Consequences of intraspecific competition for floral resources in heterogeneous landscapes for eusocial bees DOI Creative Commons
Richard J. Walters, Ola Olsson, Peter Olsson

et al.

Ecological Modelling, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 496, P. 110844 - 110844

Published: Aug. 29, 2024

Agricultural intensification is widely recognised as a primary driver of pollinator loss, but the success land-management actions designed to remediate its impact often mixed. Payments farmers increase habitat connectivity or availability floral and nesting resources may only result in short-term gains even unintended consequences. The reasons lie changes interaction networks competition intensity that remain poorly understood. Models pollination service typically implicitly assume population dynamics are regulated by nest-site availability, though empirical evidence suggests occupancy likely at least part dependent on resource availability. To investigate consequences for coarse-grained agricultural landscapes we extended an established model bees combining optimal foraging dynamics, include new functions depletion realistic colony dynamics. We find intra-specific occurs late season forcing forage underutilised sites situated further towards their range limits. A lower rate energy acquisition ultimately limits size peak delays timing. Consequently, can limit distribution while same time contributing more stable efficacious service. Although was not found be important establishment success, effect hunger gap early indirectly influences later leading complex outcomes.

Language: Английский

How many bees fit in the city? A spatial ecological case study to conserve urban wild bees DOI Creative Commons
Julia Lanner, Peter Unglaub, C. Rohrbach

et al.

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

Citations

0
Floral resource wastage: Most nectar produced by the mass‐flowering crop oilseed rape (Brassica napus) is uncollected by flower‐visiting insects DOI Creative Commons
Ciaran Harris, Nicholas J. Balfour, Francis L. W. Ratnieks

et al.

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(5)

Published: May 1, 2024

Cultivation of the mass-flowering crop oilseed rape (OSR),

Language: Английский

Citations

2
Pollinator competition and the contingency of nectar depletion during an early spring resource pulse DOI Creative Commons
Douglas B. Sponsler,

Murray G. Hamilton,

Michael Wiesneth

et al.

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(6)

Published: June 1, 2024

Concerns about competition between pollinators are predicated on the assumption of floral resource limitation. Floral limitation, however, is a complex phenomenon involving interplay production by plants, demand pollinators, and exogenous factors-like weather conditions-that constrain both plants pollinators. In this study, we examined nectar limitation during mass flowering rosaceous fruit trees in early spring. Our study was set same region as previous that found severe summer grasslands. We used seasonal contrast to evaluate two alternative hypotheses concerning dynamics limitation: either (H1) rates consumption matched through time maintain consistent degree or (H2) mismatch high low pollinator activity spring creates period relaxed intensifies later year. generally much lower depletion our compared near 100% but varied markedly diel across sampling days, with afternoon sometimes exceeding 80%. some cases, there were also pronounced differences simultaneously sampled species, indicating different degrees exploitation. These findings support hypothesis underscore contingency depletion. The challenge future work discern how fluctuation diel, inter-diel, scales translates into population-level outcomes for

Language: Английский

Citations

2
Ten‐a‐day: Bumblebee pollen loads reveal high consistency in foraging breadth among species, sites and seasons DOI Creative Commons
Thomas P. Timberlake, Natasha de Vere, Laura Jones

et al.

Ecological Solutions and Evidence, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 5(3)

Published: July 1, 2024

Abstract Pollen and nectar are crucial resources for bees but vary greatly among plant species in their quantity, nutritional quality timing of availability. This makes it challenging to identify an appropriate range plants meet the needs throughout year, though this information is important design pollinator conservation schemes. Using DNA metabarcoding pollen loads, we record floral resource use UK farmland bumblebees at different stages colony lifecycle, compare with null models ‘expected’ based on landscape‐scale availability (pollen nectar), foraging priorities preferences. We approach ask three main questions: (i) what breadth individual bumblebees?; (ii) do utilise a greater or lesser diversity than expected if they foraged proportion availability?; (iii) which preferentially utilise? Individual from highly consistent number taxa (mean: 10 ± 0.37 SE per bee), regardless species, sampling site time year. high consistency breadth, despite large changes identity availability, implies strong behavioural tendency towards fixed resources. effect was most striking April when maintained very low landscape‐level diversity. Bumblebees used some significantly more predicted abundance, supply, implying certain desirable characteristics beyond mere quantity resource. These included Allium spp. Vicia April; Trifolium repens Lotus corniculatus July Cardueae (thistles) Taraxacum officinale September. Practical implication : Our results strongly indicate that not only factor driving bumblebee patterns also factors. Thus, addition providing quantities resources, recommend schemes focus sufficient preferred enabling pollinators self‐select diverse nutritious diet.

