scholarly journals Significance of Apoidea as Main Pollinators. Ecological and Economic Impact and Implications for Human Nutrition

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 280
Author(s):  
Peter Hristov ◽  
Boyko Neov ◽  
Rositsa Shumkova ◽  
Nadezhda Palova
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Genetic Resource ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Total Economic Value

Wild and managed bees provide pollination services to crops and wild plants, as well as a variety of other services beneficial to humans. Honey bees are the most economically valuable pollinator worldwide. It has been calculated that 9.5% of the total economic value of agricultural production comes from insect pollination, thus amounting to just under USD 200 billion globally. More than 100 important crops depend on pollination by honey bees. The latter pollinate not only a wide number of commercial crops but also many wild plants, some of which are threatened by extinction and constitute a valuable genetic resource. Moreover, as pollinators, honey bees play a significant role in every aspect of the ecosystem by facilitating the growth of trees, flowers, and other plants that serve as food and shelter for many large and small creatures. In this paper, we describe how the reduction in honey bee populations affects various economic sectors, as well as human health.

scholarly journals Total Economic Value of Natural Capital - A Case Study of Piatra Craiului National Park

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan POPA ◽  
Claudiu COMAN ◽  
Stelian A. BORZ ◽  
Dan M. NITA ◽  
Codrin CODREANU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
National Park ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Distribution Analysis ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Total Economic Value

In the last two decades different methodologies for assessing the economic implications of protected areas have been developed within the framework of "Total Economic Value", taking into account not only goods and services that have a price and a market but also those not priced or marketed. The present paper, by using a number of recognized methodologies applied by environmental economists around the world, estimates the economic value of ecosystem services of Piatra Craiului National Park, in one of the first attempts to frame ecosystem services valuation in Romania. The approach and results include a benefit distribution analysis, for both the economic sectors and the groups of beneficiaries. Even if the data are not comprehensive and depend on several assumptions, the paper provides very important practical and policy-relevant information on the economic value of Piatra Craiului National Park, in an attempt to stimulate increasing of the budgetary allocation and economic policy priority for protected areas in Romania.

Sequential generations of honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens produced using cryopreserved semen

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon K. Hopkins ◽  
Charles Herr ◽  
Walter S. Sheppard
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Eastern Asia ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Instrumental Insemination ◽  
Diploid Female ◽  
Frozen Semen

Much of the world’s food production is dependent on honey bees for pollination, and expanding food production will further increase the demand for managed pollination services. Apiculturists outside the native range of the honey bee, in the Americas, Australia and eastern Asia, have used only a few of the 27 described subspecies of honey bees (Apis mellifera) for beekeeping purposes. Within the endemic ranges of a particular subspecies, hybridisation can threaten native subspecies when local beekeepers import and propagate non-native honey bees. For many threatened species, cryopreserved germplasm can provide a resource for the preservation of diversity and recovery of endangered populations. However, although instrumental insemination of queen honey bees is well established, the absence of an effective means to cryopreserve honey bee semen has limited the success of efforts to preserve genetic diversity within the species or to develop repositories of honey bee germplasm for breeding purposes. Herein we report that some queens inseminated with cryopreserved semen were capable of producing a substantial number of fertilised offspring. These diploid female larvae were used to produce two additional sequential generations of new queens, which were then back-crossed to the same stock of frozen semen. Our results demonstrate the ability to produce queens using cryopreserved honey bee spermatozoa and the potential for the establishment of a honey bee genetic repository.

scholarly journals Pollination Services from Insects in Homegardens in the Chengdu Plain will be Confronted with Crises

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qin Liu ◽  
Pei Xu ◽  
Kun Yan ◽  
Yingman Guo
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Peak Time ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Peach Fruit ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Chengdu Plain ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
Flower Visiting

