Effects of grazing intensity on pollinator abundance and diversity, and on pollination services

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 400-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
AMPARO LÁZARO ◽  
THOMAS TSCHEULIN ◽  
JELLE DEVALEZ ◽  
GEORGIOS NAKAS ◽  
THEODORA PETANIDOU
Keyword(s):  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

scholarly journals Pollination Potential in Portugal: Leveraging an Ecosystem Service for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Caroline Wentling ◽  
Felipe S. Campos ◽  
João David ◽  
Pedro Cabral
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Administrative Boundary

As urbanization and agriculture increase worldwide, habitats and food sources for wild pollinators are often fragmented or destroyed. As wild pollinators contribute both resilience and variety to agricultural fields, it is desirable to implement land management practices that preserve their well-being and ability to contribute to food production systems. This study evaluates continental Portugal for its change in suitability to host bee’s pollinator species (Apis mellifera) from 1990 to 2018. It uses the InVEST crop pollination modeling tool and CORINE Land Cover, as well as parameterization to produce pollinator abundance and supply maps. These are generalized to municipality boundaries to provide actionable insights to farmers and policymakers and strengthen land management practices. It finds that the potential for pollination services is growing, with averages of both pollinator abundance and supply indices improving by 8.76% across the continental territory in 28 years. The study results are validated using another pollination index derived from a study that is based on expert opinion and field sampling in a sub-region of Portugal. This method of aggregation of model results and comparison of the percent difference by administrative boundary has the potential to better inform both policymakers and farmers about the pollination potential on a local level, as well as inspire interventions for future productivity.

scholarly journals The best wildflowers for wild bees

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 819-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel N. Nichols ◽  
Dave Goulson ◽  
John M. Holland
Keyword(s):  
Native Bees ◽  
Convolvulus Arvensis ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Anthyllis Vulneraria ◽  
Important Food Source ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Species Being

Abstract Governmental agri-environment schemes (AES) aim to improve pollinator abundance and diversity on farmland by sowing wildflower seed mixes. These often contain high proportions of Fabaceae, particularly Trifolium (clovers), which are attractive to some bumblebee species, but not to most of the ~ 240 solitary bee species in the UK. Here we identify wildflowers that are attractive to a greater range of wild bee species. Forty-five wildflower species being farmed for commercial seed production on a single farm were surveyed for native bees. Bee walks were conducted through discrete wildflower areas from April until August in 2018. The results indicate that including a range of Apiaceae, Asteraceae, and Geraniaceae in seed mixes would cater for a wide diversity of bee species. A total of 14 wildflower species across nine families attracted 37 out of the 40 bee species recorded on the farm, and accounted for 99.7% of all visitations. Only two of these 14 species are included in current AES pollinator mixes. Unexpectedly, few visits were made by bumblebees to Trifolium spp. (0.5%), despite their being considered an important food source for bumblebees, while Anthyllis vulneraria and Geranium pratense were highly attractive. For solitary bees, Crepis capillaris, Sinapsis arvensis, Convolvulus arvensis and Chaerophyllum temulum were amongst the best performing species, none of which are usually included in sown flower mixes. We suggest that the standard ‘pollinator’ mixes used in AES might be updated to include some of these wildflower species, and trialled as seed mixes on farmland.

scholarly journals Bee Visitation and Fruit Quality in Berries Under Protected Cropping Vary Along the Length of Polytunnels

2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 1337-1346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A Hall ◽  
Jeremy Jones ◽  
Maurizio Rocchetti ◽  
Derek Wright ◽  
Romina Rader
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Fruit Shape ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Berry Crops ◽  
Bee Foraging

