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Ostwald MM, da Silva CRB, Seltmann KC. How does climate change impact social bees and bee sociality? J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 39101348 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Climatic factors are known to shape the expression of social behaviours. Likewise, variation in social behaviour can dictate climate responses. Understanding interactions between climate and sociality is crucial for forecasting vulnerability and resilience to climate change across animal taxa. These interactions are particularly relevant for taxa like bees that exhibit a broad diversity of social states. An emerging body of literature aims to quantify bee responses to environmental change with respect to variation in key functional traits, including sociality. Additionally, decades of research on environmental drivers of social evolution may prove fruitful for predicting shifts in the costs and benefits of social strategies under climate change. In this review, we explore these findings to ask two interconnected questions: (a) how does sociality mediate vulnerability to climate change, and (b) how might climate change impact social organisation in bees? We highlight traits that intersect with bee sociality that may confer resilience to climate change (e.g. extended activity periods, diet breadth, behavioural thermoregulation) and we generate predictions about the impacts of climate change on the expression and distribution of social phenotypes in bees. The social evolutionary consequences of climate change will be complex and heterogeneous, depending on such factors as local climate and plasticity of social traits. Many contexts will see an increase in the frequency of eusocial nesting as warming temperatures accelerate development and expand the temporal window for rearing a worker brood. More broadly, climate-mediated shifts in the abiotic and biotic selective environments will alter the costs and benefits of social living in different contexts, with cascading impacts at the population, community and ecosystem levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine M Ostwald
- Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Carmen R B da Silva
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katja C Seltmann
- Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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2
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Hernandez M, Suni S. Effects of landscape, resource use, and body size on genetic structure in bee populations. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11358. [PMID: 38742185 PMCID: PMC11089087 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Quantifying genetic structure and levels of genetic variation are fundamentally important to predicting the ability of populations to persist in human-altered landscapes and adapt to future environmental changes. Genetic structure reflects the dispersal of individuals over generations, which can be mediated by species-level traits or environmental factors. Dispersal distances are commonly positively associated with body size and negatively associated with the amount of degraded habitat between sites, motivating the investigation of these potential drivers of dispersal concomitantly. We quantified genetic structure and genetic variability within populations of seven bee species from the genus Euglossa across fragmented landscapes. We genotyped bees at SNP loci and tested the following predictions: (1) deforested areas restrict gene flow; (2) larger species have lower genetic structure; (3) species with greater resource specialization have higher genetic structure; and (4) sites surrounded by more intact habitat have higher genetic diversity. Contrasting with previous work on bees, we found no associations between body size and genetic structure. Genetic structure was higher for species with greater resource specialization, and the amount of intact habitat between or surrounding sites was positively associated with parameters reflecting gene flow and genetic diversity. These results challenge the dominant paradigm that individuals of larger species disperse farther, and they suggest that landscape and resource requirements are important factors mediating dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sevan Suni
- The University of San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
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3
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Phan NT, Joshi NK, Rajotte EG, Zhu F, Peter KA, López-Uribe MM, Biddinger DJ. Systemic pesticides in a solitary bee pollen food store affect larval development and increase pupal mortality. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:170048. [PMID: 38218472 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170048] [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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Solitary bees are often exposed to various pesticides applied for pest control on farmland while providing pollination services to food crops. Increasing evidence suggests that sublethal toxicity of agricultural pesticides affects solitary bees differently than the social bees used to determine regulatory thresholds, such as honey bees and bumblebees. Studies on solitary bees are challenging because of the difficulties in obtaining large numbers of eggs or young larvae for bioassays. Here we show the toxic and sublethal developmental effects of four widely used plant systemic pesticides on the Japanese orchard bee (Osmia cornifrons). Pollen food stores of this solitary bee were treated with different concentrations of three insecticides (acetamiprid, flonicamid, and sulfoxaflor) and a fungicide (dodine). Eggs were transplanted to the treated pollen and larvae were allowed to feed on the pollen stores after egg hatch. The effects of chronic ingestion of contaminated pollen were measured until adult eclosion. This year-long study revealed that chronic exposure to all tested pesticides delayed larval development and lowered larval and adult body weights. Additionally, exposure to the systemic fungicide resulted in abnormal larval defecation and increased mortality at the pupal stage, indicating potential risk to bees from fungicide exposure. These findings demonstrate potential threats to solitary bees from systemic insecticides and fungicides and will help in making policy decisions to mitigate these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngoc T Phan
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA; Research Center for Tropical Bees and Beekeeping, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Hanoi, Vietnam.
