1
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Scheper J, Badenhausser I, Kantelhardt J, Kirchweger S, Bartomeus I, Bretagnolle V, Clough Y, Gross N, Raemakers I, Vilà M, Zaragoza-Trello C, Kleijn D. Biodiversity and pollination benefits trade off against profit in an intensive farming system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2212124120. [PMID: 37399410 PMCID: PMC10334771 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2212124120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Agricultural expansion and intensification have boosted global food production but have come at the cost of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. Biodiversity-friendly farming that boosts ecosystem services, such as pollination and natural pest control, is widely being advocated to maintain and improve agricultural productivity while safeguarding biodiversity. A vast body of evidence showing the agronomic benefits of enhanced ecosystem service delivery represent important incentives to adopt practices enhancing biodiversity. However, the costs of biodiversity-friendly management are rarely taken into account and may represent a major barrier impeding uptake by farmers. Whether and how biodiversity conservation, ecosystem service delivery, and farm profit can go hand in hand is unknown. Here, we quantify the ecological, agronomic, and net economic benefits of biodiversity-friendly farming in an intensive grassland-sunflower system in Southwest France. We found that reducing land-use intensity on agricultural grasslands drastically enhances flower availability and wild bee diversity, including rare species. Biodiversity-friendly management on grasslands furthermore resulted in an up to 17% higher revenue on neighboring sunflower fields through positive effects on pollination service delivery. However, the opportunity costs of reduced grassland forage yields consistently exceeded the economic benefits of enhanced sunflower pollination. Our results highlight that profitability is often a key constraint hampering adoption of biodiversity-based farming and uptake critically depends on society's willingness to pay for associated delivery of public goods such as biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Scheper
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, 6700 AAWageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Isabelle Badenhausser
- Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies Plantes Fourragères, Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement, F-86600Lusignan, France
| | - Jochen Kantelhardt
- Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Economics, Department of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1180Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Kirchweger
- Studienzentrum für Internationale Analysen–Schlierbach, Studienzentrum für Internationale Analysen, 4553Schlierbach, Austria
| | - Ignasi Bartomeus
- Estación Biológica de Doñana – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, E-41092Sevilla, Spain
| | - Vincent Bretagnolle
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372, Centre national de la recherche scientifique & Université de La Rochelle, F-79360Villiers-en-Bois, France
- Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research platform « Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre », 79360Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Yann Clough
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, 22362Lund, Sweden
| | - Nicolas Gross
- Université Clermont Auvergne, l’Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement, VetAgro Sup, Unité Mixte de Recherche 212 Ecosystème Prairial, F-63000Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Ivo Raemakers
- Independent amateur entomologist, 6247CGGronsveld, The Netherlands
| | - Montserrat Vilà
- Estación Biológica de Doñana – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, E-41092Sevilla, Spain
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Facultad de Biología, University of Sevilla, 41012Sevilla, Spain
| | - Carlos Zaragoza-Trello
- Estación Biológica de Doñana – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, E-41092Sevilla, Spain
| | - David Kleijn
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, 6700 AAWageningen, The Netherlands
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2
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Manley R, Doublet V, Wright ON, Doyle T, Refoy I, Hedges S, Pascall D, Carvell C, Brown MJF, Wilfert L. Conservation measures or hotspots of disease transmission? Agri-environment schemes can reduce disease prevalence in pollinator communities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220004. [PMID: 36744563 PMCID: PMC9900712 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Insects are under pressure from agricultural intensification. To protect pollinators, conservation measures such as the EU agri-environment schemes (AES) promote planting wildflowers along fields. However, this can potentially alter disease ecology by serving as transmission hubs or by diluting infections. We tested this by measuring plant-pollinator interactions and virus infections (DWV-A, DWV-B and ABPV) across pollinator communities in agricultural landscapes over a year. AES had a direct effect on DWV-B, reducing prevalence and load in honeybees, with a tentative general dilution effect on load in early summer. DWV-A prevalence was reduced both under AES and with increasing niche overlap between competent hosts, likely via a dilution effect. By contrast, AES had no impact on ABPV, its prevalence driven by the proportion of bumblebees in the community. Epidemiological differences were also reflected in the virus phylogenies, with DWV-B showing recent rapid expansion, while DWV-A and ABPV showed slower growth rates and geographical population structure. Phylogenies indicate that all three viruses freely circulate across their host populations. Our study illustrates how complex interactions between environmental, ecological and evolutionary factors may influence wildlife disease dynamics. Supporting pollinator nutrition can mitigate the transmission of important bee diseases, providing an unexpected boost to pollinator conservation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Infectious disease ecology and evolution in a changing world'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Manley
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Vincent Doublet
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Owen N. Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Toby Doyle
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Isobel Refoy
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Sophie Hedges
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - David Pascall
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SR, UK
| | - Claire Carvell
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Mark J. F. Brown
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Lena Wilfert
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
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3
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Linking Beekeepers' and Farmers' Preferences towards Pollination Services in Greek Kiwi Systems. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13050806. [PMID: 36899663 PMCID: PMC10000199 DOI: 10.3390/ani13050806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The kiwi is a highly insect-pollinated dependent crop and is the cornerstone of the Greek agricultural sector, rendering the country as the fourth biggest kiwi producer worldwide, with an expected increase in national production the following years. This extensive transformation of the Greek arable land to Kiwi monocultures in combination with a worldwide shortage of pollination services due to the wild pollinators' decline raises questions for the provision of pollination services, and consequently, for the sustainability of the sector. In many countries, this shortage of pollination services has been addressed by the installation of pollination services markets, such as those in the USA and France. Therefore, this study tries to identify the barriers towards the implementation of a pollination services market in Greek kiwi production systems by conducting two separate quantitative surveys, one for beekeepers and one for kiwi producers. The findings showed a strong basis for further collaboration between the two stakeholders, as both of them acknowledge the importance of pollination services. Moreover, the farmers' willingness to pay and the beekeepers' willingness to receive of the beekeepers regarding the renting of their hives for pollination services were examined.