Chengdu Plain is one of China’s most important agricultural production zones and has a large human population. Agricultural crops require insect pollination to increase yield and quality, which is especially important in plains areas where forest area is small. Homegardens are the main habitat of pollinators. The present study identified the importance of insect pollination in homegardens in the Chengdu Plain through field investigations and comparative experiments and revealed the risk to pollination services caused by the decrease in diversity and population of managed and wild pollinators. The results showed that (1) prohibiting all insect pollination (treatment A) and prohibiting managed bee pollination (treatment B) significantly reduced the yield and seed number of rapeseed and significantly reduced the size, weight, and sweetness of peach fruit, but had no significant effects on plums; (2) the dependence on insect pollination and the economic values of insect pollination for rapeseed and peaches are 0.56 and $85.1 million and 0.44 and $31.0 million, respectively; (3) there were 23 flower-visiting pollinator species at the experimental sites including: four species of managed bees and 19 species of wild pollinators. The peak time for pollinators to visit flowers was 11:00 to 15:00, and the managed bees accounted for over 67.55% of these visits; (4) within a radius of 1000 m from the site, 58.06% of the bees were non-locally managed, and the bee population managed locally by farmers decreased; and (5) compared with 2008, the number of homegardens decreased by 17.24%, the managed bees within the homegardens decreased by 62.05%, and the disappearance and destruction of homegardens led to a significant reduction in wild pollinators.

scholarly journals Advances and perspectives in selecting resistance traits against the parasitic mite Varroa destructor in honey bees

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthieu Guichard ◽  
Vincent Dietemann ◽  
Markus Neuditschko ◽  
Benjamin Dainat
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Selection Strategy ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
New Host ◽  
Parasitic Mite ◽  
Resistance Traits

Abstract Background In spite of the implementation of control strategies in honey bee (Apis mellifera) keeping, the invasive parasitic mite Varroa destructor remains one of the main causes of colony losses in numerous countries. Therefore, this parasite represents a serious threat to beekeeping and agro-ecosystems that benefit from the pollination services provided by honey bees. To maintain their stocks, beekeepers have to treat their colonies with acaricides every year. Selecting lineages that are resistant to infestations is deemed to be a more sustainable approach. Review Over the last three decades, numerous selection programs have been initiated to improve the host–parasite relationship and to support honey bee survival in the presence of the parasite without the need for acaricide treatments. Although resistance traits have been included in the selection strategy of honey bees, it has not been possible to globally solve the V. destructor problem. In this study, we review the literature on the reasons that have potentially limited the success of such selection programs. We compile the available information to assess the relevance of selected traits and the potential environmental effects that distort trait expression and colony survival. Limitations to the implementation of these traits in the field are also discussed. Conclusions Improving our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying resistance to V. destructor to increase trait relevance, optimizing selection programs to reduce environmental effects, and communicating selection outcomes are all crucial to efforts aiming at establishing a balanced relationship between the invasive parasite and its new host.

scholarly journals Occurrence and Phylogenetic Analysis of DWV in Stingless Bee (Apidae sp.) in China: A Case Report

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Zhang ◽  
Yanchun Deng ◽  
Hongxia Zhao ◽  
Ming Zhang ◽  
Chunsheng Hou
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Stingless Bees ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Stingless Bee ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Bee Colonies ◽  
Bee Viruses

Honey bees play a vital role in providing pollination services for agricultural crops and wild flowering plants. However, the spillover risk of their pathogens to other pollinators or wild insects is becoming a cause for concern. There is some evidence that stingless bees can carry honey bee viruses, but little is known about the presence of honey bee viruses in stingless bees in China. Here, we investigate the occurrence of major honey bee pathogens including bacteria, fungi, and viruses in stingless bees (Apidae: sp.). Our results show that the stingless bees (Apidae: sp.) were mainly infected with DWV-A, but no DWV-B and DWV-C. Phylogenetic analysis on fragments of lp, RdRp, and VP3 of DWV-A indicated that genetic variation in VP3 might an important indicator for host-specific viruses, but it requires further study. Our results indicated that DWV-A is not only the major strain of virus currently circulating in managed bee colonies in China and globally, but in stingless bee species as a whole.

scholarly journals Insect visitors to avocado flowers in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

