Influence of windbreaks and forest borders on abundance and species richness of native pollinators in lowbush blueberry fields in Québec, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 147 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Moisan-DeSerres ◽  
Madeleine Chagnon ◽  
Valérie Fournier
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Double Row ◽  
Vaccinium Angustifolium ◽  
Lowbush Blueberry ◽  
Native Pollinator ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Pan Traps ◽  
Ground Nesting

AbstractLowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton (Ericaceae)) production is highly dependent on insect pollination to maximise yields. The current losses in honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)) colonies pose a serious threat to the blueberry industry, raising interest in alternative pollinators. Abundance and diversity of native pollinators usually decreases with distance from natural habitats. In this study, we evaluated the effects of distance from wooded habitats such as windbreaks and forest borders on the presence of native pollinators in blueberry fields in Lac-St-Jean (Québec, Canada). Four treatments were compared: single-row, double-row, natural windbreaks, and forest borders. Pan-traps were placed at 5, 30, and 60 m from the windbreak or forest border. A total of 3878 native pollinators were collected and 81% were ground-nesting bees. The forest border was the only treatment with higher abundance and species richness on the periphery (5 m) of the field than at further distances, supporting the hypothesis that the presence of pollinators is favoured by habitats potentially offering more abundant and diverse nutritional resources. Our overall results reveal that native pollinators are distributed quite homogeneously in blueberry fields, suggesting that windbreaks are beneficial to native pollinator communities.

Ecology of Dolichopodidae (Diptera) in a wetland habitat and their potential role as bioindicators

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Gelbič ◽  
Jiří Olejníček
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Seasonal Activity ◽  
Wet Meadow ◽  
Emergence Traps ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Pan Traps ◽  
Malaise Traps

AbstractEcological investigations of long-legged flies (Dolichopodidae) were carried out in wet meadow wetlands near České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Sampling was performed during the adult flies’ seasonal activity (March–October) in 2002, 2003 and 2004 using yellow pan traps, Malaise traps, emergence traps, and by sweeping. Altogether 5,697 specimens of 78 species of Dolichopodidae were collected, identified and analysed. The study examined community structure, species abundance, and diversity (Shannon-Weaver’s index - H’; Sheldon’s equitability index - E). Chrysotus cilipes, C. gramineus and Dolichopus ungulatus were the most abundant species in all three years. Species richness and diversity seem strongly affected by soil moisture.

Effect of meadow regeneration on bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) abundance and diversity in southern Ontario, Canada

2013 ◽  
Vol 145 (6) ◽  
pp. 655-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy C. Rutgers-Kelly ◽  
Miriam H. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
First Year ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Landfill Sites ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Bee Community ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
And Control ◽  
Pan Traps ◽  
Bee Abundance

AbstractTo investigate how bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) communities repopulate habitat following severe disturbances, we compared assemblages in new, regenerating landfill sites planted in 2003, recent landfill sites planted in 2000, and control meadows relatively undisturbed for >40 years. All sites were identically sampled using pan traps and sweep netting, from early May to late September 2003, equalising collection effort among sites. In addition, we carried out five-minute aerial net samplings wherever sites contained large patches of wildflowers. We predicted that abundance and diversity of bees would be highest in recent sites and lowest in new sites. This prediction was partially supported: bees were most abundant in recent sites followed by control, then new sites, but species richness was highest (82 species) in recent sites, followed by new sites (67 species), then control (66 species). A randomisation analysis showed that there were more species than expected in new sites and fewer than expected in control sites. Differences in blossom availability likely explain differences in bee abundance and diversity among habitat regeneration levels. Overall, our results suggest that the bee community recolonised newly available sites immediately in the first year and that bee diversity and abundance increased for at least three years, subsequently declining between three and 40 years.

scholarly journals Generalist solitary ground-nesting bees dominate diversity survey in intensively managed agricultural land

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Juel Ahrenfeldt ◽  
Johannes Kollmann ◽  
Henning Bang Madsen ◽  
Hans Skov-Petersen ◽  
Lene Sigsgaard
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Ground Nesting

In Western Europe agricultural management was intensified in the period 1950–2010 with negative consequences for ecosystem services, such as pollination, especially in countries with a large proportion of agriculture. Farmland represents 66% of the Danish landscape, but little is known about wild bees despite that 75% of the country’s wild and cultivated plant species depend on insect pollination. Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) gains considerable benefits from insect pollination and abundance, species richness and functional diversity, are all important elements. We surveyed the diversity of wild bees during strawberry flowering by sampling bees with pan-traps along permanent margins bordering strawberry fields on six organic and six conventional farms in eastern Denmark and compared the results of the survey with that of sampling site farming practice and field margin forage availability. The majority of bees sampled were polylectic solitary ground-nesting bees known to forage on species of the rose family. This indicates that these bee species are potential pollinators of strawberries, and the low number of specialized bees suggests that the bee community was affected by the simplified landscapes. Temporal trends in abundance, species richness, and body size of the bees, suggest that the functional diversity of pollinator assemblages available differed for early- and late-flowering strawberries. Fewer plants species and a lower plant cover were found in the margins of sprayed fields. Abundance and diversity of the wild bees were neither correlated with the use of herbicides and insecticides, nor with plant species richness or flowering plant cover.