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4
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Fox G, Vellaniparambil LR, Ros L, Sammy J, Preziosi RF, Rowntree JK. Complex urban environments provide Apis mellifera with a richer plant forage than suburban and more rural landscapes. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9490. [PMID: 36381392 PMCID: PMC9643131 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth in the global development of cities, and increasing public interest in beekeeping, has led to increase in the numbers of urban apiaries. Towns and cities can provide an excellent diet for managed bees, with a diverse range of nectar and pollen available throughout a long flowering season, and are often more ecologically diverse than the surrounding rural environments. Accessible urban honeybee hives are a valuable research resource to gain insights into the diet and ecology of wild pollinators in urban settings. We used DNA metabarcoding of the rbcL and ITS2 gene regions to characterize the pollen community in Apis mellifera honey, inferring the floral diet, from 14 hives across an urban gradient around Greater Manchester, UK. We found that the proportion of urban land around a hive is significantly associated with an increase in the diversity of plants foraged and that invasive and non-native plants appear to play a critical role in the sustenance of urban bees, alongside native plant species. The proportion of improved grassland, typical of suburban lawns and livestock farms, is significantly associated with decreases in the diversity of plant pollen found in honey samples. These findings are relevant to urban landscape developers motivated to encourage biodiversity and bee persistence, in line with global bio-food security agendas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme Fox
- Department of Natural Sciences, Ecology and Environment Research CentreManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchesterUK
| | - Latha R. Vellaniparambil
- Department of Natural Sciences, Ecology and Environment Research CentreManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchesterUK
| | - Loreto Ros
- Faculty of Life SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Joshua Sammy
- Department of Natural Sciences, Ecology and Environment Research CentreManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchesterUK
| | - Richard F. Preziosi
- Department of Natural Sciences, Ecology and Environment Research CentreManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchesterUK
- Present address:
School of Biological and Marine SciencesUniversity of PlymouthPlymouthUK
| | - Jennifer K. Rowntree
- Department of Natural Sciences, Ecology and Environment Research CentreManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchesterUK
- Present address:
School of Biological and Marine SciencesUniversity of PlymouthPlymouthUK
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5
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Doublet V, Doyle T, Refoy I, Hedges S, Carvell C, Brown MJF, Wilfert L. Increasing flower species richness in agricultural landscapes alters insect pollinator networks: Implications for bee health and competition. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9442. [PMID: 36311409 PMCID: PMC9608809 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological restoration programs are established to reverse land degradation, mitigate biodiversity loss, and reinstate ecosystem services. Following recent agricultural intensification that led to a decrease in flower diversity and density in rural areas and subsequently to the decline of many insects, conservation measures targeted at pollinators have been established, including sown wildflower strips (WFS) along field margins. Historically successful in establishing a high density of generalist bees and increasing pollinator diversity, the impact of enhanced flower provision on wider ecological interactions and the structure of pollinator networks has been rarely investigated. Here, we tested the effects of increasing flower species richness and flower density in agricultural landscapes on bee-plant interaction networks. We measured plant species richness and flower density and surveyed honeybee and bumblebee visits on flowers across a range of field margins on 10 UK farms that applied different pollinator conservation measures. We found that both flower species richness and flower density significantly increased bee abundance, in early and late summer, respectively. At the network level, we found that higher flower species richness did not significantly alter bee species' generality indices, but significantly reduced network connectance and marginally reduced niche overlap across honeybees and bumblebee species, a proxy for insect competition. While higher connectance and niche overlap is believed to strengthen network robustness and often is the aim for the restoration of pollinator networks, we argue that carefully designed WFS may benefit bees by partitioning their foraging niche, limiting competition for resources and the potential for disease transmission via shared floral use. We also discuss the need to extend WFS and their positive effects into spring when wild bee populations are established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Doublet
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUniversity of UlmUlmGermany
| | - Toby Doyle
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
| | - Isobel Refoy
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
| | - Sophie Hedges
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
- Department of Comparative Biomedical SciencesThe Royal Veterinary CollegeHatfieldUK
| | | | - Mark J. F. Brown
- Department of Biological SciencesRoyal Holloway University of LondonEghamUK
| | - Lena Wilfert
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUniversity of UlmUlmGermany
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6
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Montero‐Castaño A, Koch JBU, Lindsay TT, Love B, Mola JM, Newman K, Sharkey JK. Pursuing best practices for minimizing wild bee captures to support biological research. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan Berenguer Uhuad Koch
- U.S. Department of Agriculture‐Agricultural Research Service Pollinating Insect‐Biology, Management, and Systematics Research Unit Logan Utah USA
| | - Thuy‐Tien Thai Lindsay
- U.S. Department of Agriculture‐Agricultural Research Service Pollinating Insect‐Biology, Management, and Systematics Research Unit Logan Utah USA
| | - Byron Love
- U.S. Department of Agriculture‐Agricultural Research Service Pollinating Insect‐Biology, Management, and Systematics Research Unit Logan Utah USA
| | - John M. Mola
- U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Kiera Newman
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Guelph Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - Janean K. Sharkey
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Guelph Guelph Ontario Canada
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7
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Lindström SA, Rundlöf M, Herbertsson L. Simple and farmer-friendly bumblebee conservation: straw bales as nest sites in agricultural landscapes. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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8
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Not only hedgerows, but also flower fields can enhance bat activity in intensively used agricultural landscapes. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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9
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Crone MK, Biddinger DJ, Grozinger CM. Wild Bee Nutritional Ecology: Integrative Strategies to Assess Foraging Preferences and Nutritional Requirements. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.847003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Bees depend on flowering plants for their nutrition, and reduced availability of floral resources is a major driver of declines in both managed and wild bee populations. Understanding the nutritional needs of different bee species, and how these needs are met by the varying nutritional resources provided by different flowering plant taxa, can greatly inform land management recommendations to support bee populations and their associated ecosystem services. However, most bee nutrition research has focused on the three most commonly managed and commercially reared bee taxa—honey bees, bumble bees, and mason bees—with fewer studies focused on wild bees and other managed species, such as leafcutting bees, stingless bees, and alkali bees. Thus, we have limited information about the nutritional requirements and foraging preferences of the vast majority of bee species. Here, we discuss the approaches traditionally used to understand bee nutritional ecology: identification of floral visitors of selected focal plant species, evaluation of the foraging preferences of adults in selected focal bee species, evaluation of the nutritional requirements of focal bee species (larvae or adults) in controlled settings, and examine how these methods may be adapted to study a wider range of bee species. We also highlight emerging technologies that have the potential to greatly facilitate studies of the nutritional ecology of wild bee species, as well as evaluate bee nutritional ecology at significantly larger spatio-temporal scales than were previously feasible. While the focus of this review is on bee species, many of these techniques can be applied to other pollinator taxa as well.
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10
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Scheper J, Bukovinszky T, Huigens ME, Kleijn D. Attractiveness of sown wildflower strips to flower-visiting insects depends on seed mixture and establishment success. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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11
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Differential equation model for central-place foragers with memory: implications for bumble bee crop pollination. J Math Biol 2021; 83:50. [PMID: 34636970 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-021-01676-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Bumble bees provide valuable pollination services to crops around the world. However, their populations are declining in intensively farmed landscapes. Understanding the dispersal behaviour of these bees is a key step in determining how agricultural landscapes can best be enhanced for bumble bee survival. Here we develop a partial integro-differential equation model to predict the spatial distribution of foraging bumble bees in dynamic heterogeneous landscapes. In our model, the foraging population is divided into two subpopulations, one engaged in an intensive search mode (modeled by diffusion) and the other engaged in an extensive search mode (modeled by advection). Our model considers the effects of resource-dependent switching rates between movement modes, resource depletion, central-place foraging behaviour, and memory. We use our model to investigate how crop pollination services are affected by wildflower enhancements. We find that planting wildflowers such that the crop is located in between the wildflowers and the nest site can benefit crop pollination in two different scenarios. If the bees do not have a strong preference for wildflowers, a small or low density wildflower patch is beneficial. If, on the other hand, the bees strongly prefer the wildflowers, then a large or high density wildflower patch is beneficial. The increase of the crop pollination services in the later scenario is of remarkable magnitude.
