scholarly journals Honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) outnumber native bees in Tasmanian apple orchards: Perspectives for balancing crop production and native bee conservation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kit S Prendergast ◽  
Nicolas Leclercq ◽  
Nicolas J Vereecken
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Apple Orchards ◽  
Bee Conservation ◽  
Native Bee

DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF NATIVE BEE POLLINATORS ON BERRY CROPS AND NATURAL VEGETATION IN THE LOWER FRASER VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

1984 ◽  
Vol 116 (7) ◽  
pp. 965-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenna E. MacKenzie ◽  
Mark L. Winston
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Natural Vegetation ◽  
Cultivated Plants ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Berry Crops ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Fraser Valley

AbstractNative bee pollinators were collected and observed on cultivated blueberry, raspberry, and cranberry and on natural non-cultivated plants such as blackberry, buttercup, fireweed, thistle, and hairy cat's ear. Higher abundance and diversity of native bees were found on natural vegetation than on berry crops. Native bee populations on berry crops increased from 1981 to 1982, although diversity was similar. Native bees were not abundant enough to ensure adequate pollination of berry crops, and therefore, the use of managed honey bees is advisable. Pesticide impact, competition with managed honey bees, and habitat destruction have probably decreased native bee populations in agricultural areas of the Fraser Valley.The use of a standard measure of native pollinator abundance, bees observed/min/m2, is recommended for future studies of this kind.

scholarly journals Bioecological and Behavioral Interaction between Pollinating Bees and the Pioneer Shrub Ludwigia nervosa in Degraded Area Suggests an Exotic Bee as Its Major Pollinator

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 114
Author(s):  
Eliana Aparecida Ferreira ◽  
Samuel Boff ◽  
Sandra S. Verza ◽  
Rosilda Mara Mussury
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Pollen Limitation ◽  
Pollen Deposition ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Behavioral Interaction ◽  
Degraded Area ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Effective Pollinator

The flowers of plants of the genus Ludwigia are an important source of food for several species of bees. In the current study, we conducted an experiment with the aim to describe the reproductive biology and phenology of L. nervosa; to identify the species of visiting bees; analyze the foraging behavior of bees; and to investigate whether the reproductive success of the species is related to the foraging activity of bees. We found that the flowers received visits from several native bee species (n = 7), in addition of the exotic honey bees which came to be the dominant species. During visits the majority of the bees foraged in both resources, pollen and nectar. The significantly higher production of fruits in open pollinated pollination experiment compared to artificial cross pollination, suggests honey bees as effective pollinator of this plant species in the study site. Pollen deposition occurs efficiently, given the absence of pollen limitation. Despite massive visitation of honey bees, Ludwigianervosa is attractive to native bees, and therefore it may help to sustain population of both native and exotic pollinators in fragmented humid areas.

scholarly journals Big city Bombus : using natural history and land-use history to find significant environmental drivers in bumble-bee declines in urban development

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 170156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Glaum ◽  
Maria-Carolina Simao ◽  
Chatura Vaidya ◽  
Gordon Fitch ◽  
Benjamin Iulinao
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Development ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Bee Conservation ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Native bee populations are critical sources of pollination. Unfortunately, native bees are declining in abundance and diversity. Much of this decline comes from human land-use change. While the effects of large-scale agriculture on native bees are relatively well understood, the effects of urban development are less clear. Understanding urbanity's effect on native bees requires consideration of specific characteristics of both particular bee species and their urban landscape. We surveyed bumble-bee ( Bombus spp.) abundance and diversity in gardens across multiple urban centres in southeastern Michigan. There are significant declines in Bombus abundance and diversity associated with urban development when measured on scales in-line with Bombus flight ability. These declines are entirely driven by declines in females; males showed no response to urbanization. We hypothesize that this is owing to differing foraging strategies between the sexes, and it suggests reduced Bombus colony density in more urban areas. While urbanity reduced Bombus prevalence, results in Detroit imply that ‘shrinking cities’ potentially offer unique urban paradigms that must be considered when studying wild bee ecology. Results show previously unidentified differences in the effects of urbanity on female and male bumble-bee populations and suggest that urban landscapes can be managed to support native bee conservation.

scholarly journals A Native Bee, Melissodes tepaneca (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Benefits Cotton Production

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac L. Esquivel ◽  
Robert N. Coulson ◽  
Michael J. Brewer
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Cotton Production ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Whole Plant ◽  
Weight Yield ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Cotton Plants ◽  
Yield Gain ◽  
Plant Basis

The cotton agroecosystem is one of the most intensely managed, economically and culturally important cropping systems worldwide. Native pollinators are essential in providing pollination services to a diverse array of crops, including those which have the ability to self-pollinate. Cotton, which is autogamous, can potentially benefit from insect-mediated pollination services provided by native bees within the agroecosystem. Examined through two replicated experiments over two years, we hypothesized that native bees facilitated cross-pollination, which resulted in increased lint of harvested bolls produced by flowers exposed to bees and overall lint weight yield of the plant. Cotton bolls from flowers that were caged and exposed to bees, flowers that were hand-crossed, and bolls from flowers on uncaged plants exposed to pollinators had higher pre-gin weights and post-gin weights than bolls from flowers of caged plants excluded from pollinators. When cotton plants were caged with the local native bee Melissodes tepaneca, seed cotton weight was 0.8 g higher on average in 2018 and 1.18 g higher on average in 2019 than when cotton plants were excluded from bees. Cotton production gains from flowers exposed to M. tepaneca were similar when measuring lint and seed separately. Cotton flowers exposed over two weeks around the middle of the blooming period resulted in an overall yield gain of 12% to 15% on a whole plant basis and up to 24% from bolls produced from flowers exposed directly to M. tepaneca. This information complements cotton-mediated conservation benefits provided to native pollinators by substantiating native bee-mediated pollination services provided to the cotton agroecosystem.

