scholarly journals Bees use the taste of pollen to determine which flowers to visit

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 20160356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicity Muth ◽  
Jacob S. Francis ◽  
Anne S. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Functional Significance ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Nutritional Ecology ◽  
Plant Fitness ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Pollen Chemistry ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Pollen plays a dual role as both a gametophyte and a nutritional reward for pollinators. Although pollen chemistry varies across plant species, its functional significance in pollination has remained obscure, in part because little is known about how floral visitors assess it. Bees rely on pollen for protein, but whether foragers evaluate its chemistry is unclear, as it is primarily consumed by larvae. We asked whether the chemical composition of pollen influences bumblebees' foraging behaviour. Using putatively sweet and bitter pollen blends, we found that chemical composition influenced two aspects of bee behaviour relevant to plant fitness: the amount of pollen collected and the likelihood of subsequently visiting a visually similar flower. These findings offer a new perspective on the nutritional ecology of plant–pollinator interactions, as they show that pollen's taste may mediate its collection and transfer.

scholarly journals Pollen Protein: Lipid Macronutrient Ratios May Guide Broad Patterns of Bee Species Floral Preferences

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony D. Vaudo ◽  
John F. Tooker ◽  
Harland M. Patch ◽  
David J. Biddinger ◽  
Michael Coccia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Larval Growth ◽  
Nutritional Ecology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Foraging Preferences ◽  
Bee Foraging ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Pollinator nutritional ecology provides insights into plant–pollinator interactions, coevolution, and the restoration of declining pollinator populations. Bees obtain their protein and lipid nutrient intake from pollen, which is essential for larval growth and development as well as adult health and reproduction. Our previous research revealed that pollen protein to lipid ratios (P:L) shape bumble bee foraging preferences among pollen host-plant species, and these preferred ratios link to bumble bee colony health and fitness. Yet, we are still in the early stages of integrating data on P:L ratios across plant and bee species. Here, using a standard laboratory protocol, we present over 80 plant species’ protein and lipid concentrations and P:L values, and we evaluate the P:L ratios of pollen collected by three bee species. We discuss the general phylogenetic, phenotypic, behavioral, and ecological trends observed in these P:L ratios that may drive plant–pollinator interactions; we also present future research questions to further strengthen the field of pollination nutritional ecology. This dataset provides a foundation for researchers studying the nutritional drivers of plant–pollinator interactions as well as for stakeholders developing planting schemes to best support pollinators.

Ecosystem services of pollinator diversity: a review of the relationship with pollen limitation of plant reproduction1This article is part of a Special Issue entitled “Pollination biology research in Canada: Perspectives on a mutualism at different scales”.

Botany ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (7) ◽  
pp. 535-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne C. Davila ◽  
Elizabeth Elle ◽  
Jana C. Vamosi ◽  
Luise Hermanutz ◽  
Jeremy T. Kerr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Pollen Limitation ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Pollinator Diversity ◽  
Critical Elements ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Biology Research ◽  
Quantitative Assessments

Recent work on the ecosystem service of biodiversity suggests that higher pollinator diversity could lower pollen limitation, but these two aspects of plant–pollinator communities have only rarely been causally connected. Here we present a review of studies that produced quantitative assessments of both pollinator diversity and evenness as well as pollen limitation of focal plant species. Although pollen limitation is expected to be lower when pollinator diversity is high, our analysis suggests this relationship is weak. The relationship may be obscured when features of the plant species (e.g., average level of specialization) are confounded with features of the plant communities (e.g., habitat). We encourage researchers investigating pollen limitation to consider including measures of diversity of the floral visitors, and their effectiveness. These data would permit a more powerful test of the relationships among these variables and improve our understanding of the critical elements of stable plant–pollinator networks.

scholarly journals Temporal Variations in Chemical Composition, In Vitro Digestibility, and Metabolizable Energy of Plant Species Browsed by Goats in Southern Mediterranean Forest Rangeland