| | - Neelendra K Joshi
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
| | - Edwin G Rajotte
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Fang Zhu
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kari A Peter
- Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center, Biglerville, PA, USA
| | | | - David J Biddinger
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center, Biglerville, PA, USA
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4
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Rittschof CC, Denny AS. The Impacts of Early-Life Experience on Bee Phenotypes and Fitness. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:808-824. [PMID: 36881719 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Across diverse animal species, early-life experiences have lifelong impacts on a variety of traits. The scope of these impacts, their implications, and the mechanisms that drive these effects are central research foci for a variety of disciplines in biology, from ecology and evolution to molecular biology and neuroscience. Here, we review the role of early life in shaping adult phenotypes and fitness in bees, emphasizing the possibility that bees are ideal species to investigate variation in early-life experience and its consequences at both individual and population levels. Bee early life includes the larval and pupal stages, critical time periods during which factors like food availability, maternal care, and temperature set the phenotypic trajectory for an individual's lifetime. We discuss how some common traits impacted by these experiences, including development rate and adult body size, influence fitness at the individual level, with possible ramifications at the population level. Finally, we review ways in which human alterations to the landscape may impact bee populations through early-life effects. This review highlights aspects of bees' natural history and behavioral ecology that warrant further investigation with the goal of understanding how environmental disturbances threaten these vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Amanda S Denny
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
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5
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Lin XQ, Hou YM, Yang WZ, Shi SC, Zheng PY, Shih CK, Jiang JP, Xie F, Jiang JP, Xie F. A wide hybrid zone mediated by precipitation contributed to confused geographical structure of Scutiger boulengeri. Zool Res 2023; 44:3-19. [PMID: 36171715 PMCID: PMC9841186 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Confused geographical structure of a population and mitonuclear discordance are shaped by a combination of rapid changes in population demographics and shifts in ecology. In this study, we generated a time-calibrated phylogeny of Scutiger boulengeri, an endemic Xizang alpine toad occurring in mountain streams on the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau (QTP). Based on three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes, eight clades were assigned to three deeply divergent lineages. Analysis of nuclear DNA (nuDNA) genes revealed three distinct clusters without geographic structure, indicating significantly high rates of gene flow. Coalescent theory framework analysis (approximate Bayesian computation model DIYABC and Migrate-N) suggested that divergence of the main intraspecific clusters was the result of hybridization after secondary contact in the Holocene around 0.59 million years ago (Ma). The ratio of mtDNA F ST (fixation index) to nuDNA F ST was 2.3, thus failing to show male-biased dispersal. Geographic cline analysis showed that a wide hybrid zone was initially established in southwestern China, without significant reproductive isolation but with strong introgression in S. boulengeri, suggesting high hybrid fitness. Furthermore, mtDNA genes exhibited isolation by distance (IBD) while nuDNA genes exhibited significant isolation by environment (IBE). Results suggested that mitonuclear discordance may have initially been caused by geographic isolation, followed by precipitation-mediated hybridization, producing a wide hybrid zone and geographic structure confusion of nuDNA genes in S. boulengeri. This study indicated that complicated historical processes may have led to specific genetic patterns, with a specific climate factor facilitating gene flow in the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Qin Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yin-Meng Hou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei-Zhao Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Sheng-Chao Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Pu-Yang Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chung-Kun Shih
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China,Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20013–7012, USA
| | - Jian-Ping Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China,Mangkang Biodiversity and Ecological Station, Xizang Ecological Safety Monitor Network, Changdu, Xizang 854500, China
| | - Feng Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China,Mangkang Biodiversity and Ecological Station, Xizang Ecological Safety Monitor Network, Changdu, Xizang 854500, China,E-mail:
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6
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Garlin J, Theodorou P, Kathe E, Quezada-Euán JJG, Paxton RJ, Soro A. Anthropogenic effects on the body size of two neotropical orchid bees. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:94. [PMID: 35918637 PMCID: PMC9347145 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02048-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
To accommodate an ever-increasing human population, agriculture is rapidly intensifying at the expense of natural habitat, with negative and widely reported effects on biodiversity in general and on wild bee abundance and diversity in particular. Cities are similarly increasing in area, though the impact of urbanisation on wild bees is more equivocal and potentially positive in northern temperate regions. Yet agriculture and urbanisation both lead to the loss and alteration of natural habitat, its fragmentation, a potential reduction in floral availability, and warmer temperatures, factors thought to be drivers of wild bee decline. They have also been shown to be factors to which wild bee populations respond through morphological change. Body size is one such trait that, because of its relation to individual fitness, has received growing attention as a morphological feature that responds to human induced modification in land use. Here, we investigated the change in body size of two sympatric orchid bee species on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico in response to urbanization and agricultural intensification. By measuring 540 male individuals sampled from overall 24 sites, we found that Euglossa dilemma and Euglossa viridissima were on average smaller in urban and agricultural habitats than in natural ones. We discuss the potential role of reduced availability of resources in driving the observed body size shifts. Agricultural and urban land management in tropical regions might benefit wild bees if it encompassed the planting of flowering herbs and trees to enhance their conservation.
