How many bees fit in the city? A spatial ecological case study to conserve urban wild bees

Urban Ecosystems, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 28(2)

Published: Jan. 28, 2025

Abstract Pollination is crucial for biodiversity and food security, with bees playing a significant role. The growing popularity of urban beekeeping leading to increasing honeybee densities in cities, raising concerns about competition pollen nectar wild due limited foraging resources densely urbanized areas. To assess the current bee occurrences honeybees protected areas Central European city, we focused on ecological similarities between bees. We compiled an inventory 462 species documented since 1990 Vienna (Austria) conducted survey apiary locations cooperation beekeepers. calculated indices richness, rarity, and, based flower-visiting traits, trait similarity found that approximately four times more colonies were kept central 2023 than habitat may support. In parts Vienna’s nature conservation areas, number also exceeded density 3.5 per km² recommended by literature. Results indicate spatial overlap high hotspots, particularly like Natura 2000 rare was significantly increased, indicating potential elevated floral resources. This study highlights need planning balance conservation, recommending actions match quality mitigate competitive pressures.

Language: Английский

---

Anthophilous insects' seasonal variation in Corsican thermo-Mediterranean shrubland maquis

Biodiversity Data Journal, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 13

Published: March 7, 2025

In any ecosystems, seasonality is a key factor conditioning the temporal variation on an annual scale in combination with differences organism phenology. This marked Mediterranean Region four contrasting seasons: hot, dry summer, mild winter and sometimes very rainy spring autumn. With large surface area its range of habitats from seaside to alpine biotopes, Corsica Island represents biodiversity hotspot high rate endemism. Amongst diverse groups, insects, notably main orders pollinators composed Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera Lepidoptera, represent proportion insular richness. Our sampling effort focused insects these visiting flowers characteristic thermo-Mediterranean vegetation. database insight into Corsican anthophilous three sites separated by few kilometres region Ajaccio (SW Corsica) during nine consecutive months 2023, completing our for year 2022 published this journal. total, 3714 specimens were sampled 2023 311 species or morpho-species identified 154 genera 50 families. Coleoptera far most abundant order representing about 54% specimens. The was Hymenoptera 44% species. continuous survey has shown that vary between seasons both terms abundance diversity, resulting changing communities.

Language: Английский

---

What Are the Phylogenetic Limits to Pollinator Diversity?

Journal of Applied Entomology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Oct. 8, 2024

ABSTRACT Although huge progress has been made over the past 200 years in identifying diversity of pollinators angiosperms and other plants, new discoveries continue to be each year, especially tropical areas fossil record. In this perspective article I address following questions: Just how diverse are what phylogenetic limits that diversity? Which groups animals, not currently known regularly engage with flowers, might found future? Can we predict, from record under‐researched parts world, which animal turn out future contain pollinators? also discuss why adding our knowledge plant–pollinator interactions is important, but stress an incomplete may a bad thing if it means remote, inaccessible relatively pristine world remain way.

Language: Английский

---

From Stream to Bloom: Exploring the Potential Role of Aquatic Insects for Pollination in Wetland Environments

Journal of Applied Entomology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Oct. 24, 2024

ABSTRACT The substantial loss of insects we are experiencing today has been highlighted all over the world. There is a growing concern about global decline pollinators and its impact on terrestrial agricultural ecosystems, but focus scientists towards bees remains rule. Therefore, role other insect taxa in pollination still overlooked. Our review focused some these neglected pollinating taxa, winged aquatic insects, i.e., with an larval stage such as Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Plecoptera (ETP), Megaloptera Diptera. We first documented visitors wetland flowering plants, anticipating greater presence plants compared to pollinators. Secondly, plant visits, pollen found gut contents transfers performed by insects. results revealed surprisingly low proportion visiting both suggesting potential gap literature. scarcity articles dedicated transfer also indicates that they fewly considered ecological studies. While not well literature, records their flower visits them or do exist promising clues consider effective Future research needed provide new insights into importance for reproductive success which could be argument conservation.

Language: Английский

---