2017 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 38-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.F.J. Read ◽  
B.G. Howlett ◽  
L.K. Jesson ◽  
D.E. Pattemore
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Insect Species ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Flower Visitor ◽  
Production Area ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Insect Visitors

Insect pollination is key to ensuring adequate fruit yields within avocado orchards. Various bee and non-bee insect species have been considered as potential pollinators of avocado worldwide, but in New Zealand there has been little research into which insect species visit avocado flowers. In the Bay of Plenty, an important avocado production area, flower visitor abundance and diversity data were obtained by conducting observational surveys in four orchards in November 2015. Honey bees were the dominant flower visitors in all orchards surveyed, representing 92.9% of all insects recorded, but there was high variation in numbers among sites. Other common insects observed included the beetle, Zorion guttigerum (3.4%), and bumblebees Bombus spp. (1.6%). A better understanding of the interaction between honey bee stocking rates and flower visitor abundances within orchards could assist in improving pollination recommendations.

scholarly journals Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Health in Stationary and Migratory Apiaries

Sociobiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lubiane Guimarães Cestaro ◽  
Maria Luisa Teles Marques Florêncio Alves ◽  
Dejair Message ◽  
Marcos Vinícius Gualberdo Barbosa Silva ◽  
Érica Weinstein Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Determining Factor ◽  
Type Of Management

The practice of migratory beekeeping is based on moving honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies between different locations to intensify agricultural production through improved pollination services. However, due to stress caused by exposure of bee hives to different environments, migratory beekeeping activities can lead colonies to greater susceptibility of these insects to pathogens and pests, thus leading to population decline and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health profile of apiaries that adopt two types of management (stationary and migratory), located in the central-eastern region of São Paulo state, Brazil, during two sampling periods, one in spring (October 2010), and one in autumn (May 2011). We collected 474 samples of honeycomb from the brood area, combs containing capped brood, adult bees that covered the brood area, and foraging bees, to evaluate the presence and prevalence of Paenibacillus larvae, Varroa destructor, Nosema apis and N. ceranae. Seasonality was identified as a determining factor in the health condition of Africanized A. mellifera colonies, causing a stronger effect on health than the type of management employed (stationary vs migratory beekeeping). The infection rates of N. ceranae were higher during the autumn in relation to the spring (387 ± 554 spores per bee in the spring and 1,167 ± 1,202 spores per bee in the autumn in stationary apiaries and 361 ± 687 spores per bee in the spring and 1,082 ± 1,277 spores per bee in the autumn in migratory apiaries). The same pattern was found for infestation rates of V. destructor (2.83 ± 1.97 in the spring and 9.48 ± 6.15 in the autumn in stationary apiaries and 3.25 ± 2.32 in the spring and 6.34 ± 6.58 in the autumn in migratory apiaries). These results demonstrate that the seasonality affects the health of A. mellifera colonies, but it does not depend on the type of management adopted (stationary or migratory).

scholarly journals Multi-tiered Analyses of Honey Bees That Resist or Succumb to Parasitic Mites and Viruses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel B. Weaver ◽  
Brandi L. Cantarel ◽  
Christine Elsik ◽  
Dawn L. Lopez ◽  
Jay Evans
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Host Responses ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Parasitic Mites

Abstract Background Varroa destructor mites, and the numerous viruses they vector to their honey bee hosts, are among the most serious threats to honey bee populations, causing mortality and morbidity to both the individual honey bee and colony, the negative effects of which convey to the pollination services provided by honey bees worldwide. Here we use a combination of targeted assays and deep RNA sequencing to determine host and microbial changes in resistant and susceptible honey bee lineages. We focus on three study sets. The first involves field sampling of sympatric western bees, some derived from resistant stock and some from stock susceptible to mites. The second experiment contrasts three colonies more deeply, two from susceptible stock from the southeastern U.S. and one from mite-resistant bee stock from Eastern Texas. Finally, to decouple the effects of mites from those of the viruses they vector, we experimentally expose honey bees to DWV in the laboratory, measuring viral growth and host responses. Results We find strong differences between resistant and susceptible bees in terms of both viral loads and bee gene expression. Interestingly, lineages of bees with naturally low levels of the mite-vectored Deformed wing virus, also carried lower levels of viruses not vectored by mites. By mapping gene expression results against current ontologies and other studies, we describe the impacts of mite parasitism, as well as viruses on bee health against two genetic backgrounds. We identify numerous genes and processes seen in other studies of stress and disease in honey bee colonies, though we find novel genes and new patterns of expression too. Conclusions We provide evidence that honey bees surviving in the face of parasitic mites do so through their abilities to resist the presence of devastating viruses vectored by these mites. By revealing responses to viral infection and mite parasitism in different lineages, our data identify candidate proteins for the evolution of mite tolerance and virus resistance.