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12
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McGrady CM, Strange JP, López‐Uribe MM, Fleischer SJ. Wild bumble bee colony abundance, scaled by field size, predicts pollination services. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- C. M. McGrady
- Department of Entomology The Pennsylvania State University 501 Agricultural Sciences and Industry Building University Park Pennsylvania 16801 USA
| | - J. P. Strange
- USDA‐ARS Pollinating Insect Research Unit 1410 N 800 E N. Logan Utah 84341 USA
| | - M. M. López‐Uribe
- Department of Entomology The Pennsylvania State University 501 Agricultural Sciences and Industry Building University Park Pennsylvania 16801 USA
| | - S. J. Fleischer
- Department of Entomology The Pennsylvania State University 501 Agricultural Sciences and Industry Building University Park Pennsylvania 16801 USA
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13
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Staley JT, Redhead JW, O'Connor RS, Jarvis SG, Siriwardena GM, Henderson IG, Botham MS, Carvell C, Smart SM, Phillips S, Jones N, McCracken ME, Christelow J, Howell K, Pywell RF. Designing a survey to monitor multi-scale impacts of agri-environment schemes on mobile taxa. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 290:112589. [PMID: 33906116 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Agri-environment schemes (AES) are key mechanisms to deliver conservation policy, and include management to provide resources for target taxa. Mobile species may move to areas where resources are increased, without this necessarily having an effect across the wider countryside or on populations over time. Most assessments of AES efficacy have been at small spatial scales, over short timescales, and shown varying results. We developed a survey design based on orthogonal gradients of AES management at local and landscape scales, which will enable the response of several taxa to be monitored. An evidence review of management effects on butterflies, birds and pollinating insects provided data to score AES options. Predicted gradients were calculated using AES uptake, weighted by the evidence scores. Predicted AES gradients for each taxon correlated strongly, and with the average gradient across taxa, supporting the co-location of surveys across different taxa. Nine 1 × 1 km survey squares were selected in each of four regional blocks with broadly homogenous background habitat characteristics. Squares in each block covered orthogonal contrasts across the range of AES gradients at local and landscape scales. This allows the effects of AES on species at each scale, and the interaction between scales, to be tested. AES options and broad habitats were mapped in field surveys, to verify predicted gradients which were based on AES option uptake data. The verified AES gradient had a strong positive relationship with the predicted gradient. AES gradients were broadly independent of background habitat within each block, likely allowing AES effects to be distinguished from potential effects of other habitat variables. Surveys of several mobile taxa are ongoing. This design will allow mobile taxa responses to AES to be tested in the surrounding countryside, as well as on land under AES management, and potentially in terms of population change over time. The design developed here provides a novel, pseudo-experimental approach for assessing the response of mobile species to gradients of management at two spatial scales. A similar design process could be applied in other regions that require a standardized approach to monitoring the impacts of management interventions on target taxa at landscape scales, if equivalent spatial data are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Staley
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK.
| | - J W Redhead
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - R S O'Connor
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - S G Jarvis
- UKCEH, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - G M Siriwardena
- British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, UK
| | - I G Henderson
- British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, UK
| | - M S Botham
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - C Carvell
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - S M Smart
- UKCEH, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - S Phillips
- Natural England, Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green, York, YO1 7PX, UK
| | - N Jones
- FERA Science Ltd, National Agri-food Innovation Campus, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - M E McCracken
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - J Christelow
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - K Howell
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - R F Pywell
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
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14
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Folly AJ, Koch H, Farrell IW, Stevenson PC, Brown MJF. Agri-environment scheme nectar chemistry can suppress the social epidemiology of parasites in an important pollinator. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210363. [PMID: 34034519 PMCID: PMC8150011 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Emergent infectious diseases are one of the main drivers of species loss. Emergent infection with the microsporidian Nosema bombi has been implicated in the population and range declines of a suite of North American bumblebees, a group of important pollinators. Previous work has shown that phytochemicals found in pollen and nectar can negatively impact parasites in individuals, but how this relates to social epidemiology and by extension whether plants can be effectively used as pollinator disease management strategies remains unexplored. Here, we undertook a comprehensive screen of UK agri-environment scheme (AES) plants, a programme designed to benefit pollinators and wider biodiversity in agricultural settings, for phytochemicals in pollen and nectar using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Caffeine, which occurs across a range of plant families, was identified in the nectar of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), a component of UK AES and a major global crop. We showed that caffeine significantly reduces N. bombi infection intensity, both prophylactically and therapeutically, in individual bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), and, for the first time, that such effects impact social epidemiology, with colonies reared from wild-caught queens having both lower prevalence and intensity of infection. Furthermore, infection prevalence was lower in foraging bumblebees from caffeine-treated colonies, suggesting a likely reduction in population-level transmission. Combined, these results show that N. bombi is less likely to be transmitted intracolonially when bumblebees consume naturally available caffeine, and that this may in turn reduce environmental prevalence. Consequently, our results demonstrate that floral phytochemicals at ecologically relevant concentrations can impact pollinator disease epidemiology and that planting strategies that increase floral abundance to support biodiversity could be co-opted as disease management tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arran J. Folly
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | | | | | - Philip C. Stevenson
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, UK
| | - Mark J. F. Brown
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
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15
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Nilsson L, Klatt BK, Smith HG. Effects of Flower-Enriched Ecological Focus Areas on Functional Diversity Across Scales. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.629124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) to benefit biodiversity became mandatory in intensively farmed landscapes after the reform of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2013. The implementation of EFAs as uncropped field margins has been criticized as ineffective but created a window of opportunity to test if augmenting them with annual flower strips can benefit biodiversity. In this study, we investigated if annual flower strips on EFAs benefited functional biodiversity in intensively farmed landscapes. To this end we established eleven annual flower strips with a seed mixture targeted for both natural enemies and pollinators, on areas were farmers had planned for EFAs. We determined effects on aphids and their natural enemies in cereal fields close to six of the flower strips, and for solitary bees and wasp close to and in the surroundings of all eleven flower strips. We found that annual flower strips benefited the abundance of hoverfly larvae and possibly also that of solitary bees. However, there were neither any significant effects on natural enemies (other than hoverfly larvae), nor any difference in natural pest control as shown by lack of differences in aphid numbers and parazitation rates. Abundances of solitary bees and wasps in the surrounding landscapes were unaffected, although there was a tendency for more solitary bee cells closer to the strips. We suggest that the critical issue leading to the mostly negative results is the lack of permanent structures to sustain populations of arthropods that in turn can benefit from annual flower strips. Hence, future agri-environmental policies need to carefully consider if and how annual agri-environmental measures should be implemented in intensively managed agricultural landscapes, e.g., by combining them with more permanent structures.
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Landscape Enhancements in Apple Orchards: Higher Bumble Bee Queen Species Richness, but No Effect on Apple Quality. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12050421. [PMID: 34066789 PMCID: PMC8151366 DOI: 10.3390/insects12050421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Pollinators are essential to produce fruits in apple production. Bumble bees are among the most effective pollinators in orchards during the blooming season, yet they are often threatened by the high levels of pesticide use in apple production. Hedgerows and flower strips are infrequently sprayed by pesticides and are thus potentially good shelter for bumble bees. This study evaluated the influence of landscaping in the form of hedgerows and flower strips on the abundance and number of bumble bee species found in apple orchards. The number of bumble bee species found in orchards with hedgerows or flower strips was higher than in orchards without such landscape enhancements. Similarly, three species were more abundant in orchards with landscaping than orchards without those enhancements. Our work provides additional evidence that landscaping in the form of hedgerows and/or flower strips improves bumble bee presence in apple orchards and should therefore be considered as a means to enhance and ensure pollination within farms. Abstract Bumble bees are among the most effective pollinators in orchards during the blooming period, yet they are often threatened by the high levels of pesticide use in apple production. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of landscape enhancements (e.g., hedgerows, flower strips) on bumble bee queens in apple orchards. Bumble bee queens from 12 orchards in southern Québec (Canada) were marked, released, and recaptured in the springs and falls of 2017 to 2019. Half of the 12 orchards had landscape enhancements. Apples were harvested in 2018 and 2019 to compare their quality (weight, diameter, sugar level, and seed number) in sites with and without landscape enhancements. Species richness, as well as the occurrence of three species out of eight, was higher in orchards with landscape enhancements than in orchards without such structures. The occurrence of Bombus ternarius was lower in orchards with high levels of pesticide use. Apples had fewer seeds when collected in orchards with landscape enhancements and were heavier in orchards that used more pesticides. Our work provides additional evidence that landscape enhancements improve bumble bee presence in apple orchards and should therefore be considered as a means to enhance pollination within farms.
