Supporting Bees in Cities: How Bees Are Influenced by Local and Landscape Features

Insects, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 12(2), P. 128 - 128

Published: Feb. 2, 2021

Urbanization is a major anthropogenic driver of decline for ecologically and economically important taxa including bees. Despite their generally negative impact on pollinators, cities can display surprising degree biodiversity compared to other landscapes. The pollinating communities found within these environments, however, tend be filtered by interacting local landscape features that comprise the urban matrix. Landscape exert variable influence pollinators across taxa, which ultimately affects community composition in such way contributes functional trait homogenization reduced phylogenetic diversity. Although previous results are not easily generalizable, bees displaying characteristics as polylectic diet, cavity-nesting behavior, later emergence appear most abundant different examined cities. To preserve particularly vulnerable species, notably specialists have become underrepresented city communities, green spaces like parks gardens been potential refuges. Such scattered matrix vary pollinator resource availability. Therefore, ensuring optimized imperative. This review examines how affect addition ways manipulated promote greater abundance

Language: Английский

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The value of doing nothing – How informal green spaces can provide comparable ecosystem services to cultivated urban parks

Ecosystem Services, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 50, P. 101339 - 101339

Published: July 23, 2021

Language: Английский

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City climate and landscape structure shape pollinators, nectar and transported pollen along a gradient of urbanization

Journal of Applied Ecology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 59(6), P. 1586 - 1595

Published: May 2, 2022

Abstract Urbanization gradients influence both landscape and climate provide opportunity for understanding how plants pollinators respond to artificially driven environmental transitions, a relevant aspect the ecosystem service of pollination. Here, we investigated several aspects pollination along an urbanization gradient in climate. We quantified wild hoverfly bee abundances with trapping, standing crop nectar spectrophotometer, pollen transported by flower visitors DNA metabarcoding, 40 independent sites from semi‐natural built‐up areas Northern Italy. Direct indirect effects were fitted considering variables. Linear nonlinear relationships detected gradient. Pollinator increased quadratically peaked at 22% impervious cover 81% growth, they decreased green‐patch distance 37% urban park largeness 60%. This indicates that are more abundant intermediate levels urbanization. Climatically, diminished up 46% low spring–summer temperature seasonality: likely posing thermic stress. Furthermore, sugar mass available 61% 79% precipitations, indicating city nectars less consumed or flowers productive. species richness 32% highly urbanized areas, contained high incidence exotic plants, hinting anthropized, simplified plant communities. Synthesis applications . influences pollinator abundances, resources direct ways. Pollinators negatively affected thermally harsh isolated green large parks. Suburban landscapes demonstrated highest presence. In core, nectary association while collected small number mainly exotic. These findings highlight strong on showing cities heterogenous realities. Patterns this study will serve as basis pollinator‐friendly planning, mitigation management landscapes.

Language: Английский

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Syrphids in the City: A 10‐Year Citizen Science Program Sheds Light on How the Greenness and Quality of Green Spaces Impact Flower Flies

Journal of Applied Entomology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Feb. 27, 2025

ABSTRACT Although Syrphidae is an essential family of flies because they provide key ecosystem services like pollination and pest control, their richness abundance respond negatively to urbanisation, even when high‐quality green spaces are present. These the conclusions many studies from northern hemisphere; however, there shortfalls in our knowledge flower fly ecology Neotropical megacities. We used a 10‐year dataset obtained long‐term citizen science program devoted test whether richness, total number records (as proxy abundance) diversity could be influenced by space predictors such as surface percentage areas, quality public squares parks indices greenness index (NDVI) across 34 municipalities Greater Santiago. Furthermore, we described for first time interaction network exclusively within city. analysed 1084 607 interactions 29 species. found that north‐east have more Based on abundance, two‐way Jaccard analysis grouped into three major clades: (a) those with than 10 species, (b) between five species (c) fewer Generalised linear mixed models associated positively significantly diversity, mainly mean NDVI value. The structure plant showed low values connectance specialisation, but significant value diversity. information help local decision‐makers improve management municipality's spaces, enhance biodiversity inside cities potential or control.

Language: Английский

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Seasonal dynamics of competition between honey bees and wild bees in a protected Mediterranean scrubland

Oikos, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 2022(4)

Published: Jan. 12, 2022

Due to the widespread use of pesticides and lack floral resources in many agricultural landscapes, beekeepers have moved numerous honey bee colonies protected areas which could shelter an important diversity wild bees. Here, we investigated seasonal dynamics competition between bees through a two‐year study plant–bee networks Mediterranean area. We recorded visitation rates four groups: bees, small large bumblebees. Our reveals that for induced by is especially strong during early spring then decreases along season all groups observed competitive exclusion illustrated avoidance well‐flowered plant species presence As consequence, detected rewiring preferences linked In Rosmarinus officinalis Cistus albidus were significantly less visited This underlines need mitigate establishment as strongly affect foraging activity

