1
|
Hsieh EM, Dolezal AG. Nutrition, pesticide exposure, and virus infection interact to produce context-dependent effects in honey bees (Apis mellifera). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:175125. [PMID: 39084359 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175125] [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: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Declines in pollinator health are frequently hypothesized to be the combined result of multiple interacting biotic and abiotic stressors; namely, nutritional limitations, pesticide exposure, and infection with pathogens and parasites. Despite this hypothesis, most studies examining stressor interactions have been constrained to two concurrent factors, limiting our understanding of multi-stressor dynamics. Using honey bees as a model, we addressed this gap by studying how variable diet, field-realistic levels of multiple pesticides, and virus infection interact to affect survival, infection intensity, and immune and detoxification gene expression. Although we found evidence that agrochemical exposure (a field-derived mixture of chlorpyrifos and two fungicides) can exacerbate infection and increase virus-induced mortality, this result was nutritionally-dependent, only occurring when bees were provided artificial pollen. Provisioning with naturally-collected polyfloral pollen inverted the effect, reducing virus-induced mortality and suggesting a hormetic response. To test if the response was pesticide specific, we repeated our experiment with a pyrethroid (lambda-cyhalothrin) and a neonicotinoid (thiamethoxam), finding variable results. Finally, to understand the underpinnings of these effects, we measured viral load and expression of important immune and detoxification genes. Together, our results show that multi-stressor interactions are complex and highly context-dependent, but have great potential to affect bee health and physiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edward M Hsieh
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801-3795, USA.
| | - Adam G Dolezal
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801-3795, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Simanonok SC, Otto CR, Iovanna R. Forbs included in conservation seed mixes exhibit variable blooming detection rates and cost‐effectiveness: implications for pollinator habitat design. Restor Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stacy C. Simanonok
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 8711 37th Street SE Jamestown North Dakota 58401 USA
| | - Clint R.V. Otto
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 8711 37th Street SE Jamestown North Dakota 58401 USA
| | - Rich Iovanna
- U.S. Department of Agriculture‐Farm Service Agency Washington District of Columbia USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
IPM reduces insecticide applications by 95% while maintaining or enhancing crop yields through wild pollinator conservation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2108429118. [PMID: 34697238 PMCID: PMC8612243 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108429118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental damage from insecticide overuse is a major concern, particularly for conservation of “good” insects such as pollinators that ensure stable production of food crops like fruits and vegetables. However, insecticides are also necessary for farmers to manage “bad” insects (i.e., pests), and thus, a more holistic view of crop management needs to account for the proper balance between the beneficial and detrimental aspects of pesticides. Here, we used multiyear field experiments with a paired corn–watermelon cropping system to show that insecticide use can be dramatically reduced (by ∼95%) while maintaining or even increasing yields through the conservation of wild bees as crop pollinators. These data demonstrate that food production and ecosystem sustainability are not necessarily conflicting goals. Pest management practices in modern industrial agriculture have increasingly relied on insurance-based insecticides such as seed treatments that are poorly correlated with pest density or crop damage. This approach, combined with high invertebrate toxicity for newer products like neonicotinoids, makes it challenging to conserve beneficial insects and the services that they provide. We used a 4-y experiment using commercial-scale fields replicated across multiple sites in the midwestern United States to evaluate the consequences of adopting integrated pest management (IPM) using pest thresholds compared with standard conventional management (CM). To do so, we employed a systems approach that integrated coproduction of a regionally dominant row crop (corn) with a pollinator-dependent specialty crop (watermelon). Pest populations, pollination rates, crop yields, and system profitability were measured. Despite higher pest densities and/or damage in both crops, IPM-managed pests rarely reached economic thresholds, resulting in 95% lower insecticide use (97 versus 4 treatments in CM and IPM, respectively, across all sites, crops, and years). In IPM corn, the absence of a neonicotinoid seed treatment had no impact on yields, whereas IPM watermelon experienced a 129% increase in flower visitation rate by pollinators, resulting in 26% higher yields. The pollinator-enhancement effect under IPM management was mediated entirely by wild bees; foraging by managed honey bees was unaffected by treatments and, overall, did not correlate with crop yield. This proof-of-concept experiment mimicking on-farm practices illustrates that cropping systems in major agricultural commodities can be redesigned via IPM to exploit ecosystem services without compromising, and in some cases increasing, yields.
