scholarly journals Pollinator Specific Richness and Their Interactions With Local Plant Species: 10 Years of Sampling in Mediterranean Habitats

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 947-955
Author(s):  
Lise Ropars ◽  
Laurence Affre ◽  
Matthieu Aubert ◽  
Catherine Fernandez ◽  
Floriane Flacher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Pollinator Decline ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Mediterranean Habitats ◽  
Pollinator Species ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Pollination Network ◽  
Favorable Conditions

Abstract In the context of global pollinator decline, little is known about the protection status and ecology of many species. This lack of knowledge is particularly important for Mediterranean protected areas that harbor diverse pollinator communities and are subject to considerable anthropogenic pressures. Calanques National Park (85 km2), which is located near Marseille (France), is dominated by Mediterranean low-vegetation habitats, such as phrygana and scrublands. These habitats offer favorable conditions for pollinator species due to the important amount of floral resources. Within a 10-yr period, we recorded bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), hover fly (Diptera: Syrphidae), and bee fly (Diptera: Bombyliidae) species and their interactions with the local flora through 10 field campaigns. We caught 250 pollinator species, including 192 bees, 38 hover flies, and 20 bee flies, for a total of 2,770 specimens. We recorded seven threatened bees (six near threatened and one endangered). Among the bee species, 47.9% were below-ground nesting species, and 54.7% were generalist species. Analysis of the pollination network showed that generalist and specialist pollinators do not share the same floral resources. The Cistaceae plant family (Malvales: Cistaceae) acted as a central node in the plant–pollinator network, interacting with 52 different pollinator species, which shows the importance of large open flowers that could be easily visited by both short and long-tongued pollinators in Mediterranean habitats. The occurrence of pollinator species and their ecological traits should strongly contribute to reinforcing the available information to provide or ameliorate the conservation statuses determined by IUCN Red List.

scholarly journals Singing in a silent spring: Birds respond to a half-century soundscape reversion during the COVID-19 shutdown

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 370 (6516) ◽  
pp. 575-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth P. Derryberry ◽  
Jennifer N. Phillips ◽  
Graham E. Derryberry ◽  
Michael J. Blum ◽  
David Luther
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Behavioral Traits ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Acoustic Space ◽  
Favorable Conditions

Actions taken to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have conspicuously reduced motor vehicle traffic, potentially alleviating auditory pressures on animals that rely on sound for survival and reproduction. Here, by comparing soundscapes and songs across the San Francisco Bay Area before and during the recent statewide shutdown, we evaluated whether a common songbird responsively exploited newly emptied acoustic space. We show that noise levels in urban areas were substantially lower during the shutdown, characteristic of traffic in the mid-1950s. We also show that birds responded by producing higher performance songs at lower amplitudes, effectively maximizing communication distance and salience. These findings illustrate that behavioral traits can change rapidly in response to newly favorable conditions, indicating an inherent resilience to long-standing anthropogenic pressures such as noise pollution.

scholarly journals Stable Generalist Species Anchor a Dynamic Pollination Network

2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantina Zografou ◽  
Mark T. Swartz ◽  
Virginia P. Tilden ◽  
Erika N. McKinney ◽  
Julie A. Eckenrode ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Generalist Species ◽  
Pollination Network

scholarly journals Not all interactions are positive: testing how antagonistic interactions impact the robustness of plant-pollinator networks

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather M. Briggs ◽  
Carolyn A. Ayers ◽  
Paul R. Armsworth ◽  
Berry J. Brosi
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Network Robustness ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Nectar Robbing ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Pollinator Species ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Topological Robustness ◽  
Antagonistic Interactions

AbstractGiven ongoing pollinator declines, it is important to understand the dynamics of linked extinctions of plants driven by pollinator extinctions. Topological robustness models focused on this question suggest relatively high robustness of plant species to pollinator species extinctions. Still, existing robustness models typically assume that all interactions in plant-pollinator networks are positive, which is clearly not always the case. For example, many pollinators remove floral resources with-out transferring pollen, or even damage floral structures in the case of nectar robbing. Here we introduce antagonistic interactions into plant-pollinator networks and assess the resilience of plant communities to pollinator species losses. Incorporating antagonistic interactions leads to lower network robustness, i.e. an increased rate of plant species loss (as compared to networks with only mutualistic interactions) in empirical plant-pollinator networks. In conjunction with extinction order, the addition of increasingly antagonistic interactions was idiosyncratic in that it did not always magnify the effects of extinction order across the three networks. These results underscore the importance of considering the full spectrum of interaction outcomes when assessing robustness to coextinctions in plant-pollinator networks, as well as other ecological systems.