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Nicholson CC, J-M Hayes J, Connolly S, Ricketts TH. Corridors through time: Does resource continuity impact pollinator communities, populations, and individuals? ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02260. [PMID: 33185959 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Spatial aspects of connectivity have received considerable attention from ecologists and conservationists, yet temporal connectivity, the periodic linking of habitats, plays an equally important, but largely overlooked role. Different biological and biophysical attributes of ecosystems underpin temporal connectivity, but here we focus on resource continuity, the uninterrupted availability of foraging sites. We test the response of pollinators to resource continuity at community, population, and individual levels using a novel natural experiment consisting of farms with either single or sequential cropping systems. We found significant effects at the population level; colony density of an important crop pollinator (Bombus impatiens L.) was greater when crop floral resources were continuously available. However, we did not find significant effects at the community or individual level; wild bee abundance, diversity and body size did not respond to resource continuity. Raspberry farms with greater early season resources provided by blueberry had greater bumble bee populations, suggesting beneficial effects on resource availability due to crop diversity. Better understanding the impact of resource continuity via crop diversity on broader patterns of biodiversity is essential for the co-management of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie C Nicholson
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Jen J-M Hayes
- Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| | - Samantha Connolly
- Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
| | - Taylor H Ricketts
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
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18
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Angelella GM, McCullough CT, O’Rourke ME. Honey bee hives decrease wild bee abundance, species richness, and fruit count on farms regardless of wildflower strips. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3202. [PMID: 33547371 PMCID: PMC7865060 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81967-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pollinator refuges such as wildflower strips are planted on farms with the goals of mitigating wild pollinator declines and promoting crop pollination services. It is unclear, however, whether or how these goals are impacted by managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) hives on farms. We examined how wildflower strips and honey bee hives and/or their interaction influence wild bee communities and the fruit count of two pollinator-dependent crops across 21 farms in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. Although wild bee species richness increased with bloom density within wildflower strips, populations did not differ significantly between farms with and without them whereas fruit counts in both crops increased on farms with wildflower strips during one of 2 years. By contrast, wild bee abundance decreased by 48%, species richness by 20%, and strawberry fruit count by 18% across all farm with honey bee hives regardless of wildflower strip presence, and winter squash fruit count was consistently lower on farms with wildflower strips with hives as well. This work demonstrates that honey bee hives could detrimentally affect fruit count and wild bee populations on farms, and that benefits conferred by wildflower strips might not offset these negative impacts. Keeping honey bee hives on farms with wildflower strips could reduce conservation and pollination services.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. M. Angelella
- grid.438526.e0000 0001 0694 4940School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA ,grid.508980.cPresent Address: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, WA 98951 USA
| | - C. T. McCullough
- grid.438526.e0000 0001 0694 4940School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA ,grid.438526.e0000 0001 0694 4940Present Address: Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
| | - M. E. O’Rourke
- grid.438526.e0000 0001 0694 4940School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA ,grid.482914.20000 0000 9502 2261Present Address: USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Kansas City, MO USA
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Timberlake TP, Vaughan IP, Baude M, Memmott J. Bumblebee colony density on farmland is influenced by late‐summer nectar supply and garden cover. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P. Timberlake
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Ian P. Vaughan
- Cardiff School of BiosciencesCardiff University Cardiff UK
| | | | - Jane Memmott
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
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20
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Crowther LI, Gilbert F. The effect of agri-environment schemes on bees on Shropshire farms. J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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21
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OneHealth implications of infectious diseases of wild and managed bees. J Invertebr Pathol 2020; 186:107506. [PMID: 33249062 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2020.107506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The OneHealth approach aims to further our understanding of the drivers of human, animal and environmental health, and, ultimately, to improve them by combining approaches and knowledge from medicine, biology and fields beyond. Wild and managed bees are essential pollinators of crops and wild flowers. Their health thus directly impacts on human and environmental health. At the same time, these bee species represent highly amenable and relevant model organisms for a OneHealth approach that aims to study fundamental epidemiological questions. In this review, we focus on how infectious diseases of wild and managed bees can be used as a OneHealth model system, informing fundamental questions on ecological immunology and disease transmission, while addressing how this knowledge can be used to tackle the issues facing pollinator health.
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22
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Grocock NL, Evenden ML. Local and Landscape-Scale Features Influence Bumble Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Bycatch in Bertha Armyworm Mamestra configurata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Pheromone-Baited Monitoring Traps. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 49:1127-1136. [PMID: 32815534 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa087] [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: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The bertha armyworm (BAW) Mamestra configurata Walker is a significant pest of canola Brassica napus L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae) in western Canada. Its activity is monitored through a large network of pheromone-baited monitoring traps as a part of the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network across the Canadian Prairies. The unintentional bycatch of bee pollinators in pheromone-baited traps targeting moth pests occurs in many agroecosystems and may have repercussions for biodiversity and pollination services of wild plants and managed crops. We conducted field experiments to determine the abundance and diversity of bees attracted to green-colored BAW pheromone-baited traps across the canola growing regions of Alberta, Canada. A higher species diversity and more bumble bees were captured in BAW pheromone-baited than in unbaited control traps. Bombus rufocinctus Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was the most commonly captured species. Few other wild bees or honey bees Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were captured during this study. Additionally, we evaluated the influence of local and landscape-level habitat features on bee bycatch. Local flowering plant abundance improved overall model fit but did not directly impact bee bycatch. The proportion of natural and seminatural habitat, and especially forested area, in the area surrounding monitoring traps affected bee bycatch. Both local and landscape-scale factors were important in this study and often have combined effects on bee communities. This study provides recommendations to reduce the bycatch of beneficial bee pollinators in a large-scale pheromone-baited monitoring network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas L Grocock
- Department of Biological Sciences, CW405 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maya L Evenden
- Department of Biological Sciences, CW405 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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23
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Ghisbain G, Michez D, Marshall L, Rasmont P, Dellicour S. Wildlife conservation strategies should incorporate both taxon identity and geographical context ‐ further evidence with bumblebees. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Ghisbain
- Laboratory of Zoology Research Institute of Biosciences University of Mons Mons Belgium
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology Research Institute of Biosciences University of Mons Mons Belgium
| | - Leon Marshall
- Agroecology Lab Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Brussels Belgium
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Pierre Rasmont
- Laboratory of Zoology Research Institute of Biosciences University of Mons Mons Belgium
| | - Simon Dellicour
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab. (SpELL) Université Libre de Bruxelles Bruxelles Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology KU Leuven ‐ University of Leuven Leuven Belgium
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24
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Zioga E, Kelly R, White B, Stout JC. Plant protection product residues in plant pollen and nectar: A review of current knowledge. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 189:109873. [PMID: 32795671 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to Plant Protection Products, PPPs, (fungicides, herbicides and insecticides) is a significant stressor for bees and other pollinators, and has recently been the focus of intensive debate and research. Specifically, exposure through contaminated pollen and nectar is considered pivotal, as it presents the highest risk of PPP exposure across all bee species. However, the actual risk that multiple PPP residues might pose to non-target species is difficult to assess due to the lack of clear evidence of their actual concentrations. To consolidate the existing knowledge of field-realistic residues detected in pollen and nectar directly collected from plants, we performed a systematic literature review of studies over the past 50 years (1968-2018). We found that pollen was the matrix most frequently evaluated and, of the compounds investigated, the majority were detected in pollen samples. Although the overall most studied category of PPPs were the neonicotinoid insecticides, the compounds with the highest median concentrations of residues in pollen were: the broad spectrum carbamate carbofuran (1400 ng/g), the fungicide and nematicide iprodione (524 ng/g), and the organophosphate insecticide dimethoate (500 ng/g). In nectar, the highest median concentration of PPP residues detected were dimethoate (1595 ng/g), chlorothalonil (76 ng/g), and the insecticide phorate (53.5 ng/g). Strong positive correlation was observed between neonicotinoid residues in pollen and nectar of cultivated plant species. The maximum concentrations of several compounds detected in nectar and pollen were estimated to exceed the LD50s for honey bees, bumble bees and four solitary bee species, by several orders of magnitude. However, there is a paucity of information for the biggest part of the world and there is an urgent need to expand the range of compounds evaluated in PPP studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Zioga
- Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
| | - Ruth Kelly
- Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, 18a Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Blánaid White
- School of Chemical Sciences, DCU Water Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Jane C Stout
- Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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25
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Drossart M, Gérard M. Beyond the Decline of Wild Bees: Optimizing Conservation Measures and Bringing Together the Actors. INSECTS 2020; 11:E649. [PMID: 32971790 PMCID: PMC7564822 DOI: 10.3390/insects11090649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Wild bees are facing a global decline mostly induced by numerous human factors for the last decades. In parallel, public interest for their conservation increased considerably, namely through numerous scientific studies relayed in the media. In spite of this broad interest, a lack of knowledge and understanding of the subject is blatant and reveals a gap between awareness and understanding. While their decline is extensively studied, information on conservation measures is often scattered in the literature. We are now beyond the precautionary principle and experts are calling for effective actions to promote wild bee diversity and the enhancement of environment quality. In this review, we draw a general and up-to-date assessment of the conservation methods, as well as their efficiency and the current projects that try to fill the gaps and optimize the conservation measures. Targeting bees, we focused our attention on (i) the protection and restoration of wild bee habitats, (ii) the conservation measures in anthropogenic habitats, (iii) the implementation of human made tools, (iv) how to deal with invasive alien species, and finally (v) how to communicate efficiently and accurately. This review can be considered as a needed catalyst to implement concrete and qualitative conversation actions for bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Drossart
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons (UMONS), Place du Parc 20, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Maxence Gérard
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons (UMONS), Place du Parc 20, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
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26
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Case BS, Pannell JL, Stanley MC, Norton DA, Brugman A, Funaki M, Mathieu C, Songling C, Suryaningrum F, Buckley HL. The roles of non‐production vegetation in agroecosystems: A research framework for filling process knowledge gaps in a social‐ecological context. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley S. Case
- Te Kura Pūtaiao - School of Science Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand
| | - Jennifer L. Pannell
- Te Kura Pūtaiao - School of Science Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand
| | - Margaret C. Stanley
- Te Kura Mātauranga Koiora - School of Biological Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
| | - David A. Norton
- Te Kura Ngahere - School of Forestry University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Anoek Brugman
- Te Kura Pūtaiao - School of Science Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand
| | - Matt Funaki
- Te Kura Pūtaiao - School of Science Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand
| | - Chloé Mathieu
- Te Kura Pūtaiao - School of Science Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand
| | - Cao Songling
- Te Kura Pūtaiao - School of Science Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand
- College of Life Science Neijiang Normal University Neijiang China
| | - Febyana Suryaningrum
- Te Kura Pūtaiao - School of Science Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand
| | - Hannah L. Buckley
- Te Kura Pūtaiao - School of Science Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand
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27
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Thomson DM, Page ML. The importance of competition between insect pollinators in the Anthropocene. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 38:55-62. [PMID: 32145696 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Resource competition likely plays an important role in some insect pollinator declines and in shaping effects of environmental change on pollination services. Past research supports that competition for floral resources affects bee foragers, but mostly with observational evidence and rarely linking foraging with population change. An increasing number of studies ask whether resources limit pollinator populations, using field measurements of reproductive success, time series and models. Findings generally support positive effects of floral resources, but also highlight the potential importance of nest site availability and parasitism. In parallel, recent experiments strengthen evidence that competition reduces access to floral resources. Developing common currencies for quantifying floral resources and integrating analyses of multiple limiting factors will further strengthen our understanding of competitive interactions and their effects in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane M Thomson
- W.M. Keck Science Department, The Claremont Colleges, 925 N. Mills Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711, United States.
| | - Maureen L Page
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States
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28
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Abstract
Bumble bees (Bombus) are unusually important pollinators, with approximately 260 wild species native to all biogeographic regions except sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. As they are vitally important in natural ecosystems and to agricultural food production globally, the increase in reports of declining distribution and abundance over the past decade has led to an explosion of interest in bumble bee population decline. We summarize data on the threat status of wild bumble bee species across biogeographic regions, underscoring regions lacking assessment data. Focusing on data-rich studies, we also synthesize recent research on potential causes of population declines. There is evidence that habitat loss, changing climate, pathogen transmission, invasion of nonnative species, and pesticides, operating individually and in combination, negatively impact bumble bee health, and that effects may depend on species and locality. We distinguish between correlational and causal results, underscoring the importance of expanding experimental research beyond the study of two commercially available species to identify causal factors affecting the diversity of wild species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney A Cameron
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA;
| | - Ben M Sadd
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790, USA;
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29
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Sanchez JA, Carrasco A, La Spina M, Pérez-Marcos M, Ortiz-Sánchez FJ. How Bees Respond Differently to Field Margins of Shrubby and Herbaceous Plants in Intensive Agricultural Crops of the Mediterranean Area. INSECTS 2019; 11:insects11010026. [PMID: 31905785 PMCID: PMC7022585 DOI: 10.3390/insects11010026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
(1) Intensive agriculture has a high impact on pollinating insects, and conservation strategies targeting agricultural landscapes may greatly contribute to their maintenance. The aim of this work was to quantify the effect that the vegetation of crop margins, with either herbaceous or shrubby plants, had on the abundance and diversity of bees in comparison to non-restored margins. (2) The work was carried out in an area of intensive agriculture in southern Spain. Bees were monitored visually and using pan traps, and floral resources were quantified in crop margins for two years. (3) An increase in the abundance and diversity of wild bees in restored margins was registered, compared to non-restored margins. Significant differences in the structure of bee communities were found between shrubby and herbaceous margins. Apis mellifera and mining bees were found to be more polylectic than wild Apidae and Megachilidae. The abundance of A. mellifera and mining bees was correlated to the total floral resources, in particular, to those offered by the Boraginaceae and Brassicaceae; wild Apidae and Megachilidae were associated with the Lamiaceae. (4) This work emphasises the importance of floral diversity and shrubby plants for the maintenance of rich bee communities in Mediterranean agricultural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Antonio Sanchez
- Biological Control & Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), C/Mayor s/n, E-30150 La Alberca, Spain; (A.C.); (M.L.S.); (M.P.-M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-9-6836-2788
| | - Aline Carrasco
- Biological Control & Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), C/Mayor s/n, E-30150 La Alberca, Spain; (A.C.); (M.L.S.); (M.P.-M.)
| | - Michelangelo La Spina
- Biological Control & Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), C/Mayor s/n, E-30150 La Alberca, Spain; (A.C.); (M.L.S.); (M.P.-M.)
| | - María Pérez-Marcos
- Biological Control & Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), C/Mayor s/n, E-30150 La Alberca, Spain; (A.C.); (M.L.S.); (M.P.-M.)
| | - F. Javier Ortiz-Sánchez
- Grupo de Investigación “Transferencia de I+D en el Área de Recursos Naturales”, Universidad de Almería, Ctra, de Sacramento s/n, E-04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Spain;
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30
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Pollinator restoration in Brazilian ecosystems relies on a small but phylogenetically-diverse set of plant families. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17383. [PMID: 31758041 PMCID: PMC6874649 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53829-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The alarming rate of global pollinator decline has made habitat restoration for pollinators a conservation priority. At the same time, empirical and theoretical studies on plant-pollinator networks have demonstrated that plant species are not equally important for pollinator community persistence and restoration. However, the scarcity of comprehensive datasets on plant-pollinator networks in tropical ecosystems constrains their practical value for pollinator restoration. As closely-related species often share traits that determine ecological interactions, phylogenetic relationships could inform restoration programs in data-scarce regions. Here, we use quantitative bee-plant networks from Brazilian ecosystems to test if priority plant species for different restoration criteria (bee species richness and visitation rates) can be identified using interaction networks; if phylogenetic relationships alone can guide plant species selection; and how restoration criteria influence restored network properties and function. We found plant species that maximised the benefits of habitat restoration for bees (i.e., generalists and those with distinct flower-visitor species) were clustered in a small number of phylogenetically-diverse plant families, and that prioritising the recovery of bee visitation rates improved both stability and function of restored plant-pollinator networks. Our approach can help guide restoration of pollinator communities, even where information on local ecosystems is limited.