Collapse
|
4
|
Quinlan GM, Milbrath MO, Otto CR, Isaacs R. Farmland in U.S. Conservation Reserve Program has unique floral composition that promotes bee summer foraging. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
5
|
Cutter J, Geaumont B, McGranahan D, Harmon J, Limb R, Schauer C, Hovick T. Cattle and sheep differentially alter floral resources and the native bee communities in working landscapes. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02406. [PMID: 34245625 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Within agricultural landscapes, native bees often rely on limited natural and seminatural lands to provide the majority of the food and nesting resources that sustain them. To understand better how management can affect pollinators in these seminatural areas, we compared how sheep or cattle herbivory influenced floral resources and bee communities in low-diversity, former Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) pastures managed with patch-burn grazing. We sampled bee communities and floral resources three times per season in 2017, 2018, and 2019. We used plant-pollinator line transect sampling and collected bees and counted all flowering stems within 1 m. Across all years, we found that floral abundance, floral richness, floral diversity (Simpson's) and bee richness and abundance were significantly higher in cattle pastures compared to sheep. In cattle pastures, 46 native bee species plus honey bees interacted with 25 of 68 available flowering forbs. In sheep pastures, we recorded 14 native bee species and honey bees interacted with 10 of 34 flowering species. Native bee abundance and native bee richness were best explained by models that included an interaction of floral richness and year. Overall, our results suggest that season-long sheep grazing in low-diversity grasslands greatly reduces available floral resources and correlates with much lower bee abundance and native bee diversity. Given the importance of pollinators to natural and agricultural systems, it is imperative that we take proactive actions to increase forb richness and native flower abundance in seminatural lands to maintain a more diverse and resilient bee community that can continue to support pollination services and global food security.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Cutter
- School of Natural Resource Sciences-Range Science Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58108, USA
- Hettinger Research Extension Center, North Dakota State University, Hettinger, North Dakota, 58639, USA
| | - Benjamin Geaumont
- Hettinger Research Extension Center, North Dakota State University, Hettinger, North Dakota, 58639, USA
| | - Devan McGranahan
- School of Natural Resource Sciences-Range Science Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58108, USA
| | - Jason Harmon
- School of Natural Resource Sciences-Entomology Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58108, USA
| | - Ryan Limb
- School of Natural Resource Sciences-Range Science Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58108, USA
| | - Chris Schauer
- Hettinger Research Extension Center, North Dakota State University, Hettinger, North Dakota, 58639, USA
| | - Torre Hovick
- School of Natural Resource Sciences-Range Science Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58108, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
McCullough CT, Angelella GM, O'Rourke ME. Landscape Context Influences the Bee Conservation Value of Wildflower Plantings. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:821-831. [PMID: 33899083 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab036] [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: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pollination provided by bees is a critical ecosystem service for agricultural production. However, bee populations are at risk from stressors such as habitat loss, pesticides, and disease. On-farm wildflower plantings is one mitigation strategy to provide habitat and resources for bees. In many instances, government programs can subsidize the installation of these plantings for private landowners. Semi-natural habitat (SNH) in the landscape is also important for bee conservation and may alter the effectiveness of wildflower plantings. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of wildflower plantings and interactions with SNH in the landscape for promoting bee abundance and richness. Bee surveys were conducted over 2 yr at 22 sites in eastern Virginia and Maryland. Wildflower plantings, averaging 0.22 ha in size, were installed and maintained by cooperators at 10 of the sites. In total, 5,122 bees were identified from 85 species. Wildflower plantings did not alter bee communities independently, but bee abundance was greater on farms with plantings and 20-30% SNH in the landscape. Bee abundance and richness had nonlinear responses to increasing SNH in the landscape. The positive effects for richness and abundance peaked when SNH was approximately 40% of the landscape. Similar to predictions of the intermediate-landscape complexity hypothesis, increases in bee abundance at wildflower sites were only detected in simplified landscapes. Results indicate that small wildflower plantings in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. only provided conservation benefits to bee communities under specific circumstances on the scale studied, and that conserving SNH across the landscape may be a more important strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gina M Angelella