scholarly journals A case study on trade in threatened Tiger Geckos (Goniurosaurus) in Vietnam including updated information on the abundance of the Endangered G. catbaensis

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai Ngoc Ngo ◽  
Truong Quang Nguyen ◽  
Tien Quang Phan ◽  
Mona van Schingen ◽  
Thomas Ziegler
Keyword(s):  
International Trade ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
Effective Population ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Wild Fauna ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Long Bay ◽  
The U.S

Tiger geckos of the genusGoniurosaurusare considered as a susceptible reptile group, due to their restricted distribution ranges, specialisation to specific microhabitats and generally low population densities. While still new species have been discovered recently,Goniurosaurusspecies are threatened by extinction through habitat loss and collection for the pet trade. Of the 19 described species, for only eight species, the conservation status has been assessed within the IUCN Red List between 2016 and 2018 and all have been classified in the threat categories VU (Vulnerable), EN (Endangered) and CR (Critically Endangered).Goniurosaurusspp. are popular in the international pet market at least since the 1990s and several species experienced local extirpations as a consequence of massive over-collection in the past. However, tiger geckos have not been paid much attention for conservation, amongst others, due to the lack of comprehensive knowledge on their conservation status and biology. This study provides an overview of international trade inGoniurosaurusbased on available data from 1999 to 2018 in the U.S. as well as data from online surveys and interviews in Europe and Vietnam, with the main focus on species native to Vietnam. All five tiger gecko species known from Vietnam were found in the local trade as wild captures for the national and international market and / or in the U.S. and Europe for relatively higher prices. We found that entire trade chains are very long (including several transfers and dealers involved) and that keeping and transport happen under poor conditions. We herein provide updated information on the abundance of the Endangered Cat Ba Tiger Gecko, which was recently shown to not only occur at its type locality, Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong City, North Vietnam, but also to inhabit small offshore islands in the Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province. While the wild effective population was found to be relatively stable on four islands in Ha Long Bay, consisting of about 124 and 129 individuals in July 2017 and April 2018, respectively, the abundance of other sub-populations, impacted by anthropogenic pressures were found to be very low (2–10 individuals). Based on our findings, we propose stringent conservation measures to more efficiently protect wild tiger gecko populations, such as the inclusion in the Governmental Decree in Vietnam, the assessment of remaining species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the inclusion in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

scholarly journals Attitudes towards conservation of the Endangered red panda Ailurus fulgens in Nepal: a case study in protected and non-protected areas

Oryx ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 542-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hari P. Sharma ◽  
Jerrold L. Belant ◽  
Pei-Jen L. Shaner
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Red Panda ◽  
Ailurus Fulgens

AbstractThe red panda Ailurus fulgens is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is threatened by anthropogenic pressures such as livestock grazing. We surveyed people living in or near protected areas and people living away from protected areas in Nepal, to understand human attitudes towards red panda conservation. Given Nepal's participatory approach to managing protected areas, we hypothesized that local people living in or near protected areas would have more positive attitudes towards red panda conservation than those in non-protected areas. Ninety percent of the 142 respondents had positive attitudes, with people living in or near protected areas expressing less positive attitudes than those in non-protected areas. Despite this difference between protected and non-protected areas, people were generally positive towards red panda conservation. However, positive attitudes did not necessarily translate to sustainable resource-use behaviour. We found there was a high prevalence of both livestock grazing and livestock disease in red panda habitat. We suggest that alternative farming practices (e.g. stall-feeding of livestock) and awareness programmes (e.g. education on the conservation status and legal protection of red pandas, and livestock–wildlife disease transmission) could be important tools to improve conservation attitudes and protect red pandas in Nepal.