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31
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Vanderplanck M, Roger N, Moerman R, Ghisbain G, Gérard M, Popowski D, Granica S, Fournier D, Meeus I, Piot N, Smagghe G, Terrana L, Michez D. Bumble bee parasite prevalence but not genetic diversity impacted by the invasive plant
Impatiens glandulifera. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maryse Vanderplanck
- Research Institute for Biosciences Laboratory of Zoology University of Mons Place du Parc 20 Mons B‐7000 Belgium
- Evo‐Eco‐Paleo ‐ UMR 8198 CNRS Université de Lille Lille F‐59000 France
| | - Nathalie Roger
- Research Institute for Biosciences Laboratory of Zoology University of Mons Place du Parc 20 Mons B‐7000 Belgium
| | - Romain Moerman
- Research Institute for Biosciences Laboratory of Zoology University of Mons Place du Parc 20 Mons B‐7000 Belgium
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Université libre de Bruxelles Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50 Brussels B‐1000 Belgium
| | - Guillaume Ghisbain
- Research Institute for Biosciences Laboratory of Zoology University of Mons Place du Parc 20 Mons B‐7000 Belgium
| | - Maxence Gérard
- Research Institute for Biosciences Laboratory of Zoology University of Mons Place du Parc 20 Mons B‐7000 Belgium
| | - Dominik Popowski
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy Medical University of Warsaw Banacha 1 Warsaw 02‐097 Poland
| | - Sebastian Granica
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy Medical University of Warsaw Banacha 1 Warsaw 02‐097 Poland
| | - Denis Fournier
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Université libre de Bruxelles Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50 Brussels B‐1000 Belgium
| | - Ivan Meeus
- Department of Crop Protection Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Laboratory of Agrozoology Ghent University Coupure Links 653 Ghent B‐9000 Belgium
| | - Niels Piot
- Department of Crop Protection Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Laboratory of Agrozoology Ghent University Coupure Links 653 Ghent B‐9000 Belgium
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Department of Crop Protection Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Laboratory of Agrozoology Ghent University Coupure Links 653 Ghent B‐9000 Belgium
| | - Lucas Terrana
- Research Institute for Biosciences Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics University of Mons Place du Parc 20 Mons B‐7000 Belgium
| | - Denis Michez
- Research Institute for Biosciences Laboratory of Zoology University of Mons Place du Parc 20 Mons B‐7000 Belgium
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Marja R, Kleijn D, Tscharntke T, Klein A, Frank T, Batáry P. Effectiveness of agri‐environmental management on pollinators is moderated more by ecological contrast than by landscape structure or land‐use intensity. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1493-1500. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Riho Marja
- Estonian Environment Agency Rõõmu tee St. 6 Tartu50605Estonia
| | - David Kleijn
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group Wageningen University Droevendaalsesteeg 3a 6708 PB Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Department of Agroecology University of Göttingen Grisebachstr. 6 D‐37077 Göttingen Germany
| | - Alexandra‐Maria Klein
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology University of Freiburg Tennenbacher 4 Freiburg D‐79106 Germany
| | - Thomas Frank
- Institute of Zoology University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Gregor‐Mendel‐Straße 33 1180 Vienna Austria
| | - Péter Batáry
- Department of Agroecology University of Göttingen Grisebachstr. 6 D‐37077 Göttingen Germany
- Lendület” Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany MTA Centre for Ecological Research Alkotmány u. 2‐42163Vácrátót Hungary
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Wood TJ, Kaplan I, Zhang Y, Szendrei Z. Honeybee dietary neonicotinoid exposure is associated with pollen collection from agricultural weeds. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190989. [PMID: 31213190 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonicotinoid insecticides have been linked to bee declines. However, tracking the primary exposure route for bees in the field has proven to be a major logistical challenge, impeding efforts to restore pollinator health in agricultural landscapes. We quantified neonicotinoid concentrations and botanical species composition in 357 pollen samples collected from 114 commercial honeybee colonies placed along a gradient of agricultural intensity between June and September. Neonicotinoid concentrations increased through the season, peaking at the end of August. As a result, concentrations in pollen were negatively associated with collection from woody and crop plants that flower early-mid season, and positively associated with collection from herbaceous plants that flower mid-late season. Higher clothianidin and thiamethoxam residues were correlated with samples containing a greater proportion of pollen collected from agricultural weeds. The percentage of agricultural land within 1500 m was positively correlated with thiamethoxam concentration; however, this spatial relationship was far weaker than the relationship with the proportion of pollen collected from herbaceous plants. These results indicate that both plant species identity and agricultural dominance are important in determining honeybee neonicotinoid exposure through the pollen diet, but that uncultivated plants associated with agriculture are the source of the greatest acute exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- T J Wood
- 1 Department of Entomology, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI , USA
| | - I Kaplan
- 2 Department of Entomology, Purdue University , West Lafayette, IN , USA
| | - Y Zhang
- 1 Department of Entomology, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI , USA
| | - Z Szendrei
- 1 Department of Entomology, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI , USA
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34
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Froidevaux JSP, Boughey KL, Hawkins CL, Broyles M, Jones G. Managing hedgerows for nocturnal wildlife: Do bats and their insect prey benefit from targeted agri‐environment schemes? J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Moth Broyles
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
| | - Gareth Jones
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
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35
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Timberlake TP, Vaughan IP, Memmott J. Phenology of farmland floral resources reveals seasonal gaps in nectar availability for bumblebees. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ian P. Vaughan
- Cardiff School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UK
| | - Jane Memmott
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
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36
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Crowther LP, Wright DJ, Richardson DS, Carvell C, Bourke AFG. Spatial ecology of a range-expanding bumble bee pollinator. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:986-997. [PMID: 30805135 PMCID: PMC6374649 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular methods have greatly increased our understanding of the previously cryptic spatial ecology of bumble bees (Bombus spp.), with knowledge of the spatial ecology of these bees being central to conserving their essential pollination services. Bombus hypnorum, the Tree Bumble Bee, is unusual in that it has recently rapidly expanded its range, having colonized much of the UK mainland since 2001. However, the spatial ecology of B. hypnorum has not previously been investigated. To address this issue, and to investigate whether specific features of the spatial ecology of B. hypnorum are associated with its rapid range expansion, we used 14 microsatellite markers to estimate worker foraging distance, nest density, between-year lineage survival rate and isolation by distance in a representative UK B. hypnorum population. After assigning workers to colonies based on full or half sibship, we estimated the mean colony-specific worker foraging distance as 103.6 m, considerably less than values reported from most other bumble bee populations. Estimated nest density was notably high (2.56 and 0.72 colonies ha-1 in 2014 and 2015, respectively), estimated between-year lineage survival rate was 0.07, and there was no evidence of fine-scale isolation by distance. In addition, genotyping stored sperm dissected from sampled queens confirmed polyandry in this population (mean minimum mating frequency of 1.7 males per queen). Overall, our findings establish critical spatial ecological parameters and the mating system of this unusual bumble bee population and suggest that short worker foraging distances and high nest densities are associated with its rapid range expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam P. Crowther
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of East Anglia, Norwich Research ParkNorwichUK
| | - David J. Wright
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park NorwichUK
| | - David S. Richardson
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park NorwichUK
| | - Claire Carvell
- NERC Centre for Ecology & HydrologyCrowmarsh GiffordWallingfordUK
| | - Andrew F. G. Bourke
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park NorwichUK
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37
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Knapp JL, Shaw RF, Osborne JL. Pollinator visitation to mass-flowering courgette and co-flowering wild flowers: Implications for pollination and bee conservation on farms. Basic Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Lynch J, Donnellan T, Finn JA, Dillon E, Ryan M. Potential development of Irish agricultural sustainability indicators for current and future policy evaluation needs. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 230:434-445. [PMID: 30300858 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.09.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
There is a significant and detailed range of sustainability indicators for Irish agri-food production, but there remain areas where further indicator development or new indicators could prove valuable. This review provides an outline of potential developments in Irish assessment of agricultural sustainability following the latest research and in order to meet policy demands. Recent research findings have suggested means of improved quantitative modelling of greenhouse gas emissions, but additional dietary and soil data may be important for this, especially for the potential inclusion of any soil sequestration. This information could also benefit more detailed modelling of nutrient losses to water. Specific concerns over pesticide and antibiotic use may require additional survey work on the particular locations or types of farms of interest. Biodiversity monitoring could be improved by expanding the range of results-oriented agri-environment schemes or employing remote-sensing habitat monitoring, likely supplemented with targeted field surveys for specific objectives. Farm-level economic sustainability is largely well-covered, but additional data collection may be of benefit to address specific issues such as labour costs. Recent additional surveys on farm-level social sustainability have addressed important social indicators of isolation and access to local services, and could be rolled out on a larger number of farms in the future. Wider societal concerns such as animal welfare, genetically modified materials in foodstuffs and antibiotic resistance have limited indicators currently available, and could also benefit from additional surveys. The breadth and detail required in agri-food sustainability indicators present a significant challenge to survey design and implementation, but many developments can be achieved without additional surveys through the use of remote sensing and geospatial technologies and integration of existing datasets. Despite the important benefits of further developments in Irish sustainability indicators, consideration must also be given to farmer confidentiality and survey fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Lynch
- Rural Economy and Development Programme, Teagasc, Mellows Campus, Athenry, Co. Galway, Ireland.