Abstract Wild and managed bees provide effective crop pollination services worldwide. Protected cropping conditions are thought to alter the ambient environmental conditions in which pollinators forage for flowers, yet few studies have compared conditions at the edges and center of growing tunnels. We measured environmental variables (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, white light, and UV light) and surveyed activity of the managed honey bee, Apis mellifera L.; wild stingless bee, Tetragonula carbonaria Smith; and wild sweat bee, Homalictus urbanus Smith, along the length of 32 multiple open-ended polyethylene growing tunnels. These were spaced across 12 blocks at two commercial berry farms, in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales and Walkamin, North Queensland, Australia. Berry yield, fresh weight, and other quality metrics were recorded at discrete increments along the length of the tunnels. We found a higher abundance and greater number of flower visits by stingless bees and honey bees at the end of tunnels, and less frequent visits to flowers toward the middle of tunnels. The center of tunnels experienced higher temperatures and reduced wind speed. In raspberry, fruit shape was improved with greater pollinator abundance and was susceptible to higher temperatures. In blueberry, per plant yield and mean berry weight were positively associated with pollinator abundance and were lower at the center of tunnels than at the edge. Fruit quality (crumbliness) in raspberries was improved with a greater number of visits by sweat bees, who were not as susceptible to climatic conditions within tunnels. Understanding bee foraging behavior and changes to yield under protected cropping conditions is critical to inform the appropriate design of polytunnels, aid pollinator management within them, and increase economic gains in commercial berry crops.

scholarly journals The potential of electricity transmission corridors in forested areas as bumblebee habitat

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 160525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Hill ◽  
Ignasi Bartomeus
Keyword(s):  
Transmission Lines ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Current Management ◽  
Electricity Transmission ◽  
Main Determinant ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Management Regime ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Declines in pollinator abundance and diversity are not only a conservation issue, but also a threat to crop pollination. Maintained infrastructure corridors, such as those containing electricity transmission lines, are potentially important wild pollinator habitat. However, there is a lack of evidence comparing the abundance and diversity of wild pollinators in transmission corridors with other important pollinator habitats. We compared the diversity of a key pollinator group, bumblebees ( Bombus spp.), between transmission corridors and the surrounding semi-natural and managed habitat types at 10 sites across Sweden's Uppland region. Our results show that transmission corridors have no impact on bumblebee diversity in the surrounding area. However, transmission corridors and other maintained habitats such as roadsides have a level of bumblebee abundance and diversity comparable to semi-natural grasslands and host species that are important for conservation and ecosystem service provision. Under the current management regime, transmission corridors already provide valuable bumblebee habitat, but given that host plant density is the main determinant of bumblebee abundance, these areas could potentially be enhanced by establishing and maintaining key host plants. We show that in northern temperate regions the maintenance of transmission corridors has the potential to contribute to bumblebee conservation and the ecosystem services they provide.

scholarly journals The relative importance of pollinator abundance and species richness for the temporal variance of pollination services

Ecology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (7) ◽  
pp. 1807-1816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Genung ◽  
Jeremy Fox ◽  
Neal M. Williams ◽  
Claire Kremen ◽  
John Ascher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Temporal Variance

scholarly journals “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” approach increases pollinator abundance and diversity in faba bean fields

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahlam Sentil ◽  
Patrick Lhomme ◽  
Denis Michez ◽  
Sara Reverté ◽  
Pierre Rasmont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Faba Bean ◽  
Cultivated Plants ◽  
Pollinator Decline ◽  
Flower Visitor ◽  
North West ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Main Crop ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Habitat Enhancement ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPollinators are threatened worldwide and strategies and measures to support their conservation are proliferating. Among them, the approach “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” (FAP) aims to support pollinators by seeding strips of pollinator-attracting cultivated plants surrounding the crops, and simultaneously providing income to the farmer. In this study we assessed whether this approach supports pollinator diversity in agro-ecosystems and increases flower visitor diversity and abundance in faba bean fields in north-west Morocco. We tested the impact of FAP using a variety of marketable habitat enhancement plants (MHEP): flax, coriander, arugula, chia and canola. A total of 62 pollinator species were recorded, among which almost half of them are new records for the region. Most wild pollinators recorded in faba bean were digger bees (genus Anthophora) and long-horn bees (genus Eucera). MHEP shared diverse flower visitors with faba bean and hosted diverse pollinator groups that did not meet their food requirements from the main crop. The FAP approach highly increased flower visitor abundance and diversity in the whole FAP fields, however it did not generate significant pollinator spillover towards the main crop. Implications for insect conservation: our results show that the FAP approach is an effective approach to mitigate pollinator decline in agro-ecosystems.