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 Testing how antagonistic interactions impact the robustness of plant-pollinator networks

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Briggs ◽  
Carolyn A. Ayers ◽  
Paul R. Armsworth ◽  
Berry J. Brosi
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Network Robustness ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Nectar Robbing ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Pollinator Species ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Topological Robustness ◽  
Antagonistic Interactions

Given ongoing pollinator declines, it is important to understand the dynamics of linked extinctions of plants driven by pollinator extinctions. Topological robustness models focused on this question suggest relatively high robustness of plant species to pollinator species extinctions. Still, existing robustness models typically assume that all interactions in plant-pollinator networks are positive, which is clearly not always the case. For example, many pollinators remove floral resources without transferring pollen, or even damage floral structures in the case of nectar robbing. Here we introduce antagonistic interactions into plant-pollinator networks and assess the resilience of plant communities to pollinator species losses. Incorporating antagonistic interactions leads to lower network robustness, i.e. an increased rate of plant species loss (as compared to networks with only mutualistic interactions) in empirical plant-pollinator networks. In conjunction with extinction order, the addition of increasingly antagonistic interactions was idiosyncratic in that it did not always magnify the effects of extinction order across the three networks. These results underscore the importance of considering the full spectrum of interaction outcomes when assessing robustness to coextinctions in plant-pollinator networks, as well as other ecological systems.

scholarly journals Wild pollinator activities negatively related to honey bee colony densities in urban context

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lise Ropars ◽  
Isabelle Dajoz ◽  
Colin Fontaine ◽  
Audrey Muratet ◽  
Benoît Geslin
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Strong Increase ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Pollinator Decline ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony

AbstractAs pollinator decline is increasingly reported in natural and agricultural environments, cities are perceived as shelters for pollinators because of low pesticide exposure and high floral diversity throughout the year. This has led to the development of environmental policies supporting pollinators in urban areas. However, policies are often restricted to the promotion of honey bee colony installations, which resulted in a strong increase in apiary numbers in cities. Recently, competition for floral resources between wild pollinators and honey bees has been highlighted in semi-natural contexts, but whether urban beekeeping could impact wild pollinators remains unknown. Here, we show that in the city of Paris (France), wild pollinator visitation rates is negatively correlated to honey bee colony densities present in the surrounding (500m – slope = −0.614; p = 0.001 – and 1000m – slope = −0.489; p = 0.005). More particularly, large solitary bees and beetles were significantly affected at 500m (respectively slope = −0.425, p = 0.007 and slope = - 0.671, p = 0.002) and bumblebees were significantly affected at 1000m (slope = - 0.451, p = 0.012). Further, lower interaction evenness in plant-pollinator networks was observed with honey bee colony densities within 1000 meter buffers (slope = −0.487, p = 0.008). Finally, honey bees tended to focus their foraging activity on managed rather than spontaneous plant species (student t-test, p = 0.001) whereas wild pollinators equally visited managed and spontaneous species. We advocate responsible practices mitigating the introduction of high density of hives in urban environments. Future studies are needed to deepen our knowledge about the potential negative interactions between wild and domesticated pollinators.

The future of pollinators for Australian agriculture

2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (8) ◽  
pp. 893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saul A. Cunningham ◽  
Frances FitzGibbon ◽  
Tim A. Heard
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
International Experience ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Pollinator Decline ◽  
Remnant Vegetation ◽  
Pollinator Species ◽  
The Future

Agriculture in Australia is highly dependent on insect pollination, in particular from the introduced western honeybee, Apis mellifera. Most agricultural pollination is provided as an unpaid service by feral A. mellifera and native insects. A smaller proportion of agricultural pollination is provided as a paid service by beekeepers. Insect pollination is threatened by misuse of insecticides and the loss of remnant vegetation, but most potently by the likelihood that the honeybee mite, Varroa destructor, will enter the country. Now is the time to prepare for the effect of these changes, and international experience with pollinator decline should serve as a guide. We need to protect and manage our remnant vegetation to protect wild pollinators. Insurance against declining A. mellifera will come through the development of management practices for alternative pollinator species. By developing native insects as pollinators we can avoid the risks associated with the importation of additional introduced species.

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