Language: Английский

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A large-scale dataset reveals taxonomic and functional specificities of wild bee communities in urban habitats of Western Europe

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: Nov. 7, 2022

Abstract Wild bees are declining, mainly due to the expansion of urban habitats that have led land-use changes. Effects urbanization on wild bee communities still unclear, as shown by contrasting reports their species and functional diversities in habitats. To address this current controversy, we built a large dataset, merging 16 surveys carried out 3 countries Western Europe during past decades, tested whether influences local taxonomic community composition. These encompassed range levels, were quantified using two complementary metrics: proportion impervious surfaces human population density. Urban expansion, when measured surfaces, but not density, was significantly negatively correlated with richness. Taxonomic dissimilarity independent both metrics. However, occurrence rates traits revealed significant differences between lightly highly urbanized communities, for With higher probabilities above-ground nesters, generalist small increased. soil sealing, generalists social increased well. Overall, these results, based European suggest can negative impacts diversity. They further identify some favored environments, showing several thrive cities.

Language: Английский

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Capabilities and limitations of using DNA metabarcoding to study plant–pollinator interactions

Molecular Ecology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 30(20), P. 5266 - 5297

Published: Aug. 13, 2021

Many pollinator populations are experiencing declines, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of complex relationship between bees and flowering plants. Using DNA metabarcoding to describe plant-pollinator interactions eliminates many challenges associated with traditional methods has potential reveal more comprehensive foraging behaviour life history. Here we use ITS2 rbcL gene regions identify plant species present in pollen loads 404 from three habitats eastern Oregon. Our specific objectives were (i) determine whether identified using consistent observations, (ii) compare characterizations diet breadth derived observations those based on assignments obtained metabarcoding, (iii) produced by "regional" reference database "local" database. At locations, 31%-86% data, 8%-50% differed 22%-25% detected regional not known occur study area question. Plant-pollinator networks data had higher sampling completeness significantly lower specialization than observations. Here, examine some strengths limitations bee loads, make ecological inferences about provide guidance future research.

Language: Английский

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Floral richness and seasonality influences bee and non-bee flower interactions in urban community gardens

Urban Ecosystems, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 26(4), P. 1099 - 1112

Published: May 9, 2023

Abstract Pollinating insects are essential for food production. Both bee and non-bee pollinators undergoing dramatic declines due to land use intensification its consequences on native ecosystems. While interactions between crops well studied, our understanding of the pollination service provided by flower visitors including flies, ants, beetles others is still limited. Moreover, effects landscape urbanization changes in floral nesting resource availability network structure with both cultivated wild plants have been poorly studied. We assessed which common visitor groups dominate (e.g. Trifolium pratense , Taraxacum officinales ) Fragaria ananassa Cucurbita pepo urban community gardens Berlin Munich explored how these change over growing season. further investigated effect surrounding gardens, resources within complexity (i.e. nestedness, linkage density, connectance) interaction networks. observed 20 focal plant species 13 30 gardens. found that dominant changed season, ants flies as early season visitors, important later Nestedness increased increases richness while neither abundance nor impervious surface garden size or strongly influenced Our findings suggest high may ensure and, thus, stability Findings role should be considered provision especially shoulder seasons. Finally, results emphasize gardeners play a key mediating through their gardening practices.

Language: Английский

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Can trait matching inform the design of pollinator‐friendly urban green spaces? A review and synthesis of the literature

Ecosphere, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2024

Abstract Land use change is a major driver of pollinator decline and loss pollination services. For plant interactions to persist in rapidly changing urban systems, co‐occurring species must share matching traits, including phenological, morphological, physiological traits. Thus, the knowledge trait among interacting plants pollinators can aid design habitats enhance conservation value green spaces, but this remains relatively understudied. Here, we review how facilitates persistence creation new plant–pollinator networks. We highlight four drivers facilitating restructuring networks through gain areas. also show different pathways by which traits affected urbanization. Furthermore, functional help predict novel environments, those exotic species. Finally, application management practices, sustainable spaces that will accommodate functionally diverse within matrix.

Language: Английский

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Bees in the city: Findings from a scoping review and recommendations for urban planning

AMBIO, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 20, 2024

Over the last decades, bee biodiversity has dropped sharply due to land use change, including urbanization. To contrast this, recent research pointed cities as a hotspot for bees. Because of this ambiguity, scoping review been conducted examine urban characteristics that impact bees and how are impacted. A total 276 articles were analyzed against landscape local habitat characteristics. The key findings include first natural areas more valuable since levels higher. Second, generally score better than agricultural rural areas. Third, plant positively influences biodiversity. Fourth, environment strongly affects some traits proportion native For making friendly inclusive, we recommend maintain areas, connect ecosystems, encourage floral abundance diversity increasing size green overall.

Language: Английский

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