on the extent of negative impacts to the native fauna. To evaluate the interactions of exotic bees with local wild bees, we set up trap nests for above-ground nesting bees on a semi-urban area of north-western Italy. We aimed to investigate the interaction in artificial traps between the exotic and native wild bees and to assess offspring traits accounting for exotic bee fitness: progeny sex ratio and incidence of natural enemies. We found that the tunnels occupied by exotic bees were already cohabited by O. cornuta, and thus the cells of later nesting alien bees may block the native bee emergence for the next year. The progeny sex ratio of M. sculpturalis was strongly unbalanced toward males, indicating a temporary adverse population trend in the local invaded area. In addition, we documented the presence of three native natural enemies affecting the brood of the exotic bee. Our results bring out new insights on how the M. sculpturalis indirectly competes with native species and on its performance in new locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Straffon Díaz
- Department of Agricultural Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco (Turin), Italy; (L.C.); (A.M.); (M.P.)
| | - Luca Carisio
- Department of Agricultural Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco (Turin), Italy; (L.C.); (A.M.); (M.P.)
| | - Aulo Manino
- Department of Agricultural Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco (Turin), Italy; (L.C.); (A.M.); (M.P.)
| | - Paolo Biella
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy;
| | - Marco Porporato
- Department of Agricultural Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco (Turin), Italy; (L.C.); (A.M.); (M.P.)
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9
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Schmitt L, Burghardt KT. Urbanization as a disrupter and facilitator of insect herbivore behaviors and life cycles. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 45:97-105. [PMID: 33676055 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Insect herbivores require a variety of habitats across their life cycle, with behavior often mediating transitions between life stages or habitats. Human management strongly alters urban habitats, yet herbivore behavior is rarely examined in cities. We review the existing literature on several key behaviors: host finding, feeding, egg placement and pupation location, and antipredator defense. We emphasize that unapparent portions of the life cycle, such as the habitat of the overwintering stage, may influence if urbanized areas act as population sources or sinks. Here, management of the soil surface and aboveground biomass are two areas with especially pressing research gaps. Lastly, high variability in urban environments may select for more plastic behaviors or greater generalism. We encourage future research that assesses both behavior and less apparent portions of insect life cycles to determine best practices for conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Schmitt
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Karin T Burghardt
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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10
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Fitch G, Vaidya C. Roads pose a significant barrier to bee movement, mediated by road size, traffic and bee identity. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Fitch
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - Chatura Vaidya
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
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11
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Pereira FW, Carneiro L, Gonçalves RB. More losses than gains in ground-nesting bees over 60 years of urbanization. Urban Ecosyst 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-01030-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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12
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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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13
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Fitch G, Wilson CJ, Glaum P, Vaidya C, Simao MC, Jamieson MA. Does urbanization favour exotic bee species? Implications for the conservation of native bees in cities. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190574. [PMID: 31822245 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of research indicates that cities can support diverse bee communities. However, urbanization may disproportionately benefit exotic bees, potentially to the detriment of native species. We examined the influence of urbanization on exotic and native bees using two datasets from Michigan, USA. We found that urbanization positively influenced exotic-but not native-bee abundance and richness, and that this association could not be explained by proximity to international ports of entry, prevalence of exotic flora or urban warming. We found a negative relationship between native and exotic bee abundance at sites with high total bee abundance, suggesting that exotic bees may negatively affect native bee populations. These effects were not driven by the numerically dominant exotic honeybee, but rather by other exotic bees. Our findings complicate the emerging paradigm of cities as key sites for pollinator conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Fitch
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Caleb J Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA.,Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Paul Glaum
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Chatura Vaidya
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Maria-Carolina Simao
- Institute for Computational Science and Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Mary A Jamieson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
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14
