Journal Article•
Distribution and forage use of exotic bumblebees in South Island, New Zealand
01 Jan 2004-New Zealand Journal of Ecology (New Zealand Ecological Society)-Vol. 28, Iss: 2, pp 225-232
TL;DR: Results provide support for the hypothesis that the loss of flower-rich meadows, particularly those containing populations of Fabaceae species with long corollae, is responsible for the decline of bumblebee species across Europe.
Abstract: The rapid decline in bumblebee populations within Europe has been linked to habitat loss through agricultural intensification, and a consequential reduction in the availability of preferred forage plants. The successful introduction of four European Bombus species to the South Island of New Zealand from England (in 1885 and 1906) provides an opportunity to determine how important different forage plants (also introduced from the U.K.) are to two severely threatened European bumblebee species (Bombus ruderatus and B. subterraneus). In January 2003 we conducted a survey of bumblebee populations across 70 sites in the central and southern South Island, recording which plant species were being used as pollen and nectar sources for each Bombus species. All four bumblebee species showed a clear preference for plants of European origin. Only B. terrestris, the most polylectic species, was recorded feeding on native plant species. The longer-tongued bumblebees, B. hortorum, B. ruderatus, and B. subterraneus, foraged predominantly on just two plant species; Trifolium pratense for both nectar and pollen, and Echium vulgare for nectar. These plant species are now declining in abundance in the U.K. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that the loss of flower-rich meadows, particularly those containing populations of Fabaceae species with long corollae, is responsible for the decline of bumblebee species across Europe. Comparison with earlier bumblebee surveys suggests that long-tongued bumblebees may also be in decline in New Zealand, particularly B. subterraneus which is now very localised and scarce.
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TL;DR: Overall, Fabaceae appear to be the major pollen source for most bumblebee species, but long-tongued, late emerging species such as Bombus ruderatus, Bombus humilis and Bombus subterraneus specialize heavily in gathering pollen from Fabaceae, and this group of bumblebees species have all declined.
445 citations
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ1, University of Leeds2, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences3, Lund University4, Canterbury of New Zealand5, University of Tartu6, University of the Aegean7, Durham University8, University of Reading9, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic10, Trinity College, Dublin11, Spanish National Research Council12, University of Bayreuth13, University of Göttingen14, University of Fribourg15
TL;DR: It is found that both climate change and alien species will ultimately lead to the creation of novel communities, and certain interactions may no longer occur while there will also be potential for the emergence of new relationships.
Abstract: Global change may substantially affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning but little is known about its effects on essential biotic interactions. Since different environmental drivers rarely act in isolation it is important to consider interactive effects. Here, we focus on how two key drivers of anthropogenic environmental change, climate change and the introduction of alien species, affect plant-pollinator interactions. Based on a literature survey we identify climatically sensitive aspects of species interactions, assess potential effects of climate change on these mechanisms, and derive hypotheses that may form the basis of future research. We find that both climate change and alien species will ultimately lead to the creation of novel communities. In these communities certain interactions may no longer occur while there will also be potential for the emergence of new relationships. Alien species can both partly compensate for the often negative effects of climate change but also amplify them in some cases. Since potential positive effects are often restricted to generalist interactions among species, climate change and alien species in combination can result in significant threats to more specialist interactions involving native species.
317 citations
Cites background from "Distribution and forage use of exot..."
...…complexes Although alien pollinators often visit a wide range of plant species, they tend to preferentially visit alien plants (Stimec, ScottDupree & McAndrews, 1997; Olesen, Eskildsen & Venkatasamy, 2002; Goulson & Hanley, 2004), potentially forming ‘‘invader complexes’’ (Morales & Aizen, 2006)....
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TL;DR: The National Bumblebee Nest Survey (NBPS) as discussed by the authors was a structured survey carried out by 719 volunteers in the UK during early summer 2004, where the surveyors used a defined protocol to record the presence or absence of bumblebee nests in prescribed areas of gardens, short grassland, long grassland and woodland, and along woodland edge, hedgerows and fence lines.