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA,USA
| | - Megan E O'Rourke
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA,USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Simanonok SC, Otto CRV, Buhl DA. Floral resource selection by wild bees and honey bees in the Midwest United States: implications for designing pollinator habitat. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stacy C. Simanonok
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 8711, 37th Street SE Jamestown ND 58401 U.S.A
| | - Clint R. V. Otto
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 8711, 37th Street SE Jamestown ND 58401 U.S.A
| | - Deborah A. Buhl
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 8711, 37th Street SE Jamestown ND 58401 U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Niemuth ND, Wangler B, LeBrun JJ, Dewald D, Larson S, Schwagler T, Bradbury CW, Pritchert RD, Iovanna R. Conservation planning for pollinators in the U.S. Great Plains: considerations of context, treatments, and scale. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Neal D. Niemuth
- Habitat and Population Evaluation Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Brian Wangler
- Habitat and Population Evaluation Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Jaymi J. LeBrun
- Habitat and Population Evaluation Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bloomington Minnesota 55437 USA
| | - David Dewald
- Natural Resources Conservation Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Scott Larson
- Ecological Services U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pierre South Dakota 57501 USA
| | - Todd Schwagler
- Natural Resources Conservation Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Curtis W. Bradbury
- Natural Resources Conservation Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Ronald D. Pritchert
- Habitat and Population Evaluation Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bismarck North Dakota 58501 USA
| | - Rich Iovanna
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Production and Conservation Washington D.C. 20250 USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Larson DL, Larson JL, Symstad AJ, Buhl DA, Portman ZM. Coflowering invasive plants and a congener have neutral effects on fitness components of a rare endemic plant. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4750-4762. [PMID: 33976845 PMCID: PMC8093677 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Network analyses rarely include fitness components, such as germination, to tie invasive plants to population-level effects on the natives. We address this limitation in a previously studied network of flower visitors around a suite of native and invasive plants that includes an endemic plant at Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA. Eriogonum visheri coflowers with two abundant invasive plants, Salsola tragus and Melilotus officinalis, as well as a common congener, E. pauciflorum. Network analyses had suggested strong linkages between E. visheri and S. tragus and E. pauciflorum, with a weaker link to M. officinalis. We measured visitation, pollen deposited on stigmas, achene weight and germination over three field seasons (two for germination) in four populations (two in the final season) of E. visheri and applied in situ pollen treatments to E. visheri, adding pollen from other flowers on the same plant; flowers on other E. visheri plants; S. tragus, M. officinalis, or E. pauciflorum; open pollination; or excluding pollinators. Insect visitation to E. visheri was not affected by floral abundance of any of the focal species. Most visitors were halictid bees; one of these (Lasioglossum packeri) was the only identified species to visit E. visheri all three years. Ninety-seven percent of pollen on collected E. visheri stigmas was conspecific, but 22% of flowers had >1 grain of E. pauciflorum pollen on stigmas and 7% had >1 grain of S. tragus pollen; <1% of flowers had M. officinalis pollen on stigmas. None of the pollen treatments produced significant differences in weight or germination of E. visheri achenes. We conclude that, in contrast to the results of the network analysis, neither of the invasive species poses a threat, via heterospecific pollen deposition, to pollination of the endemic E. visheri, and that its congener provides alternative pollen resources to its pollinators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diane L. Larson
- Northern Prairie Wildlife Research CenterU.S. Geological SurveyHot SpringsARUSA
| | - Jennifer L. Larson
- Northern Prairie Wildlife Research CenterU.S. Geological SurveyHot SpringsARUSA
| | - Amy J. Symstad
- Northern Prairie Wildlife Research CenterU.S. Geological SurveyHot SpringsARUSA
| | - Deborah A. Buhl
- Northern Prairie Wildlife Research CenterU.S. Geological SurveyHot SpringsARUSA