scholarly journals Multi-tiered analyses of honey bees that resist or succumb to parasitic mites and viruses

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel B. Weaver ◽  
Brandi L. Cantarel ◽  
Christine G. Elsik ◽  
Dawn L. Boncristiani ◽  
Jay D. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Gene Activation ◽  
Constitutive Expression ◽  
Host Responses ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Parasitic Mites

Abstract Background Varroa destructor mites, and the numerous viruses they vector to their honey bee hosts, are among the most serious threats to honey bee populations, causing mortality and morbidity to both the individual honey bee and colony, the negative effects of which convey to the pollination services provided by honey bees worldwide. Here we use a combination of targeted assays and deep RNA sequencing to determine host and microbial changes in resistant and susceptible honey bee lineages. We focus on three study sets. The first involves field sampling of sympatric western bees, some derived from resistant stock and some from stock susceptible to mites. The second experiment contrasts three colonies more deeply, two from susceptible stock from the southeastern U.S. and one from mite-resistant bee stock from Eastern Texas. Finally, to decouple the effects of mites from those of the viruses they vector, we experimentally expose honey bees to DWV in the laboratory, measuring viral growth and host responses. Results We find strong differences between resistant and susceptible bees in terms of both viral loads and bee gene expression. Interestingly, lineages of bees with naturally low levels of the mite-vectored Deformed wing virus, also carried lower levels of viruses not vectored by mites. By mapping gene expression results against current ontologies and other studies, we describe the impacts of mite parasitism, as well as viruses on bee health against two genetic backgrounds. We identify numerous genes and processes seen in other studies of stress and disease in honey bee colonies, alongside novel genes and new patterns of expression. Conclusions We provide evidence that honey bees surviving in the face of parasitic mites do so through their abilities to resist the presence of devastating viruses vectored by these mites. In all cases, the most divergence between stocks was seen when bees were exposed to live mites or viruses, suggesting that gene activation, rather than constitutive expression, is key for these interactions. By revealing responses to viral infection and mite parasitism in different lineages, our data identify candidate proteins for the evolution of mite tolerance and virus resistance.

scholarly journals Historical Changes in Honey Bee Wing Venation in Romania

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 542
Author(s):  
Adam Tofilski ◽  
Eliza Căuia ◽  
Adrian Siceanu ◽  
Gabriela Oana Vișan ◽  
Dumitru Căuia
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Temporal Changes ◽  
Wing Venation ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Before And After

The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is an ecologically and economically important species that provides pollination services to natural and agricultural systems. The biodiversity of the honey bee is being endangered by the mass import of non-native queens. In many locations, it is not clear how the local populations have been affected by hybridisation between native and non-native bees. There is especially little information about temporal changes in hybridisation. In Romania, A. m. carpatica naturally occurs, and earlier studies show that there are two subpopulations separated by the Carpathian Mountains. In this study, we investigated how the arrangement of veins in bees’ wings (venation) has changed in Romanian honey bees in the last four decades. We found that in the contemporary population of Romanian bees, there are still clear differences between the intra- and extra-Carpathian subpopulations, which indicates that natural variation among honey bees is still being preserved. We also found significant differences between bees collected before and after 2000. The observed temporal changes in wing venation are most likely caused by hybridisation between native bees and non-native bees sporadically introduced by beekeepers. In order to facilitate conservation and the monitoring of native Romanian bees, we developed a method facilitating their identification.

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