Abstract: Summary 1. Bumblebees provide an important pollination service to both crops and wild plants. Many species have declined in the UK, particularly in arable regions. While bumblebee forage requirements have been widely studied, there has been less consideration of whether availability of nesting sites is limiting. It is important to know which habitats contain the most bumblebee nests per unit area in order to guide conservation and management options; particularly in the light of current emphasis on environmental stewardship schemes for farmed landscapes. However, it is extremely difficult to map the distribution of bumblebee nests. 2. We describe the findings of the National Bumblebee Nest Survey, a structured survey carried out by 719 volunteers in the UK during early summer 2004. The surveyors used a defined protocol to record the presence or absence of bumblebee nests in prescribed areas of gardens, short grassland, long grassland and woodland, and along woodland edge, hedgerows and fence lines. The records allowed us to estimate the density of bumblebee nests in each of these habitats for the first time. 3. Nest densities were high in gardens (36 nests ha ‐1 ), and linear countryside habitats (fence lines, hedgerows, woodland edge: 20‐37 nests ha ‐1 ), and lower in non-linear countryside habitats (woodland and grassland: 11‐15 nests ha ‐1 ). 4. Findings on nest location characteristics corroborate those of an earlier survey carried out in the UK (Fussell & Corbet 1992). 5. Synthesis and applications . Gardens provide an important nesting habitat for bumblebees in the UK. In the countryside, the area occupied by linear features is small compared with that of non-linear features. However, as linear features contain high densities of nests, management options affecting such features may have a disproportionately large effect on bumblebee nesting opportunities. Current farm stewardship schemes in the UK are therefore likely to facilitate bumblebee nesting, because they provide clear guidance and support for ‘sympathetic’ hedgerow and field margin management.
256 citations
Cites background from "Distribution and forage use of exot..."
...Journal compilation © 2007 British Ecological Society, Journal of Applied Ecology , 45 , 784–792 reduction in availability of preferred forage as a result of agricultural intensification (Goulson & Darvill 2004; Goulson & Hanley 2004; Goulson et al ....
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18 Feb 2015
TL;DR: In this paper, maps depicting potential risks of climate change for bumble bees are shown together with informative summary statistics, ecological background information and a picture of each European species, thanks to the EU FP7 project STEP, the authors gathered over one million bumblebee records from all over Europe.
Abstract: Bumble bees represent one of the most important groups of pollinators. In addition to their ecological and economic relevance , they are also a highly charismatic group which can help to increase the interest of people in realizing, enjoying and conserving natural systems. However, like most animals, bum-ble bees are sensitive to climate. In this atlas, maps depicting potential risks of climate change for bumble bees are shown together with informative summary statistics, ecological background information and a picture of each European species. Thanks to the EU FP7 project STEP, the authors gathered over one million bumblebee records from all over Europe. Based on these data, they modelled the current climatic niche for almost all European species (56 species) and projected future climatically suitable conditions using three climate change scenarios for the years 2050 and 2100. While under a moderate change scenario only 3 species are projected to be at the verge of extinction by 2100, 14 species are at high risk under an intermediate change scenario. Under a most severe change scenario as many as 25 species are projected to lose almost all of their climatically suitable area, while a total of 53 species (77% of the 69 European species) would lose the main part of their suitable area. Climatic risks for bumblebees can be extremely high, depending on the future development of human society, and the corresponding effects on the climate. Strong mitigation strategies are needed to preserve this important species group and to ensure the sustainable provision of pollination services, to which they considerably contribute. On the front cover: Bombus hyperboreus, an Arctic bumblebee species that is threatened by global warming
198 citations
TL;DR: How the close relationship between pollen quality and bumblebee attraction may have important benefits for plant reproductive success is discussed, and how the disruption of this mutualism can have detrimental consequences for plant and pollinator alike is shown.
Abstract: Summary 1. Although it is well established that different plant species vary considerably in the quality of pollinator rewards they offer, it is unclear how plant reproductive systems, in particular an obligate dependence on insects for pollination, might influence the evolution of pollinator rewards. Moreover, unlike the interaction between nectar reward and pollinator visitation, we have a limited understanding of the way in which pollen quality influences pollinator foraging behaviour. 2. We quantified the pollen protein and amino acid content for 23 NW European plant species. Pollen quality was compared with breeding system (facultative- vs. obligate insect-pollinated). A subset of 18 plants was sampled from a single habitat. For these we compared the proportion of pollen collection visits made by bumblebees with the quality of pollen offered. 3. We found a significant association between pollen quality and reproductive system; pollen of obligate insect-pollinated species contained higher protein content. We also found a significant relationship with pollinator use; plants most frequently visited by pollen-collecting bumblebees produced the highest-quality pollen. 4. We discuss how the close relationship between pollen quality and bumblebee attraction may have important benefits for plant reproductive success. However, we also show how the disruption of this mutualism can have detrimental consequences for plant and pollinator alike.
191 citations
Cites background or methods from "Distribution and forage use of exot..."