Language: Английский

Citations

2
Style head in Apocynaceae: a very complex secretory activity performed by one tissue DOI Creative Commons
Danielle Maximo, Diego Demarco

European Journal of Histochemistry, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 68(1)

Published: April 2, 2024

Nuptial glands are very diverse and associated with different pollination mechanisms. The greater the specificity in pollen transfer mechanism from anther to stigma, morphological elaboration of flowers functional complexity nuptial glands. In Apocynaceae, mechanisms reached an extreme specificity, a fact that was only possible due synorganization profusion floral Although these types, vast majority have secretory cells epidermis. general, epidermal produce many compounds at same time, previous studies demonstrated style head, epidermis has become even greater. Four types head found family, which degrees relation secretion produced dispersal mechanism. is fluid I, II III, dispersed adhered pollinator by head. type IV, hardens acquires specific shape, moulded spatial constraints adjacent organs. This evolutionary alteration accompanied changes structure arrangement cells, as well aggregation position stigma. Histochemical analysis shown mixed highly complex, especially where secretion, called translator, formed rigid central portion, adheres pollinator, two caudicles attach pollinia. translator distinct composition its parts. Further needed answer new questions arisen discovery this tissue.

Language: Английский

Citations

1
Honey bees and bumble bees react differently to nitrogen-induced increases in floral resources DOI
Junpeng Mu,

Peiyue Che,

Dawei Li

et al.

Environmental Entomology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Aug. 28, 2024

Abstract Atmospheric and soil nitrogen levels are increasing across the world. Nitrogen addition can alter vegetative flower traits, including flowering phenology, floral production, morphology, quantity quality of rewards such as nectar. However, it is not well understood if how these changes in traits will affect foraging preferences pollination by different pollinator species. We hypothesized that honey bees (Apis mellifera) would exhibit a preference for plants with increased numbers flowers, while bumble (Bombus spp.) nectar production result addition. A 2-yr field experiment was conducted to investigate effects varying supply (e.g., 0, 4, 8 kg N ha−1 yr−1 N0, N4, N8) on perennial plant (Saussurea nigrescens), visitation rates introduced managed (A. native wild bees. The results showed adding number flowers production. were responding resources induced addition, prioritizing quantity. findings shed new light pollinators interact when added, communities be affected future.

Language: Английский

Citations

1
Gardens reduce seasonal hunger gaps for farmland pollinators DOI Creative Commons
Thomas P. Timberlake, Nicholas E. Tew, Jane Memmott

et al.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 291(2033)

Published: Oct. 1, 2024

Gardens can benefit pollinators living in surrounding farmland landscapes, but the reason for their value is not clear. are no different from many semi-natural habitats terms of quantity floral resources (pollen and nectar) they produce, timing resource supply very different, which may explain value. We show that gardens provide 15% overall annual nectar landscapes Southwest UK, between 50% 95% during early spring late summer when supplies low. therefore reduce seasonal gaps experienced by bumblebees. Consistent with this pattern, bumblebee activity increased relative to summer. An agent-based model reinforces point, showing , garden enhances colony growth survival farmland. over 90% Great Britain within 1 km a positive actions gardeners could have widespread spillover benefits across country. Given distribution around world, we highlight important interplay pollinator ecology conservation.

Language: Английский

Citations

1
Nitrogen Addition Affects Interannual Variation in Seed Production in a Tibetan Perennial Herb DOI Creative Commons

Yuanxin Lou,

Ruolan Wang,

Peiyue Che

et al.

Biology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 12(8), P. 1132 - 1132

Published: Aug. 14, 2023

The variability observed in the annual seed production of perennial plants can be seen as an indication changes allocation resources between growth and reproduction, which attributed to fluctuations environment. However, a significant knowledge gap exists concerning impacts nitrogen addition on interannual patterns plants. We hypothesized that would impact variations plants, ultimately affecting their overall reproductive efficiency. A multiyear field experiment was conducted investigate effects varying supply levels (e.g., 0, 4, 8 kg N ha-1 yr-1 N0, N4, N8) vegetative floral traits, pollinator visitation rates, traits over period four consecutive years. results showed N0 treatment exhibited highest efficiency within initial two In contrast, N4 displayed its level performance these metrics second third years, whereas N8 showcased most favorable outcomes fourth Similar were found number flowers per capitulum capitula plant. There positive correlation aboveground biomass several factors, including capitulum, plant, volume nectar or This implies affected maintenance plant biomass, flower trait stability, visitation, and, subsequently, frequency Our suggest augmenting content soil may have capacity modify inherent is across various years enhance effectiveness processes. These findings potential our comprehension herbaceous underlying mechanisms biodiversity context global environmental changes.

Language: Английский

Citations

3
Honey bees and native flower visitors in a Boston suburb: Assessing coexistence and conservation strategies DOI

Katia Tiana Landauer,

Selby Vaughn,

Richard B. Primack

et al.

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 299, P. 110819 - 110819

Published: Oct. 21, 2024

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Temporal decay of similarity in bee-plant relationships throughout the day DOI

Brenda Ratoni,

Carlos Pinilla Cruz, Samuel Novais

et al.

Oecologia, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 207(1)

Published: Dec. 5, 2024

Language: Английский

Citations

0