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.

Within-crown distribution, attack, and germination of Curculio occidentis-damaged and Cydia latiferreana-damaged Garry oak acorns in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

2012 ◽  
Vol 144 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-434
Author(s):  
Imre S. Otvos ◽  
Doris A. Mills ◽  
Nicholas Conder
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Endangered Plant ◽  
Feeding Damage ◽  
Quercus Garryana ◽  
Damage Category ◽  
Rare And Endangered ◽  
Germination Success ◽  
First Time ◽  
Weevil Infestation

AbstractGarry oak, Quercus garryana Douglas ex Hooker (Fagaceae), is part of a unique ecosystem in British Columbia, Canada, which is rich in rare and endangered plant species. Garry oak recruitment is critical to the existence of this ecosystem, therefore, the effect of Curculio occidentis (Casey) (filbert weevil; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Cydia latiferreana (Walsingham) (filbertworm; Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) on acorn germination is of great interest. Together these two insects infested 80.7%, 75.1%, and 51.3% of acorns collected in 1996, 1997 (low crop years), and 1998 (high crop year), respectively. Filbertworm infestation did not vary with crown level. Filbert weevil infestation did not vary with crown level during poor crop years, but significantly more filbert weevil-infested acorns were found in the lower than the middle and upper portions of the trees during the high crop year. Severely damaged acorns did not germinate, and acorns with light to moderate feeding damage had lower germination success than undamaged acorns, but growth of germinated seedlings in the light to moderate damage category was unaffected. This study showed, for the first time, that these two insect species infested a large proportion of Garry oak acorns on the tree in British Columbia, and that light to moderate damage of the acorn has relatively low impact on seedling growth.

scholarly journals Identification of plant species for pollinator restoration in the Northern Prairies

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Bizecki Robson ◽  
Cary Hamel ◽  
Rebekah Neufeld
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Prairie Restoration ◽  
Species Accumulation Curves ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Accumulation Curves ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Insect Visitors

Research on diurnal plant–pollinator interactions indicates that a small number of generalist plants provide a disproportionately high amount of floral resources to pollinating insects. Identifying these generalist plants would help prairie restoration specialists select species that will provide forage for the majority of pollinator taxa. Field research in three Canadian fescue (Festuca hallii) prairie preserves that were at most 3.3 km away from each other was conducted in 2014 and 2015 to create pooled, weighted, plant–insect visitor matrices for each site. Using these matrices, generalization (G) scores were calculated for each plant species to help assess their importance to wild insect visitors as this method controls for differences in insect abundances over the year. The three species with the highest average generalization scores were Solidago rigida, Erigeron glabellus and Symphyotrichum laeve. Species accumulation curves were created to determine how many plant species would need to be present before most pollinator taxa would have at least one acceptable forage species. This research indicates that the 16 plant species (33% of the total) with the highest average generalization scores were visited by 90% of the observed pollinator taxa. To detect exceptionally attractive plant species while accounting for natural differences in abundance, we calculated the insect, bee and fly visitation rates per inflorescence. There was several specialized plant species that were visited frequently by bees. Most of these specialized plants had purple or yellow, tubular flowers, and bloomed in mid to late summer when bee populations were most numerous. 

Range extensions of grassland species in southern interior British Columbia

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 2240-2242
Author(s):  
Brian M. Wikeem ◽  
Reg F. Newman
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Grassland Species

Field studies and herbarium searches during 1983 and 1984 have revealed range extensions of three grassland plant species in the southern interior of British Columbia. These species include Allium geyeri Wats. var. tenerum Jones, Gaura coccinea (Nutt.) Pursh, and Sidalcea oregana (Nutt.) Gray ssp. oregana var. procera C. L. Hitchc. All three taxa were previously unknown to the Kamloops area and Sidalcea oregana is new to the province and Canada.

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.

scholarly journals Camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) Crop Performance, Insect Pollinators, and Pollen Dispersal in the Northeastern US

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Rizzitello ◽  
Chuan-Jie Zhang ◽  
Carol Auer
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Pollen Dispersal ◽  
Camelina Sativa ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Oilseed Crop ◽  
Crop Failure ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Pollinating Insects

AbstractCamelina sativa (camelina) is an oilseed crop in the Brassicaceae that has been genetically engineered for the production of biofuels, dietary supplements, and other industrial compounds. Cultivation in North America is both recent and limited, so there are gaps in knowledge regarding yield, weed competition, and pollen-mediated gene flow. For these experiments, camelina ‘SO-40’ was grown for three years without weed control. Spring-sown camelina was harvested at 80-88 days with ∼1200 growing degree days (GDD) with yields of 425-508 kg/hectare. Camelina yields were the same with or without weeds, showing competitive ability in low-management conditions. Crop failure in 2015 was associated with delayed rainfall and above-average temperatures after seeding. Camelina flowers attracted pollinating insects from the Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Coleoptera. Hymenoptera included honey bees (Apis melifera), mining bees (Andrenidae), sweat bees (Halictidae), bumble bees (Bombus spp.) and leaf cutter bees (Megachilidae). Insect visitation on camelina flowers was associated with modest increases in seed yield. Honey bees comprised 28-33% of all pollinators and were shown to carry camelina pollen on their legs. Air sampling showed that wind-blown pollen was present at low concentrations at 9 m beyond the edges of the field. These experiments demonstrated for the first time that camelina pollen dispersal could occur through honey bees or wind, although bee activity would likely be more significant for long-distance gene flow.