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bryan CJ, Sipes SD, Arduser M, Kassim L, Gibson DJ, Scott DA, Gage KL. Efficacy of Cover Crops for Pollinator Habitat Provision and Weed Suppression. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:208-221. [PMID: 33438747 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pollinator declines have been documented globally, but little information is available about native bee ecology in Midwestern U.S. agriculture. This project seeks to optimize pollinator support and weed suppression in a 3-yr crop rotation with a fallow growing season. During fallow, one of five cover crop treatments (T1: crimson, red, and ladino clover and Bob oats [Fabales: Fabaceae - Trifolium incarnatum L., Trifolium pratense L., Trifolium repens L., and Cyperales: Poaceae - Avena sativa]; T2: crimson clover and oats; T3: red clover and oats; T4: ladino clover and oats; T5: no cover crop; T6/control: winter wheat [Cyperales: Poaceae - Triticum aestivum] L.) was seeded in one-half of 25 agricultural fields, whereas wheat was left unharvested in the other half as a comparison. Treatments that provide season-long floral resources support the greatest bee diversity and abundance (T1), and treatments with red clover support declining (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Bombus species (T1 and T3). Late-season floral resources may be important, yet limited (T1 and T4), and some species of agricultural weeds provide floral resources. Floral diversity may be less important than flower abundance or timing for pollinator diversity (T1-T4). Weed diversity was greatest in the no cover crop treatment (T5), least in winter wheat (T6), and intermediate in cover crop treatments (T1-T4) with no differences in weeds of economic concern. Wheat suppresses weeds but does not provide floral resources for pollinators. These results may also be applicable to marginal lands taken out of cultivation or field margin pollinator plantings in a typical corn-soybean rotation. Floral resource availability across the landscape is critical to maintain pollinator diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Casey J Bryan
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL
- Great River, Clarence Cannon, and Middle Mississippi National Wildlife Refuges, Fish and Wildlife Service, 37599 Pike 206, Annada, MO
| | - Sedonia D Sipes
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL
| | - Mike Arduser
- Missouri Department of Conservation, St. Charles, MO
| | - Leila Kassim
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL
| | - David J Gibson
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL
| | - Drew A Scott
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL
- Ronin Institute, 127 Haddon Place, Montclair, NJ
| | - Karla L Gage
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL
- School of Agriculture, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 1205 Lincoln Drive MC 4415, Carbondale, IL
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zhang G, St. Clair AL, Dolezal AG, Toth AL, O’Neal ME. North American Prairie Is a Source of Pollen for Managed Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:6147288. [PMID: 33620484 PMCID: PMC7901588 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Prairie was a dominant habitat within large portions of North America before European settlement. Conversion of prairies to farmland resulted in the loss of a large proportion of native floral resources, contributing to the decline of native pollinator populations. Efforts to reconstruct prairie could provide honey bees (Apis mellifera) a source of much-needed forage, especially in regions dominated by crop production. To what extent honey bees, which were introduced to North America by European settlers, use plants native to prairies is unclear. We placed colonies with pollen traps within reconstructed prairies in central Iowa to determine which and how much pollen is collected from prairie plants. Honey bee colonies collected more pollen from nonnative than native plants during June and July. During August and September, honey bee colonies collected more pollen from plants native to prairies. Our results suggest that honey bees' use of native prairie plants may depend upon the seasonality of both native and nonnative plants present in the landscape. This finding may be useful for addressing the nutritional health of honey bees, as colonies in this region frequently suffer from a dearth of forage contributing to colony declines during August and September when crops and weedy plants cease blooming. These results suggest that prairie can be a significant source of forage for honey bees in the later part of the growing season in the Midwestern United States; we discuss this insight in the context of honey bee health and biodiversity conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ge Zhang
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Ashley L St. Clair
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Adam G Dolezal
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Matthew E O’Neal
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- Corresponding author,