...This approach has been widely used for studies of bumblebee forage use (Goulson & Darvill 2004; Goulson & Hanley 2004; Goulson et al ....
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...The fact that Fabaceae-specialist bumblebees were introduced to New Zealand in order to improve seed set in red clover (Trifolium pratense) underscores the obligate association between plant and pollinator (Goulson & Hanley 2004)....
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References
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TL;DR: Cattle grazing was shown to be preferable to both sheep grazing and the absence of any management, although the timing and intensity of such grazing was important, and small-scale disturbances caused by vehicle activity were of value in producing locally abundant forage resources in less intensively managed grasslands.
236 citations
"Distribution and forage use of exot..." refers background or result in this paper
...Both B. terrestris and B. hortorum, by contrast, remain common throughout most of Northwestern Europe (Goulson, 2003a)....
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...The majority (27) of the introduced plant species visited by bumblebees were of European origin, the remainder (9) being native to South Africa, North America, and Australia....
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...At present there are no known, clear ecological differences between, for example, B. hortorum and B. ruderatus, yet they differ greatly in abundance and distribution in Europe as well as in New Zealand....
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...Introduction Following a series of introductions from England in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, four native European bumblebees (Bombus spp.) became established in New Zealand....
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...More specifically, it is likely that the large-scale loss of species-rich grasslands in Europe has significantly reduced forage availability for wild bees (Rasmont, 1988; O’Toole, 1994; Gathmann et al., 1994)....
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TL;DR: It is suggested that the rare species of bumblebees may be those with short colony cycles, in which dependence on high quality food to rear larvae quickly forces specialization.
Abstract: The ecology of all bumblebees (Bombus spp.) is similar, yet some species have declined greatly while others remain abundant. We examine whether abundance is related to diet breadth. The floral visits of bumblebees were examined on Salisbury Plain, UK. All of the species examined gathered pollen mostly from Fabaceae. All species gathered nectar from a broader range of flowers than they did pollen, and longer-tongued bees had a narrower diet breadth when collecting nectar. B. hortorum (the species with the longest tongue) specialized on Trifolium pratense. As predicted, abundant species had a broader diet than rare species. Species with similar-length tongues visiting similar flowers. However, interspecific competition did not appear to be important since species with similar tongue lengths and high niche overlap co-occurred at high abundance. We suggest that the rare species may be those with short colony cycles, in which dependence on high quality food to rear larvae quickly forces specialization.
220 citations
TL;DR: Data are insufficient to show whether honey bee foraging on native plants significantly alters pollen and gene flow, but unusual foraging behavior by honey bees is not evident compared to many other pollinators.
Abstract: Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), native to Eurasia and Africa, have been introduced to most of the rest of the world. Many plant species are used by introduced honey bees, which suggests a high potential for disturbance of native plant/pollinator relationships. Few species are used intensively, however, thus decreasing the opportunity for disturbance. Pollination studies show that honey bees are effective pollinators of some native plants and less effective pollinators of others; they also reduce floral resources in some species with little or no pollination. Data are insufficient to show whether honey bee foraging on native plants significantly alters pollen and gene flow, but unusual foraging behavior by honey bees is not evident compared to many other pollinators. Honey bees do not physically damage plants; they are also unlikely to increase hybridization of native flora. Pollination by honey bees probably contributes little to the success of most weeds. Experiments have not shown competition for nestin...
211 citations
"Distribution and forage use of exot..." refers background in this paper
...Butz Huryn, V.M.B.; Moller, H. 1995....
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...Butz Huryn, V.M.B. 1997....
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...Although the preference for exotic weed species shown by introduced pollinators would seem to be one reason for the successful spread of weeds, this view has been challenged (Butz Huryn and Moller, 1995; Butz Huryn, 1997)....
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...Butz Huryn (1997) argues that most weeds do not rely on insect pollination, either because they are anemophilous, self-pollinating, apomictic or primarily reproduce vegetatively....
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TL;DR: Bumble-bees allocate a disproportionately high percentage of their visits to perennial plants of later successional stages, which could be used to indicate which bumble-bee groups visit particular crops, and to plan vegetation management to favour particular bumblebee species selectively.
