scholarly journals Non-rotational set-aside fields improve reproductive success of cavity-nesting bees and wasps at the landscape scale, but have no effect on other wild bees and hoverflies in mid-summer

2021 ◽  
Vol 308 ◽  
pp. 107255
Author(s):  
Anikó Kovács-Hostyánszki ◽  
Zoltán Soltész ◽  
Viktor Szigeti ◽  
László Somay ◽  
András Báldi
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Cavity Nesting

scholarly journals Isolation and Lack of Potential Mates may Threaten an Endangered Arid-Zone Acacia

2019 ◽  
Vol 110 (6) ◽  
pp. 738-745
Author(s):  
Cairo N Forrest ◽  
David G Roberts ◽  
Andrew J Denham ◽  
David J Ayre
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Genotypic Diversity ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Reproductive Assurance ◽  
Threatened Plants ◽  
Self Fertilization ◽  
Adult Plants

Abstract Clonality may provide reproductive assurance for many threatened plants while limiting sexual reproductive success either through energetic tradeoffs or because clones are self-incompatible. Most stands of the Australian arid-zone plant Acacia carneorum, flower annually but low seed set and an absence of sexual recruitment now suggest that this species and other, important arid-zone ecosystem engineers may have low genotypic diversity. Indeed, our recent landscape-scale genetic study revealed that stands are typically monoclonal, with genets usually separated by kilometers. An inability to set sexually produced seed or a lack of genetically diverse mates may explain almost system-wide reproductive failure. Here, using microsatellite markers, we genotyped 100 seeds from a rare fruiting stand (Middle-Camp), together with all adult plants within it and its 4 neighboring stands (up to 5 km distant). As expected, all stands surveyed were monoclonal. However, the Middle-Camp seeds were generated sexually. Comparing seed genotypes with the single Middle-Camp genotype and those of genets from neighboring and other regional stands (n = 26), revealed that 73 seeds were sired by the Middle-Camp genet. Within these Middle-Camp seeds we detected 19 genotypes in proportions consistent with self-fertilization of that genet. For the remaining 27 seeds, comprising 8 different genotypes, paternity was assigned to the nearest neighboring stands Mallee and Mallee-West, approximately 1 km distant. Ironically, given this species’ vast geographic range, a small number of stands with reproductively compatible near neighbors may provide the only sources of novel genotypes.

scholarly journals Functional groups of wild bees respond differently to faba bean Vicia faba L. cultivation at landscape scale

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 2499-2508
Author(s):  
Nicole Beyer ◽  
Doreen Gabriel ◽  
Felix Kirsch ◽  
Katharina Schulz‐Kesting ◽  
Jens Dauber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vicia Faba ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
Faba Bean ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Vicia Faba L

scholarly journals Specialized Metabolites in Floral Resources: Effects and Detection in Buff-Tailed Bumblebees

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ombeline Sculfort ◽  
Maxence Gérard ◽  
Antoine Gekière ◽  
Denis Nonclercq ◽  
Pascal Gerbaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Avoidance Behavior ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Deterrent Effect ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Pollinator Decline ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Specialized Metabolites ◽  
Preference Tests

The selection of appropriate food resources by bees is a critical aspect for the maintenance of their populations, especially in the current context of global change and pollinator decline. Wild bees have a sophisticated ability to forage selectively on specific resources, and can assess the quality of pollen using contact chemosensory perception (taste). While numerous studies have investigated the detection of pollen macronutrients in bees and their impact on bee health and reproductive success, only a few studies have described the gustatory responses of bees toward specialized metabolites. In addition, these studies mostly focused on the response to nectar and neglected pollen, which is the main food resource for both bee imagines and larvae. Whether bees have the ability to detect specialized toxic metabolites in pollen and then rapidly adapt their foraging behavior to avoid them is very little studied. In this study, we tested whether pollen specialized metabolites affect bumblebees at both the micro-colony and individual levels (i.e., bioassays using supplemented pollen), and whether foragers detect these specialized metabolites and potentially display an avoidance behavior (i.e., preference tests using supplemented syrup). Bumblebees were fed with either amygdalin-, scopolamine- or sinigrin-supplemented pollen diets in ratios that mimic 50%, 100%, and 200% of naturally occurring concentrations. We found no effect of these specialized metabolites on resource collection, reproductive success and stress response at the micro-colony level. At the individual level, bumblebees fed on 50%-amygdalin or 50%-scopolamine diets displayed the highest scores for damage to their digestive systems. Interestingly, during the preference tests, the solution with 50%-scopolamine displayed a phagostimulatory activity, whereas solution with 50%-amygdalin had a deterrent effect and could trigger an active avoidance behavior in bumblebees, with a faster proboscis retraction. Our results suggest that regulation of toxin intake is not as well-established and effective as the regulation of nutrient intake in bees. Bees are therefore not equally adapted to all specialized pollen metabolites that they can come into contact with.

scholarly journals The impact of human interference on Hill Mynahs Gracula religiosa breeding in Thailand

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manee Archawaranon
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Human Interference ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
The Face ◽  
Nest Height ◽  
Human Predation ◽  
Deep Cavities ◽  
The Impact

The breeding biology of Hill Mynah Gracula religiosa was studied in eight provinces of Thailand from 1991 to 1998 to evaluate how breeding behaviour has evolved to enhance reproductive success in the face of human interference. The northern race G. r. intermedia bred mostly during February to April whereas the southern race G. r. religiosa bred mostly later during April to June. Both races were cavity-nesting, non-excavating, monogamous and similar in breeding activities except for differences in body size. They nested at the bottom of deep cavities with a long entrance (mean 45 cm), in tall trees. Average nest height was 23 m. Nests were sometimes abandoned (10% of nests) during nest-building or incubation. Most Hill Mynahs (70%) had clutches of three eggs. Both parents shared incubation and feeding of young. The most detrimental factor to the reproductive success of this species was human theft of the young, rather than any natural factors. During 1991 to 1998, 80% of eggs laid were hatched, but 88% of all eggs hatched were lost before fledgling. Those illegally stolen by humans amounted to 61% of eggs hatched. Only 37 of 308 nestlings or 12% of eggs hatched survived to independence. In 1999, nests were experimentally guarded to prevent human interference, and fledgling success increased to 75% of eggs hatched. The remaining 25% of nestlings were lost to predators and unknown causes, close to the 27% lost to these causes in unguarded nests during 1991 to 1998. Although the breeding pattern of this species has evolved to promote survival of young, it does not seem to have evolved adaptations to human predation. The continuing decrease of wild Hill Mynah populations has prompted attempts at captive breeding. Data on breeding biology from this study should enhance its success.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document