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.

Bee diversity in naturalizing patches of Carolinian grasslands in southern Ontario, Canada

2011 ◽  
Vol 143 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.H. Richards ◽  
A. Rutgers-Kelly ◽  
J. Gibbs ◽  
J.L. Vickruck ◽  
S.M. Rehan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
High Dominance ◽  
Bee Community ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Pan Traps ◽  
Bee Abundance

AbstractThe bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of the Niagara Peninsula, at the eastern end of the Carolinian Zone in Ontario, Canada, is poorly known. From April to October 2003, we studied bee abundance and diversity in set-aside grasslands at Brock University and the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site in southern St. Catharines, Ontario. Using three sampling methods (pan traps, sweep nets, and aerial nets), we collected and identified 15 733 specimens of 124 species and morphospecies representing all bee families, except Melittidae, found in North America. Abundance-based diversity estimators suggested bee species richness to be as high as 148 species. There were three seasonal peaks in bee abundance (early spring, late spring, and mid-summer) with a lull in activity shortly after the summer solstice. Several indicators suggested substantial impacts of disturbance on the Niagara bee community, including evidence of high dominance by the most abundant species. Comparison of the sampling methods indicated considerable catch variation among taxa; Halictidae and Apidae were dominant in pan trap samples and in sweep–aerial net samples, respectively. However, bee abundances in pan traps and sweep nets were highly correlated, suggesting that both methods fairly sample local bee abundances.

scholarly journals Surveys of the bee (Hymenoptera: Apiformes) community in a Neotropical savanna using pan traps

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 ◽  
pp. e20206031
Author(s):  
Thaís Andrade Viana ◽  
Anete Pedro Lourenço
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Neotropical Savanna ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Bee Community ◽  
Pan Traps ◽  
Bee Abundance ◽  
Local Habitat

Bee populations are declining because of various synergistic threats, and therefore bee survey and monitoring programs are needed. Several techniques have been developed to survey bees, but the most cost-effective and suitable methods to sample bees in several sites at the same time are passive approaches, such as methods involving colored pan traps (also known as Moericke or bowl traps). Several bee surveys using pan traps have been conducted in North America, Europe, and Australia, but only a few such surveys have been done in tropical regions. We used colored pan traps (blue, yellow, and white) to assess the bee community in the Brazilian savanna ecosystem in Rio Preto State Park. Sampling was conducted in October 2013 and March 2014 along permanent trails. We also characterized the local habitat of each trail, and then we compared bee abundance with habitat complexity. In total, 187 individual bees (n = 15 species) were collected, mainly using blue and white traps. Although we were not able to sample most species that were previously recorded in this park, the pan trap method can be used to survey and monitor bee assemblages in combination with another sampling method. Habitat complexity also affected the numbers of bees sampled using the pan traps, and more bees were collected at open sites.

Changes in the Summer Wild Bee Community Following a Bark Beetle Outbreak in a Douglas-fir Forest

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 1437-1448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel G Foote ◽  
Nathaniel E Foote ◽  
Justin B Runyon ◽  
Darrell W Ross ◽  
Christopher J Fettig
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Bee Community ◽  
Bee Communities ◽  
Bee Abundance

Abstract The status of wild bees has received increased interest following recent estimates of large-scale declines in their abundances across the United States. However, basic information is limited regarding the factors affecting wild bee communities in temperate coniferous forest ecosystems. To assess the early responses of bees to bark beetle disturbance, we sampled the bee community of a Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.), forest in western Idaho, United States during a Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), outbreak beginning in summer 2016. We resampled the area in summer 2018 following reductions in forest canopy cover resulting from mortality of dominant and codominant Douglas-fir. Overall, results from rarefaction analyses indicated significant increases in bee diversity (Shannon’s H) in 2018 compared to 2016. Results from ANOVA also showed significant increases in bee abundance and diversity in 2018 compared to 2016. Poisson regression analyses revealed percent tree mortality from Douglas-fir beetle was positively correlated with increases in total bee abundance and species richness, where community response variables displayed a cubic trend with percent tree mortality. Percent reduction in canopy cover from 2016 to 2018 was also correlated with bee species richness and diversity. These findings suggest that wild bee communities may benefit from changes in forest structure following bark beetle outbreaks.

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.

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.

scholarly journals Urban Development Reduces Bee Abundance and Diversity

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Wilder Pfeiffer ◽  
David W. Crowder ◽  
Janet Silbernagel
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Urban Development ◽  
Impervious Surface ◽  
Neighborhood Development ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Development History ◽  
Bee Community ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Bee Communities ◽  
Bee Abundance

Abstract Wild bee communities persist in cities despite major disruption of nesting and food resources by urban development. Bee diversity and abundance is key for urban agriculture and maintenance of plant diversity, and assessing what aspects of cities enhance bee populations will promote our capacity to retain and provision bee habitat. Here, we assessed how variation in land cover and neighborhood development history affected bee communities in the midwestern US urban landscape of Madison, Wisconsin. We sampled bee communities across 38 sites with relatively high (> 55%) or low (< 30%) levels of impervious surface, and assessed effects of land use and neighborhood development history on bee abundance and species richness. We show abundance and richness of bees was lower in recently developed neighborhoods, with particularly strong negative effects on soil nesting bees. Soil nesting bees and bee community richness decreased as cover of impervious surface increased, but above ground nesting bees were minimally impacted. Bee community similarity varied spatially and based on dissimilar local land cover, only for soil nesting bees, and the overall bee community. Impervious surface limited bee abundance and diversity, but new neighborhoods were associated with greater negative effects. We suggest that enhancing the structural diversity of new neighborhoods in urban ecosystems may imitate the structural benefits of older neighborhoods for bee populations.