| | - Trevor Donnellan
- Rural Economy and Development Programme, Teagasc, Mellows Campus, Athenry, Co. Galway, Ireland
| | - John A Finn
- Environment Research Centre, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland
| | - Emma Dillon
- Rural Economy and Development Programme, Teagasc, Mellows Campus, Athenry, Co. Galway, Ireland
| | - Mary Ryan
- Rural Economy and Development Programme, Teagasc, Mellows Campus, Athenry, Co. Galway, Ireland
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Knapp JL, Becher MA, Rankin CC, Twiston‐Davies G, Osborne JL. Bombus terrestris in a mass-flowering pollinator-dependent crop: A mutualistic relationship? Ecol Evol 2019; 9:609-618. [PMID: 30680141 PMCID: PMC6342091 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) rely on an abundant and diverse selection of floral resources to meet their nutritional requirements. In farmed landscapes, mass-flowering crops can provide an important forage resource for bumblebees, with increased visitation from bumblebees into mass-flowering crops having an additional benefit to growers who require pollination services. This study explores the mutualistic relationship between Bombus terrestris L. (buff-tailed bumblebee), a common species in European farmland, and the mass-flowering crop courgette (Cucurbita pepo L.) to see how effective B. terrestris is at pollinating courgette and in return how courgette may affect B. terrestris colony dynamics. By combining empirical data on nectar and pollen availability with model simulations using the novel bumblebee model Bumble-BEEHAVE, we were able to quantify and simulate for the first time, the importance of courgette as a mass-flowering forage resource for bumblebees. Courgette provides vast quantities of nectar to ensure a high visitation rate, which combined with abundant pollen grains, enables B. terrestris to have a high pollination potential. While B. terrestris showed a strong fidelity to courgette flowers for nectar, courgette pollen was not found in any pollen loads from returning foragers. Nonetheless, model simulations showed that early season courgette (nectar) increased the number of hibernating queens, colonies, and adult workers in the modeled landscapes. Synthesis and applications. Courgette has the potential to improve bumblebee population dynamics; however, the lack of evidence of the bees collecting courgette pollen in this study suggests that bees can only benefit from this transient nectar source if alternative floral resources, particularly pollen, are also available to fulfill bees' nutritional requirements in space and time. Therefore, providing additional forage resources could simultaneously improve pollination services and bumblebee populations.
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40
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Hovestadt T, Mitesser O, Poethke A, Holzschuh A. Explaining the variability in the response of annual eusocial insects to mass-flowering events. J Anim Ecol 2018; 88:178-188. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hovestadt
- Theoretical Evolutionary Ecology Group; Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology; Biocenter; University of Würzburg; Wurzburg Germany
| | - Oliver Mitesser
- Theoretical Evolutionary Ecology Group; Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology; Biocenter; University of Würzburg; Wurzburg Germany
| | - Achim Poethke
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach; University of Würzburg; Wurzburg Germany
| | - Andrea Holzschuh
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology; Biocenter; University of Würzburg; Wurzburg Germany
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41
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Wood TJ, Gibbs J, Rothwell N, Wilson JK, Gut L, Brokaw J, Isaacs R. Limited phenological and dietary overlap between bee communities in spring flowering crops and herbaceous enhancements. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:1924-1934. [PMID: 30184292 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Wild bee populations have undergone declines in recent years across much of the Western world, and these declines have the potential to limit yield in pollination-dependent crops. Highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, and tart cherry, Prunus cerasus, are spring-blooming crops that rely on the movement of pollen by bees and other insects for pollination. Wild bee populations can be increased on farmland by providing floral resources, but whether the addition of these plants translates into increased pollinator density on crop flowers has not been documented in most cropping systems. To determine the importance of providing additional floral resources for wild bee pollinator communities, we selected blueberry fields and tart cherry orchards with and without herbaceous floral enhancements in western Michigan, USA. The bee communities visiting crop flowers, enhancements and control grassy field margins were sampled over a 5-yr period. In addition, the pollen diets of the most abundant wild bee crop pollinators were quantified across Michigan to better understand their foraging niches and to identify potentially important alternative host plants. The presence of floral enhancements did not increase the abundance of wild bees on either blueberry or cherry flowers during bloom. The bee community visiting blueberry was evenly composed of short-season bees that fly only during the spring and long-season bees that fly in both spring and summer. In contrast, the bee community visiting cherry was dominated by short-season spring bees. The majority of pollen collected by the wild bee communities visiting blueberry and cherry was from spring-flowering woody plants, with limited use of the herbaceous enhancements. Enhancements attracted greater abundance and species richness of bees compared to control areas, including twice as many floral specialists. Conserving summer-flying, grassland-associated bees is an appropriate goal for pollinator conservation programs. However, herbaceous enhancements may not provide adequate resources for the wild bees that pollinate spring-flowering crops. This study demonstrates that an examination of the pollen collected by wild bees across their flight periods can identify plant species to help them persist in intensively managed landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- T J Wood
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
| | - J Gibbs
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
| | - N Rothwell
- Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center, Michigan State University, Traverse City, Michigan, 49684, USA
| | - J K Wilson
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
| | - L Gut
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
| | - J Brokaw
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
| | - R Isaacs
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
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42
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What Is the Value of Wild Bee Pollination for Wild Blueberries and Cranberries, and Who Values It? ENVIRONMENTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/environments5090098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pollinator conservation efforts and growing interest in wild bee pollination have increased markedly in the last decade, making it increasingly important to have clear and practical estimates of the value of pollinators to agriculture. We used agricultural statistics, socio-economic producer surveys, and agronomic field research data to estimate traditional pollination value metrics and create novel approaches to the valuation of the ecosystem services provided by wild pollinators. Using two regionally important United States (USA) crops—Maine wild blueberry and Massachusetts cranberry—as models, we present the perceived values of wild bee pollinators from the perspectives of both consumers and producers. The net income attributable to wild bees was similar for wild blueberry ($613/ha) and cranberry ($689/ha). Marginal profit from incrementally adding more hives per ha was greater from stocking a third/fourth hive for cranberry ($6206/ha) than stocking a ninth/10th hive for wild blueberry ($556/ha), given the greater initial responsiveness of yield, revenue, and profit using rented honey bee hives in cranberry compared with wild blueberry. Both crops’ producers were willing to annually invest only $140–188/ha in wild pollination enhancements on their farms, justifying government financial support. Consumers are willing to pay ≈6.7 times more to support wild bees than producers, which indicates a potential source for market-based subsidies for invertebrate conservation.