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1441
Author(s):  
Youssef Chebli ◽  
Samira El Otmani ◽  
Mouad Chentouf ◽  
Jean-Luc Hornick ◽  
Jean-François Cabaraux
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Condensed Tannin ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Mediterranean Forest ◽  
In Vitro Digestibility ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Southern Mediterranean

Forest rangelands contribute largely to goat diets in the Mediterranean area. Information about browsed plant quality is essential for adequate feeding management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the temporal changes in chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of the main plant species selected by goats in the Southern Mediterranean forest rangeland during two consecutive years; these were very contrasted (dry and wet). The browsed species were composed of herbaceous, eleven shrubs, and four tree species. Overall, large variability in chemical composition, in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), and metabolizable energy (ME) was observed among species, grazing season (spring, summer, and autumn), and years within each species. Crude protein (CP) content varied from 60 to 240 g/kg dry matter (DM). The fiber fractions, except for Quercus suber, increased significantly by advancing maturity. Due to the water stress, the lignin level presented a higher value during the spring of the dry year. Condensed tannin (CT) content varied from 2 to 184 g/kg DM. CP, IVOMD, and ME showed a negative correlation with lignin and CT. Based on the results presented herein, it is concluded that the nutritive value of the browsed plant species was highest in the spring and lowest during the summer and autumn of both studied years. With a good grazing management strategy, the selected plant species by goats could guarantee high-quality feeding resources throughout the year.

scholarly journals Insect Visitation to Wildflowers in the Endangered Garry Oak, Quercus garryana, Ecosystem of British Columbia

2005 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 245 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Parachnowitsch ◽  
E. Elle
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Quercus Garryana ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Introduced Honeybee ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Basic Biology ◽  
Oak Ecosystem ◽  
Plant Pollinator

The Garry Oak Ecosystem (GOE) is a fragmented and endangered ecosystem in Canada, and is currently the focus of conservation and restoration efforts in British Columbia. However, little is known about the basic biology of GOE forbs, or their relationships with pollinating insects. We monitored wildflowers and their insect visitors in 25 quadrats within a 25 × 25 metre plot, located in a fragment of the GOE near Duncan, British Columbia, for six weeks (the majority of the flowering period). Overall, 21 native and non-native forb species flowered in our quadrats during the survey, and we observed an additional six forb species flowering outside of our quadrats. Eight forbs were visited within quadrats by a total of 13 insect taxa, identified to morphospecies. Visits by eight additional morphospecies were observed outside of the quadrats. In general, visitation was low; however, most insect morphospecies were observed visiting more than one plant species, and most plant species were visited by more than one insect morphospecies, suggesting that pollination may be generalised in this community. A Chi-squared analysis indicated that insect visitation was not proportional to the relative abundance of forbs, with higher than expected visitation to Common camas (Camassia quamash), and no observed visits to 11 species, most with very small (putatively unattractive) flowers. The most frequent insect visitor was the introduced Honeybee, Apis mellifera, followed by native mason bees (Osmia spp.) and mining bees (Andrena spp.). Our observations provide baseline data for future, detailed studies that should investigate the importance of plant-pollinator mutualisms for sustainability of populations and communities in this rare ecosystem.

Chemical composition and bioethanol potential of different plant species found in Pacific Northwest conservation buffers

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 063114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepak Kumar ◽  
Ankita Juneja ◽  
William Hohenschuh ◽  
John D. Williams ◽  
Ganti S. Murthy
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Conservation Buffers

scholarly journals Long-legged bees make adaptive leaps: linking adaptation to coevolution in a plant–pollinator network

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1862) ◽  
pp. 20171707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Pauw ◽  
Belinda Kahnt ◽  
Michael Kuhlmann ◽  
Denis Michez ◽  
Graham A. Montgomery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Evolutionary Divergence ◽  
Large Network ◽  
Independent Contrasts ◽  
Leg Length ◽  
Phylogenetically Independent Contrasts ◽  
Explained Variance ◽  
Spur Length ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Selective Environment