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Mogren CL, Benítez MS, McCarter K, Boyer F, Lundgren JG. Diverging landscape impacts on macronutrient status despite overlapping diets in managed ( Apis mellifera) and native ( Melissodes desponsa) bees. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa109. [PMID: 33365131 PMCID: PMC7745716 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Declining pollinator populations worldwide are attributed to multiple stressors, including the loss of quality forage. Habitat management in agricultural areas often targets honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) specifically, with the assumption that native bees will benefit from an 'umbrella species' strategy. We tested this theory using a conservation physiology approach to compare the effects of landscape composition and floral dietary composition on the physiological status of honey bees and Melissodes desponsa in eastern South Dakota, USA. The total glycogen, lipid and protein concentrations were quantified from field collected bees. Next-generation sequencing of the trnL chloroplast gene from bee guts was used to evaluate dietary composition. The effects of landscape and dietary composition on macronutrient concentrations were compared between bee species. As the mean land-use patch area increased, honey bee glycogen levels increased, though M. desponsa experienced a decrease in glycogen. Protein levels decreased in honey bees as the largest patch index, a measure of single patch dominance, increased versus M. desponsa. Lipids in both species were unaffected by the measured landscape variables. Dietary analysis revealed that honey bees foraged preferentially on weedy non-native plant species, while M. desponsa sought out native and rarer species, in addition to utilizing non-native plants. Both species foraged on Asteraceae, Oleaceae and Fabaceae, specifically Melilotus sp. and Medicago sp. Dietary composition was not predictive of the macronutrients measured for either species. Together, these data highlight the management importance of including patch area in conservation recommendations, as bee species may have divergent physiological responses to landscape characteristics. While solitary bees may forage on weedy introduced plants in agricultural areas, robust strategies should also reincorporate native plant species, though they may not be preferred by honey bees, to maximize overall health and diversity of pollinator communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina L Mogren
- Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, 3050 Maile Way Gilmore 310, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - María-Soledad Benítez
- Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
| | - Kevin McCarter
- Department of Experimental Statistics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, USA
| | - Frédéric Boyer
- Laboratoire d’Écologie Alpine, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Stephenson PL, Dowling AP, Krementz DG. Bee Communities of Emergent Wetlands under Restoration in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Arkansas. SOUTHEAST NAT 2020. [DOI: 10.1656/058.019.0303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Phillip L. Stephenson
- Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, SCEN 601, Fayetteville, AR 72701
| | - Ashley P.G. Dowling
- Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, 319 Agriculture, Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701
| | - David G. Krementz
- US Geological Survey Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, SCEN 601, Fayetteville, AR 72701
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
McMinn-Sauder H, Richardson R, Eaton T, Smith M, Johnson R. Flowers in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Pollinator Plantings and the Upper Midwest Agricultural Landscape Supporting Honey Bees. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11070405. [PMID: 32629811 PMCID: PMC7411617 DOI: 10.3390/insects11070405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A present goal of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is to manage land in agricultural landscapes to increase pollinator abundance and diversity. CP42, or the pollinator seed mix, is planted and managed to support foraging pollinators with blooming flowers present at all points in the foraging season. This high-quality habitat provides an excellent opportunity to study honey bee nutrition and determine whether honey bees located near CRP sites use known resources included in planting seed mixes. This study aims to highlight the primary sources of honey bee forage in the northern Midwest as well as to assess honey bee utilization of the floral resources provided by the pollinator seed mix used for CRP plantings. We received pollen samples collected using pollen traps by beekeepers in Ohio, South Dakota, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. Metabarcoding methods were used to identify and quantify pollen collected at different points in the season. The results indicate that honey bees frequently used major mass flowering resources such as Glycine, Trifolium, and Symphiotrichum throughout the season. In addition, flowers included in the CRP pollinator seed mix were used modestly. These results have implications for pollinator seed mix design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harper McMinn-Sauder
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (R.R.); (T.E.); (R.J.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Rodney Richardson
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (R.R.); (T.E.); (R.J.)
| | - Tyler Eaton
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (R.R.); (T.E.); (R.J.)
| | - Mike Smith
- Conservation Technology Information Center, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA;
| | - Reed Johnson
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (R.R.); (T.E.); (R.J.)