scholarly journals Floral abundance, richness, and spatial distribution drive urban garden bee communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (5) ◽  
pp. 658-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Plascencia ◽  
S.M. Philpott
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Urban Gardens ◽  
Pollinator Community ◽  
Bee Conservation ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Bee Abundance

AbstractIn urban landscapes, gardens provide refuges for bee diversity, but conservation potential may depend on local and landscape features. Foraging and population persistence of bee species, as well as overall pollinator community structure, may be supported by the abundance, richness, and spatial distribution of floral resources. Floral resources strongly differ in urban gardens. Using hand netting and pan traps to survey bees, we examined whether abundance, richness, and spatial distribution of floral resources, as well as ground cover and garden landscape surroundings influence bee abundance, species richness, and diversity on the central coast of California. Differences in floral abundance and spatial distribution, as well as urban cover in the landscape, predicted different bee community variables. Abundance of all bees and of honeybees (Apis mellifera) was lower in sites with more urban land cover surrounding the gardens. Honeybee abundance was higher in sites with patchy floral resources, whereas bee species richness and bee diversity was higher in sites with more clustered floral resources. Surprisingly, bee species richness and bee diversity was lower in sites with very high floral abundance, possibly due to interactions with honeybees. Other studies have documented the importance of floral abundance and landscape surroundings for bees in urban gardens, but this study is the first to document that the spatial arrangement of flowers strongly predicts bee abundance and richness. Based on these findings, it is likely that garden managers may promote bee conservation by managing for floral connectivity and abundance within these ubiquitous urban habitats.

Influence of landscape context on the abundance and diversity of bees in Mediterranean olive groves

2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 557-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Tscheulin ◽  
L. Neokosmidis ◽  
T. Petanidou ◽  
J. Settele
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Landscape Context ◽  
Conifer Forest ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Olive Groves ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Land Covers ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Bee Abundance

AbstractThe diversity and abundance of wild bees ensures the delivery of pollination services and the maintenance of ecosystem diversity. As previous studies carried out in Central Europe and the US have shown, bee diversity and abundance is influenced by the structure and the composition of the surrounding landscape. Comparable studies have so far not been carried out in the Mediterranean region. The present study examines the influence of Mediterranean landscape context on the diversity and abundance of wild bees. To do this, we sampled bees in 13 sites in olive groves on Lesvos Island, Greece. Bees were assigned to five categories consisting of three body size groups (small, medium and large bees), the single most abundant bee species (Lasioglossum marginatum) and all species combined. The influence of the landscape context on bee abundance and species richness was assessed at five radii (250, 500, 750, 1000 and 1250 m) from the centre of each site. We found that the abundance within bee groups was influenced differently by different landscape parameters and land covers, whereas species richness was unaffected. Generally, smaller bees’ abundance was impacted by landscape parameters at smaller scales and larger bees at larger scales. The land cover that influenced bee abundance positively was olive grove, while phrygana, conifer forest, broad-leaved forest, cultivated land, rock, urban areas and sea had mostly negative or no impact. We stress the need for a holistic approach, including all land covers, when assessing the effects of landscape context on bee diversity and abundance in the Mediterranean.

scholarly journals Plugging the hunger gap: Organic farming supports more abundant nutritional resources for bees at critical periods

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander James Austin ◽  
Lori Lawson-Handley ◽  
James Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Organic Farms ◽  
Conventional Farms ◽  
Bee Community ◽  
Bee Abundance

Understanding the decline in bee populations and their plant mutualists is of paramount concern for ecosystem health, as well as our future food security. Intensive farming practices are one of the major drivers behind such declines. Organic farming is one of the principal alternatives to conventional practices yet the evidence for its effects are mixed, with some studies showing limited benefits. We conducted bee and floral surveys on 10 paired organic and conventional farms across Yorkshire, UK, to investigate how farming practice influenced the abundance, richness and community composition of bees and flowering plants. Firstly, we found that species richness for flowering plants and bees was similar across organic and conventional farms. Floral composition differed between organic and conventional farms with the greatest differences seen in May and June, whereas bee community composition was similar among farming practices. Secondly, both bee and floral abundance were higher in organic farms. Peaks in floral abundance, and corresponding bee abundance, occurred in particular months, most notably in July, with abundance during the rest of the season being similar across both farming practices. Synthesis and applications: Our results suggest that higher floral availability on organic farms corresponds with increased bee abundance. Of particular importance was the higher floral abundance during spring, in the pollinator 'hungry gap', where floral resources are traditionally scarce. However, conventional farms performed comparably to organic farms across the rest of the season, as well as showing similar levels of species richness, diversity and species composition for both flowering plants and bees. We suggest that targeted management on conventional farms, aimed at boosting floral abundance in the spring, when floral abundance is low, could allow conventional farms to make up the shortfall. Additionally, focusing on increasing the diversity of flowering plants, in terms of both phenology and nutritional composition, for both adult bees and their larvae, could improve bee community diversity across both farming systems.

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.

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