Contribution of the Cerrado as Habitat for Sunflower Pollinating Bees

Sociobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 281
Author(s):  
Mayra Layra Santos Almeida ◽  
Gabriel Santos Carvalho ◽  
Júlia Rodrigues Novais ◽  
Danielle Storck Tonon ◽  
Márcio Luiz Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Sunflower Crop ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Pan Traps

Agricultural landscapes sometimes include natural habitats which can support the ecosystem by enhancing the pollination of crops, thus boosting the productivity. This research was conducted between May and July 2017, in the municipality of Tangará da Serra, Mato Grosso, Brazil, to assess the Cerrado from the perspective of it being a crucial habitat to sustain the sunflower-pollinating bees (Helianthus annuus L.). The bees were sampled using entomological nets and pan traps, in specifically marked out plots (20 m x 150 m), in the Cerrado, and in a sunflower crop, at different distances from the Cerrado border. The assessment was done in terms of the composion and species richness, abundance of individuals and the mass (g) of the sunflower chapters exposed and isolated from the floral visitors. While species richness showed no differences between the Cerrado and sunflower crop, a difference was observed for abundance, with more numbers of individuals in the sunflower crop, most likely because of the food source supply. In the sunflower crop, the bee diversity decreased proportionally as the distance from the border increased. The seed mass of the sunfl ower chapters was significantly higher in the flowers open to visitors than in those of the isolated chapters open for visitation. From the results, it was evident that the bees presente in the Cerrado visit the sunflower crop to gather pollen and nectar, and thus assist in cross-pollinating them and raising the productivity.

Assemblage Patterns of Hymenoptera at Different Elevations of Gunung Datuk, Rembau

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Nasuha Abd Aziz ◽  
Siti Khairiyah Mohd Hatta ◽  
Idris Abd Ghani ◽  
Saiyid Jalaluddin Saiyid Shaifuddin
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Index Site ◽  
Evenness Index ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Richness Index ◽  
Paired T Test ◽  
Malaise Traps

A study on abundance and diversity of Hymenoptera was conducted in Gunung Datuk, Rembau. Samplings were conducted from November 2014 to February 2015 using six Malaise traps. Three traps were placed at Site 1 at 700m height for high elevation and the remaining traps were placed at Site 2 at 200m height for low elevation. A total number of 221 Hymenopteran were collected which consist of nine families namely Ichneumonidae, Formicidae, Braconidae, Bethylidae, Evaniidae, Tiphiidae, Vespidae, Pompilidae and Apidae. In this study, 93 individuals were obtained from Site 1, comprising nine families and 43 morphospecies while 127 individuals were obtained from Site 2 with nine families and 45 morphospecies. Formicidae was the most dominant family collected from both sites with a total of 104 individuals while the least family recorded was Apidae with only one individual. Shannon’s Weiner Diversity Index (H’) showed Site 1 had the higher diversity value with H’ = 3.17 compared to Site 2 with value H’ = 3.12. For Evenness Index, Site 1 had higher value compared to Site 2 with E’ = 0.84 and E’ = 0.82 respectively. Moreover, for Margalef Richness Index, Site 1 recorded R’ = 9.24 while site two recorded R’ = 9.08 which concluded that Site 1 had higher species richness compared to Site 2. Paired t-test showed that both sites had no significant difference with p>0.05. Overall study showed that the diversity and abundance of Hymenoptera in Gunung Datuk were low since the value of H’ is less than 3.50.

Parasite commonality at Swamp Deer (Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii) and livestock interface

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 15364-15369
Author(s):  
Animesh Talukdar ◽  
Bivash Pandav ◽  
Parag Nigam
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Coprological Examination ◽  
Parasitic Load ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Swamp Deer ◽  
Different Levels

Interactions between wildlife and livestock have increased over time with increased anthropogenic pressure on limited available natural habitats.  These interactions have resulted in sharing of pathogens between the species resulting in impacting the wild animals’ fitness and reproduction and further influencing their abundance and diversity.  The spatial overlap between Swamp Deer and livestock was studied at Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve (JJCR), Uttarakhand and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), Uttar Pradesh in India, having different levels of interaction with livestock.  The prevalence, load and commonality of gastro-intestinal parasites in the species was studied through coprological examination. Parasitic ova of Strongyle sp., Trichostrongylus sp., Fasciola sp., and Moniezia sp. Amphistomes were encountered in swamp deer and livestock from both the sites. The parasitic species richness and prevalence however, varied between JJCR and KWLS.  The study recorded significant differences between the parasitic load in Swamp Deer with the eggs per gram of 487.5±46.30 at JJCR and 363.64±49.97 at KWLS at varying levels of livestock interactions.