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Darby B, Bryant R, Keller A, Jochim M, Moe J, Schreiner Z, Pratt C, Euliss NH, Park M, Simmons R, Otto C. Molecular sequencing and morphological identification reveal similar patterns in native bee communities across public and private grasslands of eastern North Dakota. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227918. [PMID: 31971987 PMCID: PMC6977755 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bees play a key role in the functioning of human-modified and natural ecosystems by pollinating agricultural crops and wild plant communities. Global pollinator conservation efforts need large-scale and long-term monitoring to detect changes in species’ demographic patterns and shifts in bee community structure. The objective of this project was to test a molecular sequencing pipeline that would utilize a commonly used locus, produce accurate and precise identifications consistent with morphological identifications, and generate data that are both qualitative and quantitative. We applied this amplicon sequencing pipeline to native bee communities sampled across Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands and native grasslands in eastern North Dakota. We found the 28S LSU locus to be more capable of discriminating between species than the 18S SSU rRNA locus, and in some cases even resolved instances of cryptic species or morphologically ambiguous species complexes. Overall, we found the amplicon sequencing method to be a qualitatively accurate representation of the sampled bee community richness and species identity, especially when a well-curated database of known 28S LSU sequences is available. Both morphological identification and molecular sequencing revealed similar patterns in native bee community structure across CRP lands and native prairie. Additionally, a genetic algorithm approach to compute taxon-specific correction factors using a small subset of the most concordant samples demonstrated that a high level of quantitative accuracy could be possible if the specimens are fresh and processed soon after collection. Here we provide a first step to a molecular pipeline for identifying insect pollinator communities. This tool should prove useful for future national monitoring efforts as use of molecular tools becomes more affordable and as numbers of 28S LSU sequences for pollinator species increase in publicly-available databases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Darby
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Russ Bryant
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, North Dakota, United States of America
- Humboldt State University, College of Natural Resources and Sciences, Arcata, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Abby Keller
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Madison Jochim
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Josephine Moe
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Zoe Schreiner
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Carrie Pratt
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Ned H. Euliss
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Mia Park
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Rebecca Simmons
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Clint Otto
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, North Dakota, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Dolezal AG, St Clair AL, Zhang G, Toth AL, O'Neal ME. Native habitat mitigates feast-famine conditions faced by honey bees in an agricultural landscape. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:25147-25155. [PMID: 31767769 PMCID: PMC6911205 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1912801116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Intensive agriculture can contribute to pollinator decline, exemplified by alarmingly high annual losses of honey bee colonies in regions dominated by annual crops (e.g., midwestern United States). As more natural or seminatural landscapes are transformed into monocultures, there is growing concern over current and future impacts on pollinators. To forecast how landscape simplification can affect bees, we conducted a replicated, longitudinal assessment of honey bee colony growth and nutritional health in an intensively farmed region where much of the landscape is devoted to production of corn and soybeans. Surprisingly, colonies adjacent to soybean fields surrounded by more cultivated land grew more during midseason than those in areas of lower cultivation. Regardless of the landscape surrounding the colonies, all experienced a precipitous decline in colony weight beginning in August and ended the season with reduced fat stores in individual bees, both predictors of colony overwintering failure. Patterns of forage availability and colony nutritional state suggest that late-season declines were caused by food scarcity during a period of extremely limited forage. To test if habitat enhancements could ameliorate this response, we performed a separate experiment in which colonies provided access to native perennials (i.e., prairie) were rescued from both weight loss and reduced fat stores, suggesting the rapid decline observed in these agricultural landscapes is not inevitable. Overall, these results show that intensively farmed areas can provide a short-term feast that cannot sustain the long-term nutritional health of colonies; reintegration of biodiversity into such landscapes may provide relief from nutritional stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam G Dolezal