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7
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Su T, He B, Zhao F, Jiang K, Lin G, Huang Z. Population genomics and phylogeography of
Colletes gigas
, a wild bee specialized on winter flowering plants. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8863. [PMID: 35494503 PMCID: PMC9035574 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet specialization may affect the population genetic structure of pollinators by reducing gene flow and driving genetic differentiation, especially in pollen‐specialist bees. Colletes gigas is a pollen‐specialist pollinator of Camellia oleifera, one of the most important staple oil crops in China. Ca. oleifera blooms in cold climates and contains special compounds that make it an unusable pollen source to other pollinators. Thus, C. gigas undoubtedly plays a key role as the main pollinator of Ca. oleifera, with biological and economic significance. Here, we use a population genomic approach to analyze the roles of geography and climate on the genetic structure, genetic diversity, and demographic history of C. gigas. A total of 1,035,407 SNPs were identified from a 582.77 Gb dataset. Clustering and phylogenetic analyses revealed a marked genetic structure, with individuals grouped into nine local clusters. A significant isolation by distance was detected by both the Mantel test (R = .866, p = .008) and linear regression (R2 = .616, p < .001). Precipitation and sunshine duration were positively and significantly (R ≥ .765, p ≤ .016) correlated with observed heterozygosity (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He). These results showed that C. gigas populations had a distinct phylogeographic pattern determined by geographical distance and environmental factors (precipitation and sunshine duration). In addition, an analysis of paleogeographic dynamics indicated that C. gigas populations exhibited patterns of glacial expansion and interglacial contraction, likely resulting from post‐glacial habitat contraction and fragmentation. Our results indicated that the peculiar phylogeographic patterns in C. gigas populations may be related to their specialization under long‐term adaptation to host plants. This work improves our understanding of the population genetics in pollen‐specialist bees. The distinct genetic clusters identified in this study should be taken into consideration for the protection and utilization of this specialized crop pollinator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianjuan Su
- School of Life Sciences Jinggangshan University Ji'an China
| | - Bo He
- School of Life Sciences Jinggangshan University Ji'an China
- College of Life Sciences Anhui Normal University Wuhu China
| | - Fang Zhao
- School of Life Sciences Jinggangshan University Ji'an China
| | - Kai Jiang
- School of Life Sciences Jinggangshan University Ji'an China
| | - Gonghua Lin
- School of Life Sciences Jinggangshan University Ji'an China
| | - Zuhao Huang
- School of Life Sciences Jinggangshan University Ji'an China
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8
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Garcia Bulle Bueno F, Garcia Bulle Bueno B, Buchmann G, Heard T, Latty T, Oldroyd BP, Hosoi AE, Gloag R. Males Are Capable of Long-Distance Dispersal in a Social Bee. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.843156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollinator conservation is aided by knowledge of dispersal behavior, which shapes gene flow and population structure. In many bees, dispersal is thought to be male-biased, and males’ movements may be critical to maintaining gene flow in disturbed and fragmented habitats. Yet male bee movements are challenging to track directly and male dispersal ability remains poorly understood in most species. Here, we combine field manipulations and models to assess male dispersal ability in a stingless bee (Tetragonula carbonaria). We placed colonies with virgin queens at varying distances apart (1–48 km), genotyped the males that gathered at mating aggregations outside each colony, and used pairwise sibship assignment to determine the distribution of likely brothers across aggregations. We then compared simulations of male dispersal to our observed distributions and found best-fit models when males dispersed an average of 2–3 km (>2-fold female flight ranges), and maximum of 20 km (30-fold female flight ranges). Our data supports the view that male bee dispersal can facilitate gene flow over long-distances, and thus play a key role in bee populations’ resilience to habitat loss and fragmentation. In addition, we show that the number of families contributing to male aggregations can be used to estimate local stingless bee colony densities, allowing population monitoring of these important tropical pollinators.