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43
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Kleijn D, Linders TEW, Stip A, Biesmeijer JC, Wäckers FL, Bukovinszky T. Scaling up effects of measures mitigating pollinator loss from local‐ to landscape‐level population responses. Methods Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Kleijn
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation GroupWageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
- Resource Ecology GroupWageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Theo E. W. Linders
- Resource Ecology GroupWageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
- CABI Delémont Switzerland
- Institute of Plant SciencesUniversity of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Anthonie Stip
- Resource Ecology GroupWageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
- Dutch Butterfly Conservation Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Jacobus C. Biesmeijer
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden the Netherlands
- Leiden UniversityCML Institute Environmental Science Leiden the Netherlands
| | | | - Tibor Bukovinszky
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation GroupWageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
- Resource Ecology GroupWageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
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44
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Marja R, Viik E, Mänd M, Phillips J, Klein AM, Batáry P. Crop rotation and agri-environment schemes determine bumblebee communities via flower resources. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Riho Marja
- Estonian Environment Agency; Tartu Estonia
| | - Eneli Viik
- Agricultural Research Centre; Saku Estonia
| | - Marika Mänd
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Estonian University of Life Sciences; Tartu Estonia
| | - James Phillips
- School of Environment and Technology; University of Brighton; Brighton UK
| | | | - Péter Batáry
- Agroecology; University of Goettingen; Göttingen Germany
- GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group; MTA Centre for Ecological Research; Tihany Hungary
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45
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Campbell AJ, Wilby A, Sutton P, Wäckers F. Getting More Power from Your Flowers: Multi-Functional Flower Strips Enhance Pollinators and Pest Control Agents in Apple Orchards. INSECTS 2017; 8:insects8030101. [PMID: 28930157 PMCID: PMC5620721 DOI: 10.3390/insects8030101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Flower strips are commonly recommended to boost biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services (e.g., pollination and pest control) on farmland. However, significant knowledge gaps remain regards the extent to which they deliver on these aims. Here, we tested the efficacy of flower strips that targeted different subsets of beneficial arthropods (pollinators and natural enemies) and their ecosystem services in cider apple orchards. Treatments included mixes that specifically targeted: (1) pollinators (‘concealed-nectar plants’); (2) natural enemies (‘open-nectar plants’); or (3) both groups concurrently (i.e., ‘multi-functional’ mix). Flower strips were established in alleyways of four orchards and compared to control alleyways (no flowers). Pollinator (e.g., bees) and natural enemy (e.g., parasitoid wasps, predatory flies and beetles) visitation to flower strips, alongside measures of pest control (aphid colony densities, sentinel prey predation), and fruit production, were monitored in orchards over two consecutive growing seasons. Targeted flower strips attracted either pollinators or natural enemies, whereas mixed flower strips attracted both groups in similar abundance to targeted mixes. Natural enemy densities on apple trees were higher in plots containing open-nectar plants compared to other treatments, but effects were stronger for non-aphidophagous taxa. Predation of sentinel prey was enhanced in all flowering plots compared to controls but pest aphid densities and fruit yield were unaffected by flower strips. We conclude that ‘multi-functional’ flower strips that contain flowering plant species with opposing floral traits can provide nectar and pollen for both pollinators and natural enemies, but further work is required to understand their potential for improving pest control services and yield in cider apple orchards.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Wilby
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
| | - Peter Sutton
- Jealotts Hill International Research Centre, Syngenta UK, Jealott's Hill, Bracknell RG42 6EY, UK.
| | - Felix Wäckers
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
- Biobest Belgium NV, Ilse Velden 18, 2260 Westerlo, Belgium.
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46
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Lanterman J, Goodell K. Bumble bee colony growth and reproduction on reclaimed surface coal mines. Restor Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Lanterman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology; Aronoff Labs, The Ohio State University, Suite 400, 318W 12th Avenue; Columbus OH 43210 U.S.A
| | - Karen Goodell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University, 1179 University Drive; Newark OH 43055 U.S.A
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47
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Ogilvie JE, Forrest JR. Interactions between bee foraging and floral resource phenology shape bee populations and communities. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 21:75-82. [PMID: 28822493 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Flowers are ephemeral, yet bees rely on them for food throughout their lives. Floral resource phenology - which can be altered by changes in climate and land-use - is therefore key to bee fitness and community composition. Here, we discuss the interactions between floral resource phenology, bee foraging behaviour, and traits such as diet breadth, sociality, and body size. Recent research on bumble bees has examined behavioural responses to local floral turnover and effects of landscape-scale floral resource phenology on fitness, abundance, and foraging distances. Comparable studies are needed on non-social, pollen-specialist species. We also encourage greater use of information contained in museum collections on bee phenologies and floral hosts to test how phenology has shaped the evolution of bee-plant associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Ogilvie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA; Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA.
| | - Jessica Rk Forrest
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA; Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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48
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Pufal G, Steffan-Dewenter I, Klein AM. Crop pollination services at the landscape scale. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 21:91-97. [PMID: 28822495 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Managed and wild pollinators of different functional groups can provide pollination services in agricultural landscapes. These pollinators differ in their resource requirements and response to the amount and arrangement of different habitat types, that is, landscape composition and configuration. Most current approaches to test landscape effects on pollinators and pollination services are either applied to central individual crop fields or other landscape elements but rarely consider that pollinators depend on and make use of multiple habitat elements in an entire landscape. To capture these complex spatial and temporal interactions between different pollinators and habitat elements at the landscape scale, we propose to apply a combination of experimental and observational approaches across multiple habitat types and seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesine Pufal
- Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
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Venturini EM, Drummond FA, Hoshide AK, Dibble AC, Stack LB. Pollination Reservoirs in Lowbush Blueberry (Ericales: Ericaceae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 110:333-346. [PMID: 28069631 PMCID: PMC5387985 DOI: 10.1093/jee/tow285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Pollinator-dependent agriculture heavily relies upon a single pollinator-the honey bee. To diversify pollination strategies, growers are turning to alternatives. Densely planted reservoirs of pollen- and nectar-rich flowers (pollination reservoirs, hereafter "PRs") may improve pollination services provided by wild bees. Our focal agroecosystem, lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton), exists in a simple landscape uniquely positioned to benefit from PRs. First, we contrast bee visitation rates and use of three types of PR. We consider the effects of PRs on wild bee diversity and the composition of bumble bee pollen loads. We contrast field-level crop pollination services between PRs and controls four years postestablishment. Last, we calculate the time to pay for PR investment. Social bees preferentially used clover plantings; solitary bees preferentially used wildflower plantings. On average, bumble bee pollen loads in treatment fields contained 37% PR pollen. PRs significantly increased visitation rates to the crop in year 4, and exerted a marginally significant positive influence on fruit set. The annualized costs of PRs were covered by the fourth year using the measured increase in pollination services. Our findings provide evidence of the positive impact of PRs on crop pollination services.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Venturini
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME 04469 (; ; )
| | - F A Drummond
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME 04469 ( ; ; )
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 495 College Ave., Orono, ME 04469 ( )
| | - A K Hoshide
- School of Economics, University of Maine, 206 Winslow Hall, Orono, ME 04469
| | - A C Dibble
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME 04469 (; ; )
| | - L B Stack
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 495 College Ave., Orono, ME 04469 ( )
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME 04469
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