Abstract: 1. Flower visits by bumble-bees were recorded in a national survey throughout Britain in 1987 and 1988. 2. To avoid misidentifications, recorders were asked to name bumble-bees in terms of five colour groups. Each group included one or two common and widespread species, which are probably responsible for major patterns of flower usage, and several rarer forms. 3. A simple selectivity score ranks plant taxa in terms of the visits they receive from bumble-bees of each colour group. High scores may be due to high local flower abundance or to preference by the bees, and indicate plant taxa that may be worth encouraging to enhance bumble-bee populations locally. 4. A group-specific selectivity score highlights differences between bumble-bee groups in flower choice. It could be used to indicate which bumble-bee groups visit particular crops, and to plan vegetation management to favour particular bumblebee species selectively. 5. Bumble-bees allocate a disproportionately high percentage of their visits to perennial plants of later successional stages. Annual plants of newly disturbed land receive relatively few visits. The implications for management are discussed.
208 citations
"Distribution and forage use of exot..." refers background in this paper
...In terms of numerical abundance and range, the four bumblebee species in New Zealand have broadly the same ranking as they do in England (where B. terrestris is ubiquitous, B. hortorum is widespread but generally less abundant, B. ruderatus is exceedingly rare and B. subterraneus is extinct; Fussell and Corbet, 1992; Kells et al., 2001; Goulson and Darvill, 2003)....
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...Discussion In terms of numerical abundance and range, the four bumblebee species in New Zealand have broadly the same ranking as they do in England (where B. terrestris is ubiquitous, B. hortorum is widespread but generally less abundant, B. ruderatus is exceedingly rare and B. subterraneus is extinct; Fussell and Corbet, 1992; Kells et al., 2001; Goulson and Darvill, 2003)....
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...Introduction Following a series of introductions from England in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, four native European bumblebees (Bombus spp.) became established in New Zealand....
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...Changes in the vascular plant floras of England and Scotland between 1930-1960 and 1987-1988: The BSBI monitoring scheme....
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...…in New Zealand have broadly the same ranking as they do in England (where B. terrestris is ubiquitous, B. hortorum is widespread but generally less abundant, B. ruderatus is exceedingly rare and B. subterraneus is extinct; Fussell and Corbet, 1992; Kells et al., 2001; Goulson and Darvill, 2003)....
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TL;DR: Body size appeared to be a good predictor of colonization ability in trap-nesting bees and wasps colonizing crop and fallow fields in an agricultural landscape, and species richness of fields with naturally developed vegetation showed a significant increase with age.
Abstract: Trap-nesting bees and wasps (Hymenoptera Aculeata) colonizing crop and fallow fields in an agricultural landscape were studied using 20 sown fields (pea, barley, rye, clover-grass mixtures, Phacelia tanacetifolia) and 20 fields with naturally developed vegetation (1- and 2-year old fields, both mown and unmown, and old meadows) Fourteen species of Apoidea, 4 of Sphecidae, 1 of Eumenidae and 4 of parasitoids were reared from reed nests exposed in these 40 fields of 10 field-types Fields with naturally developed vegetation had twice as many species as sown fields, due to the distribution pattern of the 14 bee species, whereas the 9 predatory species (wasps and parasitoids) showed a rather uniform distribution None of the trap-nesting bees were found in Phacelia fields, despite contrasting expectations of beekeepers Old meadows showed a particularly high abundance and species richness, since only 10% of all traps were exposed, but 32% of all bee nests were sampled in old meadows, including 4 bee species that were not found elsewhere Accordingly, species richness of fields with naturally developed vegetation showed a significant increase with age Variability in Hymenoptera species numbers could be explained by corresponding differences in plant species numbers The alternative hypothesis that field size or field connectivity influenced species richness was not supported Habitats with great floral diversity appeared to offer better and richer food resources for the flower-visiting bees, whereas food availability apparently did not influence predatory wasps The bees Osmia caerulescens and Megachile versicolor that had colonized early-successional fields took twice as long to provision cells as those that colonized late-successional meadows characterized by a greater plant species richness In contrast, the eumenid wasp Ancistrocerus gazella took a similar period of time to provision cells in both field types In addition, bee and wasp species of plant-species-poor fields were on average significantly larger than those of plant-species-rich fields Thus, body size appeared to be a good predictor of colonization ability Management by cutting greatly increased plant species richness in early-successional set-aside fields and thus doubled species richness of bees Cutting of early-successional habitats can be expected to benefit insects and plants in general, whereas older grassland should show the greatest insect diversity when both mown and unmown parts are present
191 citations
"Distribution and forage use of exot..." refers background in this paper
...More specifically, it is likely that the large-scale loss of species-rich grasslands in Europe has significantly reduced forage availability for wild bees (Rasmont, 1988; O’Toole, 1994; Gathmann et al., 1994)....
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