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9
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Fragmentation of forest-steppe predicts functional community composition of wild bee and wasp communities. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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10
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Miranda EA, Lima IDN, Oi CA, López-Uribe MM, Del Lama MA, Freitas BM, Silva CI. Overlap of Ecological Niche Breadth of Euglossa cordata and Eulaema nigrita (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini) Accessed by Pollen Loads and Species Distribution Modeling. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:197-207. [PMID: 33683559 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-020-00847-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Urban areas can serve as biodiversity refuges for pollinators because of the high diversity of available floral and nesting resources. However, it remains unclear what plant species commonly used for urban landscaping provide floral resources that pollinators actively use. Here, we integrate data from the pollen and species distribution models of two abundant euglossine bees-the large-bodied Eulaema nigrita (Lepeletier, 1841) and the small-bodied Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758)-in urban areas to investigate their overlap in diet breadth and distribution. We hypothesized that because bees with larger body sizes tend to have larger foraging areas, large-bodied bees would have a wider diet breath than small-bodied bees. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that Eg. cordata has a wider diet breadth than El. nigrita with the former species showing higher diversity of pollen types collected (per pollen load and on average across pollen loads). Pollen grains from Solanum paniculatum and Tradescantia zebrina represented 63% of the diet of Eg. cordata, whereas pollen from S. paniculatum and Psidium guajava represented 87% of the diet of El. nigrita. After overlaying the distribution of both bee species and the three most important pollen resources, the distribution models revealed that these three plant species can co-occur with both euglossine bees throughout a large portion of eastern Brazil near the coast. Thus, we conclude S. paniculatum, T. zebrina, and P. guajava should be considered key plants for the maintenance of these two urban euglossine bee species. The results of this study provide important information for urban landscaping programs that aim to protect and preserve pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elder Assis Miranda
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil.
- Núcleo de Pesquisa da Conservação e Biodiversidade do Semiárido - CONBIOS, Observatório UniFG do Semiárido Nordestino, Centro Universitário UNIFG, Guanambi, Bahia, Brazil.
| | | | - Cíntia A Oi
- Department of Biology, University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Margarita M López-Uribe
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, University Park, Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Marco Antonio Del Lama
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Breno Magalhães Freitas
- Setor de Abelhas, Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Cláudia Inês Silva
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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11
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Ballare KM, Jha S. Genetic structure across urban and agricultural landscapes reveals evidence of resource specialization and philopatry in the Eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica L. Evol Appl 2021; 14:136-149. [PMID: 33519961 PMCID: PMC7819568 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activity continues to impact global ecosystems, often by altering the habitat suitability, persistence, and movement of native species. It is thus critical to examine the population genetic structure of key ecosystemservice providers across human-altered landscapes to provide insight into the forces that limit wildlife persistence and movement across multiple spatial scales. While some studies have documented declines of bee pollinators as a result of human-mediated habitat alteration, others suggest that some bee species may benefit from altered land use due to increased food or nesting resource availability; however, detailed population and dispersal studies have been lacking. We investigated the population genetic structure of the Eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica, across 14 sites spanning more than 450 km, including dense urban areas and intensive agricultural habitat. X. virginica is a large bee which constructs nests in natural and human-associated wooden substrates, and is hypothesized to disperse broadly across urbanizing areas. Using 10 microsatellite loci, we detected significant genetic isolation by geographic distance and significant isolation by land use, where urban and cultivated landscapes were most conducive to gene flow. This is one of the first population genetic analyses to provide evidence of enhanced insect dispersal in human-altered areas as compared to semi-natural landscapes. We found moderate levels of regional-scale population structure across the study system (G'ST = 0.146) and substantial co-ancestry between the sampling regions, where co-ancestry patterns align with major human transportation corridors, suggesting that human-mediated movement may be influencing regional dispersal processes. Additionally, we found a signature of strong site-level philopatry where our analyses revealed significant levels of high genetic relatedness at very fine scales (<1 km), surprising given X. virginica's large body size. These results provide unique genetic evidence that insects can simultaneously exhibit substantial regional dispersal as well as high local nesting fidelity in landscapes dominated by human activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly M. Ballare
- Department of Integrative BiologyBiological LaboratoriesThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTXUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California Santa CruzSanta CruzCAUSA
| | - Shalene Jha
- Department of Integrative BiologyBiological LaboratoriesThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTXUSA
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12