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
| | - Ashley L St Clair
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Bendel CR, Kral‐O'Brien KC, Hovick TJ, Limb RF, Harmon JP. Plant–pollinator networks in grassland working landscapes reveal seasonal shifts in network structure and composition. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cayla R. Bendel
- Range Science Program North Dakota State University 1230 Albrecht Boulevard, 201 Morrill Hall Fargo North Dakota 58102USA
| | - Katherine C. Kral‐O'Brien
- Range Science Program North Dakota State University 1230 Albrecht Boulevard, 201 Morrill Hall Fargo North Dakota 58102USA
| | - Torre J. Hovick
- Range Science Program North Dakota State University 1230 Albrecht Boulevard, 201 Morrill Hall Fargo North Dakota 58102USA
| | - Ryan F. Limb
- Range Science Program North Dakota State University 1230 Albrecht Boulevard, 201 Morrill Hall Fargo North Dakota 58102USA
| | - Jason P. Harmon
- Department of Entomology North Dakota State University 1300 Albrecht Boulevard, 202 Hultz Hall Fargo North Dakota 58102 USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Corby-Harris V, Bowsher JH, Carr-Markell M, Carroll MJ, Centrella M, Cook SC, Couvillon M, DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Dolezal A, Jones JC, Mogren CL, Otto CRV, Lau P, Rangel J, Schürch R, St. Clair A. Emerging Themes from the ESA Symposium Entitled “Pollinator Nutrition: Lessons from Bees at Individual to Landscape Levels”. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/0005772x.2018.1535951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
19
|
Past role and future outlook of the Conservation Reserve Program for supporting honey bees in the Great Plains. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:7629-7634. [PMID: 29967144 PMCID: PMC6055134 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800057115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Global pollinator declines have raised significant concern over food security, human health, and agricultural productivity. Our work highlights how the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has a direct influence on landscape suitability for supporting honey bee apiaries in a region harboring >1 million colonies. Our analysis revealed recent conversion of CRP grassland to annual crops in core areas of the commercial beekeeping industry, thereby reducing forage lands for honey bees at a time when the number of colonies in this region has never been greater. Our land-use scenario models provide policy makers with direct information on how future CRP acreage caps established by the US Congress will affect the environmental carrying capacity for supporting honey bees and the US beekeeping industry. Human dependence on insect pollinators continues to grow even as pollinators face global declines. The Northern Great Plains (NGP), a region often referred to as America’s last honey bee (Apis mellifera) refuge, has undergone rapid land-cover change due to cropland expansion and weakened land conservation programs. We conducted a trend analysis and estimated conversion rates of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollments around bee apiaries from 2006 to 2016 and developed models to identify areas of habitat loss. Our analysis revealed that NGP apiaries lost over 53% of lands enrolled in the CRP, and the rate of loss was highest in areas of high apiary density. We estimated over 163,000 ha of CRP lands in 2006 within 1.6 km of apiaries was converted to row crops by 2012. We also evaluated how alternative scenarios of future CRP acreage caps may affect habitat suitability for supporting honey bee colonies. Our scenario revealed that a further reduction in CRP lands to 7.7 million ha nationally would reduce the number of apiaries in the NGP that meet defined forage criteria by 28% on average. Alternatively, increasing the national cap to 15 million ha would increase the number of NGP apiaries that meet defined forage criteria by 155%. Our scenarios also show that strategic placement of CRP lands near existing apiaries increased the number of apiaries that meet forage criteria by 182%. Our research will be useful for informing the potential consequences of future US farm bill policy and land management in the epicenter of the US beekeeping industry.
Collapse
|