Optimising solar park design and management to boost pollinator abundance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hollie Blaydes ◽  
Alona Armstrong ◽  
Duncan Whyatt ◽  
Simon Potts ◽  
Emma Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Park Design ◽  
The Uk

<p>Solar photovoltaics (PV) is projected to become the dominant renewable, with much capacity being installed as ground-mounted solar parks. Land use change for solar can affect ecosystems across various spatial scales and solar parks offer a unique opportunity for ecological enhancement. One compelling potential benefit put in practice by the solar industry is management for insect pollinators. Specifically, solar parks can provide refuge for pollinators through the provision of suitable habitat, potentially contributing to halting and reversing widespread declines recorded in a number of pollinator groups. There is scope to both manage and design solar parks for pollinators, but understanding is limited. Using a combination of GIS and a process-based pollinator model, we explore how solar park size, shape and management could affect ground-nesting bumblebee abundance inside solar parks and surrounding landscapes in the UK. We show that within solar parks, the floral resources provided by different management practices is a key factor affecting bumblebee abundance, but the impacts are dependent on landscape context. In comparison, solar park size and shape have a lesser impact. Moreover, the effects of both solar park management and design extend into the surrounding landscape, affecting bumblebee abundance up to 1 km away from the solar park. If designed and managed optimally, solar parks therefore have the potential to boost local pollinator abundance and pollination services to surrounding land. Our results demonstrate how incorporating biodiversity into solar park design and management decisions could benefit groups such as pollinators and contribute to the wider environmental sustainability of solar parks.</p>

scholarly journals Flower Strips in Wheat Intercropping System: Effect on Pollinator Abundance and Diversity in Belgium

Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Amy ◽  
Grégoire Noël ◽  
Séverin Hatt ◽  
Roel Uyttenbroeck ◽  
Frank Van de Meutter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insect Pests ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
System Effect ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Pollinator Species ◽  
Pollinator Community ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Areas

The decline of pollinators in agricultural areas has been observed for some decades, this being partly due to landscape simplification in intensive agrosystems. Diversifying agricultural landscapes by sowing flower strips within fields could reduce these adverse effects on biodiversity. In this context, the study presented here aimed at assessing and comparing the abundance and diversity of bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) found and visiting flowers in three types of flower strips in Belgium: (i) a mixture of 11 wild flowers, (ii) a monofloral strip of Dimorphoteca pluvialis (Asteraceae) and (iii) a monofloral strip of Camelina sativa (Brassicaceae), where the last two are considered to be intercrops since they are valuable on the market, all sown within a field of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Pollinators were captured with pan traps and by netting in standardised transects from May to July 2017. One-thousand one-hundred and eighty-four individuals belonging to 43 bee species and 18 hoverfly species were collected. Significant differences in hoverfly diversity were found between the different flower strips. The multifloral treatment supported a greater diversity of syrphid species. Various pollinator species visited the different flowers composing the mixture and also D. pluvialis. The pollinator community proved to be predominantly generalist, with the exception of an oligolectic species in Belgium, Andrena nitidiuscula. Moreover, the three tested flower strips were effective in attracting hoverflies, among them natural enemies of insect pests. This study opens new perspectives in the design of intercropping systems with flower strips towards the design of sustainable agro-ecosystems. Improving economic profitability of sowing flower strips could encourage farmers to diversify their agricultural systems and foster conservation biology strategies.

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