scholarly journals Wild Bee Conservation within Urban Gardens and Nurseries: Effects of Local and Landscape Management

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Egerer ◽  
Jacob Cecala ◽  
Hamutahl Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Bee Conservation ◽  
Local Habitat

Across urban environments, vegetated habitats provide refuge for biodiversity. Gardens (designed for food crop production) and nurseries (designed for ornamental plant production) are both urban agricultural habitats characterized by high plant species richness but may vary in their ability to support wild pollinators, particularly bees. In gardens, pollinators are valued for crop production. In nurseries, ornamental plants rarely require pollination; thus, the potential of nurseries to support pollinators has not been examined. We asked how these habitats vary in their ability to support wild bees, and what habitat features relate to this variability. In 19 gardens and 11 nurseries in California, USA, we compared how local habitat and landscape features affected wild bee species abundance and richness. To assess local features, we estimated floral richness and measured ground cover as proxies for food and nesting resources, respectively. To assess landscape features, we measured impervious land cover surrounding each site. Our analyses showed that differences in floral richness, local habitat size, and the amount of urban land cover impacted garden wild bee species richness. In nurseries, floral richness and the proportion of native plant species impacted wild bee abundance and richness. We suggest management guidelines for supporting wild pollinators in both habitats.

scholarly journals Diversified Farming in a Monoculture Landscape: Effects on Honey Bee Health and Wild Bee Communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 753-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley L St. Clair ◽  
Ge Zhang ◽  
Adam G Dolezal ◽  
Matthew E O’Neal ◽  
Amy L Toth
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Nutritional State ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Bee Conservation ◽  
Bee Communities

Abstract In the last century, a global transformation of Earth’s surface has occurred due to human activity with extensive agriculture replacing natural ecosystems. Concomitant declines in wild and managed bees are occurring, largely due to a lack of floral resources and inadequate nutrition, caused by conversion to monoculture-based farming. Diversified fruit and vegetable farms may provide an enhanced variety of resources through crops and weedy plants, which have potential to sustain human and bee nutrition. We hypothesized fruit and vegetable farms can enhance honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Apis mellifera Linnaeus) colony growth and nutritional state over a soybean monoculture, as well as support a more diverse wild bee community. We tracked honey bee colony growth, nutritional state, and wild bee abundance, richness, and diversity in both farm types. Honey bees kept at diversified farms had increased colony weight and preoverwintering nutritional state. Regardless of colony location, precipitous declines in colony weight occurred during autumn and thus colonies were not completely buffered from the stressors of living in a matrix dominated with monocultures. Contrary to our hypothesis, wild bee diversity was greater in soybean, specifically in August, a time when fields are in bloom. These differences were largely driven by four common bee species that performed well in soybean. Overall, these results suggest fruit and vegetable farms provide some benefits for honey bees; however, they do not benefit wild bee communities. Thus, incorporation of natural habitat, rather than diversified farming, in these landscapes, may be a better choice for wild bee conservation efforts.

scholarly journals Negative impacts of dominance on bee communities: Does the influence of invasive honey bees differ from native bees?

Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas A. Garibaldi ◽  
Néstor Pérez‐Méndez ◽  
Guaraci D. Cordeiro ◽  
Alice Hughes ◽  
Michael Orr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Bee Communities

White Clover (Trifolium repens) Control and Flower Head Suppression in Apple Orchards

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew W. MacRae ◽  
Wayne E. Mitchem ◽  
David W. Monks ◽  
Michael L. Parker
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Flower Head ◽  
Apple Orchards ◽  
Application Time ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Herbicide Treatments ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Plant Control

White clover is a weed in apple orchards that competes with the crop; also, flowers of this weed are unwanted attractants of honey bees at times when insecticides, which are harmful to these pollinators, are being applied. In 1997 and 1998, white clover flower head and plant control by clopyralid alone and with 2,4-D and apple tolerance to these herbicides were determined. Treatments consisted of clopyralid at 0.10 and 0.21 kg ae/ha, 2,4-D at 1.1 kg ae/ha, and 2,4-D at 1.1 kg ae/ha plus 0.03 or 0.05 kg ae/ha clopyralid, which were applied 2 wk before full apple bloom and 2 wk after full apple bloom, and a nontreated check. No crop injury occurred with any treatment. All herbicide treatments provided some white clover control and flower head suppression. No differences in white clover bloom reduction were observed through May among treatments containing clopyralid. As summer progressed, the effect of clopyralid rate became more apparent. Clopyralid at 0.21, regardless of application time, provided 99% vegetative control and 100% flower head reduction through July. Clopyralid plus 2,4-D controlled white clover better than 2,4-D alone. However, vegetative control and flower head reduction with clopyralid at reduced rates (0.03 or 0.05 kg ae/ha) plus 2,4-D were not acceptable (76% or less and 78% or less, respectively). Thus, clopyralid at 0.10 and 0.21 kg ae/ha will be necessary for acceptable white clover vegetation control and flower head reduction.

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