Adaptation is evolution in response to natural selection. Hence, an adaptation is expected to originate simultaneously with the acquisition of a particular selective environment. Here we test whether long legs evolve in oil-collecting Rediviva bees when they come under selection by long-spurred, oil-secreting flowers. To quantify the selective environment, we drew a large network of the interactions between Rediviva species and oil-secreting plant species. The selective environment of each bee species was summarized as the average spur length of the interacting plant species weighted by interaction frequency. Using phylogenetically independent contrasts, we calculated divergence in selective environment and evolutionary divergence in leg length between sister species (and sister clades) of Rediviva . We found that change in the selective environment explained 80% of evolutionary change in leg length, with change in body size contributing an additional 6% of uniquely explained variance. The result is one of four proposed steps in testing for plant–pollinator coevolution.

Pollination of the Rain-Forest Tree Syzygium Tierneyanum (Myrtaceae) at Kuranda, Northern Queensland

1980 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 223 ◽  
Author(s):  
SD Hopper
Keyword(s):  
Rain Forest ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
The Self ◽  
Spatial Partitioning ◽  
Mass Flowering ◽  
Foraging Modes ◽  
Flowering Branch ◽  
Floral Visitors

The identity, abundance and foraging behaviour of pollinators of the self-compatible, mass-flowering Syzygium tierneyanum were investigated. Forty-five species of nectarivorous animals were recorded. Diurnal visitors included seven bird; nine butterfly. four moth (including two hawkmoth), two bee, two ant, one wasp, three blowfly, one fruit fly, two beetle and one weevil species. while nocturnal visitors included one bat and 12 moth (including three hawkmoth) species. Floral dimensions were such that only the vertebrate and larger insect species regularly contacted anthers and stigmas while foraging. Of these groups the feral honey bee (Apis mellifera) was the most common flowet visitor. Honeyeaters and hawkmoths appeared to be the most important native pollinators; they were abundant in the study area and visited numerous flowers (50-250) in quick succession (1-3 s per flower) on each foraging bout. The only major differences in foraging times observed in the pollinator array were between diurnal, diurnal and crepuscular, and nocturnal floral visitors. Spatial partitioning of the nectar resource was limited to one instance of territoriality involving a Macleay's honeyeater (Meliphaga rnacleayana) on a densely flowering branch prior to peak blooming time, occasional aggressive chases by honeyeaters, and a division of foraging modes into rapid, erratic flights of 0.5– 4 m between flowers (hawkmoths) as against nearest-flower movements (all other groups). This lack of major spatial partitioning may have been due to the mass flowering of S. tierneyanum and the resultant superabundance of nectar. The vast majority (c. 99.95%) of interflower movements observed in foraging bouts of birds (and of hawkmoths) were within the same plant. This suggests that most seeds of S. tierneyanum may be derived from self-pollination.

scholarly journals Temporal variation in the roles of exotic and native plant species in plant–pollinator networks

Ecosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pati Vitt ◽  
Kayri Havens ◽  
Claudia L. Jolls ◽  
Tiffany M. Knight
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variation ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of nine plant species from Semnan rangeland for camel in Iran

2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 233-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armin Towhidi ◽  
Farnoush Rostami ◽  
Reza Masoumi
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
In Vitro Digestibility ◽  
Gross Energy ◽  
Arid Rangelands

In Iran, Javan (2001) has reported the digestibility some arid rangelands plants by bovine rumen liquor. The determination of in vivo digestibility of wheat straw implies that camel apparently digested poor quality roughages more than cattle and sheep (Cianci et al., 2004). Therefore, It is required to measure the in vitro digestibility of herbages by camel rumen liquor. In province of yazd, nutritive value of 11 different plant species for camel were determined (Towhidi, 2007). The objectives of the current study were to determine 1) the chemical composition, gross energy of the most consuming plant species from rangeland of Semnan province including Seidlitzia rosmarinu, Tamarix tetragyna, Tamarix strica, Halostachys spp, Saudea fruticosa., Alhagi camelorum, Haloxylon ammondendron., Salsola arbescola, Hammada salicornica and, 2) in vitro digestibility of the plants by camel rumen liquor.

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