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Theodorou P, Baltz LM, Paxton RJ, Soro A. Urbanization is associated with shifts in bumblebee body size, with cascading effects on pollination. Evol Appl 2021; 14:53-68. [PMID: 33519956 PMCID: PMC7819558 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is a global phenomenon with major effects on species, the structure of community functional traits and ecological interactions. Body size is a key species trait linked to metabolism, life-history and dispersal as well as a major determinant of ecological networks. Here, using a well-replicated urban-rural sampling design in Central Europe, we investigate the direction of change of body size in response to urbanization in three common bumblebee species, Bombus lapidarius, Bombus pascuorum and Bombus terrestris, and potential knock-on effects on pollination service provision. We found foragers of B. terrestris to be larger in cities and the body size of all species to be positively correlated with road density (albeit at different, species-specific scales); these are expected consequences of habitat fragmentation resulting from urbanization. High ambient temperature at sampling was associated with both a small body size and an increase in variation of body size in all three species. At the community level, the community-weighted mean body size and its variation increased with urbanization. Urbanization had an indirect positive effect on pollination services through its effects not only on flower visitation rate but also on community-weighted mean body size and its variation. We discuss the eco-evolutionary implications of the effect of urbanization on body size, and the relevance of these findings for the key ecosystem service of pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Theodorou
- General ZoologyInstitute of BiologyMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Lucie M. Baltz
- General ZoologyInstitute of BiologyMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Robert J. Paxton
- General ZoologyInstitute of BiologyMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Antonella Soro
- General ZoologyInstitute of BiologyMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
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13
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Barrow LN, Masiero da Fonseca E, Thompson CEP, Carstens BC. Predicting amphibian intraspecific diversity with machine learning: Challenges and prospects for integrating traits, geography, and genetic data. Mol Ecol Resour 2020; 21:2818-2831. [PMID: 33249725 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The growing availability of genetic data sets, in combination with machine learning frameworks, offers great potential to answer long-standing questions in ecology and evolution. One such question has intrigued population geneticists, biogeographers, and conservation biologists: What factors determine intraspecific genetic diversity? This question is challenging to answer because many factors may influence genetic variation, including life history traits, historical influences, and geography, and the relative importance of these factors varies across taxonomic and geographic scales. Furthermore, interpreting the influence of numerous, potentially correlated variables is difficult with traditional statistical approaches. To address these challenges, we analysed repurposed data using machine learning and investigated predictors of genetic diversity, focusing on Nearctic amphibians as a case study. We aggregated species traits, range characteristics, and >42,000 genetic sequences for 299 species using open-access scripts and various databases. After identifying important predictors of nucleotide diversity with random forest regression, we conducted follow-up analyses to examine the roles of phylogenetic history, geography, and demographic processes on intraspecific diversity. Although life history traits were not important predictors for this data set, we found significant phylogenetic signal in genetic diversity within amphibians. We also found that salamander species at northern latitudes contained low genetic diversity. Data repurposing and machine learning provide valuable tools for detecting patterns with relevance for conservation, but concerted efforts are needed to compile meaningful data sets with greater utility for understanding global biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa N Barrow
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.,Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Coleen E P Thompson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Bryan C Carstens
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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14
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Simmons SA, Bossart JL. Apparent Resilience to Fire of Native Bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) Communities from Upland Longleaf Pine Forests in Louisiana and Mississippi. SOUTHEAST NAT 2020. [DOI: 10.1656/058.019.0316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara A. Simmons
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA 70403
| | - Janice L. Bossart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA 70403
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15
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Grozinger CM, Zayed A. Improving bee health through genomics. Nat Rev Genet 2020; 21:277-291. [DOI: 10.1038/s41576-020-0216-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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16
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Thomaz AT, Knowles LL. Common barriers, but temporal dissonance: Genomic tests suggest ecological and paleo‐landscape sieves structure a coastal riverine fish community. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:783-796. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andréa T. Thomaz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Zoology University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - L. Lacey Knowles
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
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17
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López-Uribe MM, Ricigliano VA, Simone-Finstrom M. Defining Pollinator Health: A Holistic Approach Based on Ecological, Genetic, and Physiological Factors. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2019; 8:269-294. [PMID: 31618045 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-020518-115045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Evidence for global bee population declines has catalyzed a rapidly evolving area of research that aims to identify the causal factors and to effectively assess the status of pollinator populations. The term pollinator health emerged through efforts to understand causes of bee decline and colony losses, but it lacks a formal definition. In this review, we propose a definition for pollinator health and synthesize the available literature on the application of standardized biomarkers to assess health at the individual, colony, and population levels. We focus on biomarkers in honey bees, a model species, but extrapolate the potential application of these approaches to monitor the health status of wild bee populations. Biomarker-guided health measures can inform beekeeper management decisions, wild bee conservation efforts, and environmental policies. We conclude by addressing challenges to pollinator health from a One Health perspective that emphasizes the interplay between environmental quality and human, animal, and bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita M López-Uribe
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA;
| | - Vincent A Ricigliano
- Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research, USDA-ARS, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70820, USA; ,
| | - Michael Simone-Finstrom
- Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research, USDA-ARS, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70820, USA; ,
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