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal assessments of genetic structure in an endangered Garry oak ecosystem on Vancouver Island

Botany ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 257-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin E. Catherall ◽  
Jasmine K. Janes ◽  
Caroline A. Josefsson ◽  
Jamieson C. Gorrell
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Allelic Diversity ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Quercus Garryana ◽  
Fixation Indices ◽  
Oak Ecosystem ◽  
Species At Risk Act

Garry oak (Quercus garryana Douglas ex Hook.) is a deciduous tree whose ecosystem is listed “at risk” throughout its range in British Columbia (BC), Canada, under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. Garry oak ecosystems host the most diverse flora for coastal BC, yet they account for less than 0.3% of the province’s land coverage. Due to the loss and degradation of Garry oak habitat, many associated plant and animal species that rely on these sensitive ecosystems are endangered. Microsatellite markers were used to investigate temporal changes in fine-scale population genetic structure of 121 Garry oak trees from the Nanaimo region (Vancouver Island, BC) using diameter at breast height as a proxy for age. Overall, allelic diversity was moderate, ranging from 3.0 to 7.5 alleles per locus with a mean of 4.4 (±0.4 SE) across all loci. Global fixation indices (FST) of 0.06 and 0.09 suggest significant departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium among all populations and age-classified subpopulations, respectively. We found no evidence for change in genetic diversity across generations. Our results indicate low levels of differentiation within populations and high levels of gene flow among populations, suggesting an adaptive potential for Garry oaks in response to future climate change events.

scholarly journals The diversity of floral temperature patterns, and their use by pollinators

eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael JM Harrap ◽  
Sean A Rands ◽  
Natalie Hempel de Ibarra ◽  
Heather M Whitney
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Differential Conditioning ◽  
Stingless Bees ◽  
Temperature Structure ◽  
Sensory Cues ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Plant Thermogenesis ◽  
Artificial Flowers ◽  
Different Parts

Pollinating insects utilise various sensory cues to identify and learn rewarding flower species. One such cue is floral temperature, created by captured sunlight or plant thermogenesis. Bumblebees, honeybees and stingless bees can distinguish flowers based on differences in overall temperature between flowers. We report here that floral temperature often differs between different parts of the flower creating a temperature structure or pattern. Temperature patterns are common, with 55% of 118 plant species thermographed, showing within-flower temperature differences greater than the 2°C difference that bees are known to be able to detect. Using differential conditioning techniques, we show that bumblebees can distinguish artificial flowers differing in temperature patterns comparable to those seen in real flowers. Thus, bumblebees are able to perceive the shape of these within-flower temperature patterns. Floral temperature patterns may therefore represent a new floral cue that could assist pollinators in the recognition and learning of rewarding flowers.

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

scholarly journals Busy Bees: Variation in Insect Flower-Visiting Rates across Multiple Plant Species

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret J. Couvillon ◽  
Chandra M. Walter ◽  
Eluned M. Blows ◽  
Tomer J. Czaczkes ◽  
Karin L. Alton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
The Other ◽  
Insect Diversity ◽  
Visitation Rates ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Flower Visiting

We quantified insect visitation rates by counting how many flowers/inflorescences were probed per unit time for five plant species (four native and one garden: California lilac, bramble, ragwort, wild marjoram, and ivy) growing in Sussex, United Kingdom, by following individual insects (n=2987) from nine functional groups (honey bees (Apis mellifera), bumble bees (Bombusspp.), hoverflies, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps, non-Apidae bees, and moths). Additionally, we made a census of the insect diversity on the studied plant species. Overall we found that insect groups differed greatly in their rate of flower visits (P<2.2e-16), with bumble bees and honey bees visiting significantly more flowers per time (11.5 and 9.2 flowers/minute, resp.) than the other insect groups. Additionally, we report on a within-group difference in the non-Apidae bees, where the genusOsmia, which is often suggested as an alternative to honey bees as a managed pollinator, was very speedy (13.4 flowers/minute) compared to the other non-Apidae bees (4.3 flowers/minute). Our census showed that the plants attracted a range of insects, with the honey bee as the most abundant visitor (34%). Therefore, rate differences cannot be explained by particular specializations. Lastly, we discuss potential implications of our conclusions for pollination.

Characteristics of multiple sclerosis in aboriginals living in British Columbia, Canada

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 1239-1243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jameelah Saeedi ◽  
Peter Rieckmann ◽  
Irene Yee ◽  
Helen Tremlett ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Age At Onset ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Onset Date ◽  
Disease Course ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Student’S T

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to identify and describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) in aboriginals in British Columbia (BC), Canada and compare these findings with non-aboriginal MS patients. Methods: This retrospective chart and database review accessed patient information from the linked BC-wide MS clinical and genetics databases. Data gathered included: demographics (age, sex and ethnicity); clinical characteristics (MS onset date, disease course and disability scores (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS]). Aboriginals were identified via the database linkage augmented by physician and nurse recall. Two non-aboriginal comparator groups with definite MS were selected. Group one included all definite MS patients in the BC MS database, and group two comprised MS patients matched by sex, age at onset and initial disease course. Patient characteristics were compared using the Student’s t-test, chi-squared test, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to examine disease progression (time to sustained and confirmed EDSS 6) Results: We identified 26 aboriginals with MS, of which 19/26 (73%) were female, 23/26 (89%) had relapsing-onset MS and a mean onset age of 31.1 years. There were no significant differences between the MS aboriginals and the non-matched ( n = 5708) comparator group with respect to age, sex or disease course ( p > 0.1), However, aboriginals progressed more rapidly to EDSS 6 from disease onset ( p < 0.001) when compared with the matched and unmatched comparator groups. Conclusion: We identified a small, but important cohort of aboriginals with MS; being the largest identified to date. There was evidence of more rapid MS progression in aboriginals compared with non-aboriginals.

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