scholarly journals Family graveyards form underappreciated local plant diversity hotspots in China's agricultural landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Gong ◽  
Liangtao Li ◽  
Jan C. Axmarcher ◽  
Zhenrong Yu ◽  
Yunhui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Habitat Islands ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Ecological Functioning

AbstractIn the intensively farmed, homogenous agricultural landscape of the North China Plain, family graveyards form distinct cultural landscape features. In addition to their cultural value, these graveyards represent semi-natural habitat islands whose potential roles in biodiversity conservation and ecological functioning has remained poorly understood. In this study, we investigated plant species richness on 199 family graveyards of different ages and sizes. In accordance with biogeography theory, both overall and insect-pollinated plant species richness increased with area and age of graveyards. Even small graveyards show a strong potential for conserving local plant richness, and a mosaic of both large and small family graveyards could play an important role in the conservation of farmland biodiversity and related ecosystem functions. The launch of agri-environmental measures that conserve and create semi-natural habitats, in turn benefitting agricultural biodiversity and ecological functioning, has proven difficult in China due to the shortage of dispensable arable land. Given the great value of family graveyards as semi-natural habitats reflected in our study, we propose to focus preliminary efforts on conserving these landscape features as existing, widespread and culturally important semi-natural habitat islands. This would represent an effective, complementary policy to a subsequent re-establishment of other semi-natural habitats for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological functioning in agricultural landscapes.

Inhibition of Tulane Virus replication via exposure to lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) fractional components

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 281-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Bridges ◽  
Anna Breard ◽  
Alison Lacombe ◽  
Don C. Valentine ◽  
Shravani Tadepalli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virus Replication ◽  
Vaccinium Angustifolium ◽  
Lowbush Blueberry ◽  
Tulane Virus

INORGANIC NITROGEN LEVELS AND NITRIFICATION POTENTIAL IN LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY SOILS

1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
LEONARD J. EATON ◽  
DAVID G. PATRIQUIN
Keyword(s):  
Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
Ammonium Sulfate ◽  
Soil Nitrogen ◽  
Plant Uptake ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Garden Soil ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Vaccinium Angustifolium ◽  
Nitrogen Levels ◽  
Lowbush Blueberry

Soil ammonium and nitrate in the top 15 cm of soil were monitored after application of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate to plots at 14 PF (previously fertilized) and 12 NF (never fertilized) lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) stands representing a range of soil types and management histories. Overall, nitrate values in unfertilized and ammonium sulfate plots were higher at PF than at NF sites, suggesting greater nitrification at PF sites. In laboratory incubation studies, nitrification proceeded immediately in soil from a PF site, but only after a 4-wk lag in that from an adjacent NF site. Nitrification rates were low compared to that in a garden soil (pH 6.6). N-Serve inhibited nitrification in both soils. In ammonium nitrate plots, "excess" N values (N values in fertilized plots minus values in unfertilized plots) were higher for PF than for NF sites, suggesting greater immobilization, plant uptake or loss of N at NF sites. There was no evidence, in laboratory studies, of immobilization of added N by soil from either type of site. Rhizome N concentration increased significantly in response to fertilization at an NF site, but not at a PF site. Key words: Blueberry (lowbush), fertilizer and soil nitrogen

Studies on the flowering biology of red sorrel (Rumex acetosella) ramets from lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) fields in Nova Scotia, Canada

Botany ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott N. White ◽  
Nathan S. Boyd ◽  
Rene C. Van Acker ◽  
Clarence J. Swanton
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Combined Effects ◽  
Perennial Species ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Vaccinium Angustifolium ◽  
Perennial Weed ◽  
Flowering Response ◽  
Lowbush Blueberry ◽  
Rumex Acetosella

Red sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.) is a ramet-producing herbaceous creeping perennial species commonly found as a weed in commercially managed lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) fields in Nova Scotia, Canada. Flowering and seed production occur primarily in overwintering ramets of this species, indicating a potential vernalization requirement for flowering. This study was therefore initiated to examine the role of vernalization, photoperiod, and pre-vernalization stimulus on ramet flowering. Red sorrel ramets propagated from creeping roots and seeds collected from established red sorrel populations in lowbush blueberry had an obligate requirement for vernalization to flower. Ramet populations maintained under pre- and post-vernalization photoperiods of 16 h flowered following 12 weeks of vernalization at 4 ± 0.1 °C, whereas those maintained under constant 16, 14, or 8 h photoperiods without vernalization did not flower. Vernalization for 10 weeks maximized, but did not saturate, the flowering response. Pre-vernalization photoperiod affected flowering response, with increased flowering frequency observed in ramet populations exposed to decreasing, rather than constant, photoperiod prior to vernalization. This study represents the first attempt to determine the combined effects of vernalization and photoperiod on red sorrel flowering, and the results provide a benchmark for the future study of flowering and sexual reproduction in this economically important perennial weed species.

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