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The effects of urbanization on bee communities depends on floral resource availability and bee functional traits. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225852. [PMID: 31790482 PMCID: PMC6886752 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild bees are important pollinators in many ecosystems threatened by anthropogenic disturbance. Urban development can reduce and degrade natural habitat for bees and other pollinators. However, some researchers suggest that cities could also provide refuge for bees, given that agricultural intensification may pose a greater risk. In this study, we surveyed bee communities at 15 farms and gardens across an urban-rural gradient in southeastern Michigan, USA to evaluate the effect of urbanization on bees. We examined how floral resources, bee functional traits, temperature, farm size, and the spatial scale of analysis influence bee response to urbanization. We found that urbanization positively affected bee diversity and evenness but had no effect on total abundance or species richness. Additionally, urbanization altered bee community composition via differential effects on bee species and functional groups. More urbanized sites supported a greater number of exotic, above-ground nesting, and solitary bees, but fewer eusocial bees. Blooming plant species richness positively influenced bee species diversity and richness. Furthermore, the amount of available floral resources was positively associated with exotic and eusocial bee abundances. Across sites, nearly 70% of floral resources were provided by exotic plants, most of which are characterized as weedy but not invasive. Our study demonstrates that urbanization can benefit some bee species and negatively impact others. Notably, Bombus and Lasioglossum (Dialictus), were two important pollinator groups negatively affected by urbanization. Our study supports the idea that urban environments can provide valuable habitat for diverse bee communities, but demonstrates that some bees are vulnerable to urbanization. Finally, while our results indicate that increasing the abundance and richness of floral resources could partially compensate for negative effects of urbanization on bees, the effectiveness of such measures may be limited by other factors, such as urban warming.
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15
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Friedel A, Lattorff HMG, Quezada‐Euán JJG, Boff S. Shared reproduction and sex ratio adjustment to clutch size in a socially polymorphic orchid bee. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Friedel
- General Zoology Institute of Biology Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - H. Michael G. Lattorff
- Molecular Ecology Institute of Biology Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle (Saale) Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) Nairobi Kenia
| | - José Javier G. Quezada‐Euán
- Departamento de Apicultura Tropical Campus Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias‐Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán Mérida México
| | - Samuel Boff
- General Zoology Institute of Biology Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle (Saale) Germany
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences University of Milan Milan Italy
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16
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Belsky J, Joshi NK. Impact of Biotic and Abiotic Stressors on Managed and Feral Bees. INSECTS 2019; 10:E233. [PMID: 31374933 PMCID: PMC6723792 DOI: 10.3390/insects10080233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale declines in bee abundance and species richness over the last decade have sounded an alarm, given the crucial pollination services that bees provide. Population dips have specifically been noted for both managed and feral bee species. The simultaneous increased cultivation of bee-dependent agricultural crops has given rise to additional concern. As a result, there has been a surge in scientific research investigating the potential stressors impacting bees. A group of environmental and anthropogenic stressors negatively impacting bees has been isolated. Habitat destruction has diminished the availability of bee floral resources and nest habitats, while massive monoculture plantings have limited bee access to a variety of pollens and nectars. The rapid spread and increased resistance buildup of various bee parasites, pathogens, and pests to current control methods are implicated in deteriorating bee health. Similarly, many pesticides that are widely applied on agricultural crops and within beehives are toxic to bees. The global distribution of honey bee colonies (including queens with attendant bees) and bumble bee colonies from crop to crop for pollination events has been linked with increased pathogen stress and increased competition with native bee species for limited resources. Climatic alterations have disrupted synchronous bee emergence with flower blooming and reduced the availability of diverse floral resources, leading to bee physiological adaptations. Interactions amongst multiple stressors have created colossal maladies hitting bees at one time, and in some cases delivering additive impacts. Initiatives including the development of wild flower plantings and assessment of pesticide toxicity to bees have been undertaken in efforts to ameliorate current bee declines. In this review, recent findings regarding the impact of these stressors on bees and strategies for mitigating them are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Belsky
- Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, 319 Agricultural Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Neelendra K Joshi
- Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, 319 Agricultural Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
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17
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Jamieson MA, Carper AL, Wilson CJ, Scott VL, Gibbs J. Geographic Biases in Bee Research Limits Understanding of Species Distribution and Response to Anthropogenic Disturbance. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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