1
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Thompson LJ, Smith S, Stout JC, White B, Zioga E, Stanley DA. Bumblebees can be Exposed to the Herbicide Glyphosate when Foraging. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:2603-2612. [PMID: 35866464 PMCID: PMC9804218 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Herbicides are the most widely used pesticides globally. Although used to control weeds, they may also pose a risk to bee health. A key knowledge gap is how bees could be exposed to herbicides in the environment, including whether they may forage on treated plants before they die. We used a choice test to determine if bumblebees would forage on plants treated with glyphosate at two time periods after treatment. We also determined whether glyphosate and its degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid were present as residues in the pollen collected by the bees while foraging. Finally, we explored if floral resources (nectar and pollen) remained present in plants after herbicide treatment. In general bees indiscriminately foraged on both plants treated with glyphosate and controls, showing no avoidance of treated plants. Although the time spent on individual flowers was slightly lower on glyphosate treated plants, this did not affect the bees' choice overall. We found that floral resources remained present in plants for at least 5 days after lethal treatment with glyphosate and that glyphosate residues were present in pollen for at least 70 h posttreatment. Our results suggest that bees could be exposed to herbicide in the environment, both topically and orally, by foraging on plants in the period between herbicide treatment and death. Identifying this route of exposure is a first step in understanding the risks of herbicides to bees. The effects of herbicides on bees themselves are uncertain and warrant further investigation to allow full risk assessment of these compounds to pollinating insects. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2603-2612. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linzi J. Thompson
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College DublinDublinIreland
- Earth InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Stephen Smith
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College DublinDublinIreland
- Earth InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Jane C. Stout
- School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Blánaid White
- School of Chemical Sciences and DCU Water InstituteDublin City UniversityDublinIreland
| | - Elena Zioga
- School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
- School of Chemical Sciences and DCU Water InstituteDublin City UniversityDublinIreland
| | - Dara A. Stanley
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College DublinDublinIreland
- Earth InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
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2
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Fijen TP, Bodegraven VV, Lucassen F. Limited honeybee hive placement balances the trade-off between biodiversity conservation and crop yield of buckwheat cultivation. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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3
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Alison J, Alexander JM, Diaz Zeugin N, Dupont YL, Iseli E, Mann HMR, Høye TT. Moths complement bumblebee pollination of red clover: a case for day-and-night insect surveillance. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220187. [PMID: 35857892 PMCID: PMC9277237 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent decades have seen a surge in awareness about insect pollinator declines. Social bees receive the most attention, but most flower-visiting species are lesser known, non-bee insects. Nocturnal flower visitors, e.g. moths, are especially difficult to observe and largely ignored in pollination studies. Clearly, achieving balanced monitoring of all pollinator taxa represents a major scientific challenge. Here, we use time-lapse cameras for season-wide, day-and-night pollinator surveillance of Trifolium pratense (L.; red clover) in an alpine grassland. We reveal the first evidence to suggest that moths, mainly Noctua pronuba (L.; large yellow underwing), pollinate this important wildflower and forage crop, providing 34% of visits (bumblebees: 61%). This is a remarkable finding; moths have received no recognition throughout a century of T. pratense pollinator research. We conclude that despite a non-negligible frequency and duration of nocturnal flower visits, nocturnal pollinators of T. pratense have been systematically overlooked. We further show how the relationship between visitation and seed set may only become clear after accounting for moth visits. As such, population trends in moths, as well as bees, could profoundly affect T. pratense seed yield. Ultimately, camera surveillance gives fair representation to non-bee pollinators and lays a foundation for automated monitoring of species interactions in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Alison
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor, UK
| | - Jake M Alexander
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Yoko L Dupont
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Evelin Iseli
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hjalte M R Mann
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Toke T Høye
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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4
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Knapp JL, Bates A, Jonsson O, Klatt B, Krausl T, Sahlin U, Svensson GP, Rundlöf M. Pollinators, pests and yield – multiple trade‐offs from insecticide use in a mass‐flowering crop. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam Bates
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Ove Jonsson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, SLU Centre for Pesticides in the Environment Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Björn Klatt
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Theresia Krausl
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity Lund University Lund Sweden
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Sciences Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Ullrika Sahlin
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Sciences Lund University Lund Sweden
| | | | - Maj Rundlöf
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity Lund University Lund Sweden
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5
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Lindström SA, Rundlöf M, Herbertsson L. Simple and farmer-friendly bumblebee conservation: straw bales as nest sites in agricultural landscapes. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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6
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Schoch K, Tschumi M, Lutter S, Ramseier H, Zingg S. Competition and Facilitation Effects of Semi-Natural Habitats Drive Total Insect and Pollinator Abundance in Flower Strips. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.854058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Flower strips are an effective agri-environmental measure to promote functional biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. In particular, tailored annual flower strips are increasingly implemented to foster insect pollination and biological pest control. While positive effects of flower strips on service providers and associated ecosystem services were recently demonstrated, little is known about how their effectiveness is affected by the surrounding landscape. We investigated how landscape composition and configuration, as well as flower strip traits influence the abundance of all insects, pollinators and natural enemies in 74 annual flower strips across 7 years (2014–2020). Landscape characteristics such as crop diversity, mean field size, area, and quality of semi-natural farmland habitats were assessed in a 1-km radius surrounding flower strips and combined with flower strip traits such as size, flower coverage, and flowering plant species richness to model insect abundance and diversity. Total insect and pollinator abundance, as well as wild bee abundance, richness, and diversity in flower strips were negatively affected by the share of semi-natural farmland habitats in the surrounding landscape, suggesting a dilution effect. On the other hand, semi-natural habitats with elevated ecological quality (i.e., biodiversity promotion areas with high botanical and structural diversity) enhanced total insect and pollinator abundance in flower strips. Furthermore, pollinator abundance and wild bee abundance in specific were positively affected by the flower coverage of the strips. Our results therefore suggest simultaneous competition and facilitation effects of semi-natural habitats on the landscape scale depending on their ecological quality. Annual flower strips will therefore be most effective in fostering services in landscapes of moderate to low complexity but with a high share of semi-natural habitats with increased ecological quality. For additional benefits for pollinator and wild bee abundance, flower strips should be designed to yield high flower cover. Our study thus highlights the importance of quality of ecological infrastructure and provides recommendations to maximize ecosystem services and biodiversity by means of flower strips at the landscape scale.
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7
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Muñoz AE, Plantegenest M, Amouroux P, Zaviezo T. Native flower strips increase visitation by non-bee insects to avocado flowers and promote yield. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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8
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Riggi LG, Lundin O, Berggren Å. Mass-flowering red clover crops have positive effects on bumblebee richness and diversity after bloom. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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9
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de Faccio Carvalho PC, de Albuquerque Nunes PA, Pontes-Prates A, Szymczak LS, de Souza Filho W, Moojen FG, Lemaire G. Reconnecting Grazing Livestock to Crop Landscapes: Reversing Specialization Trends to Restore Landscape Multifunctionality. Front Sustain Food Syst 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.750765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Closely integrated crop and livestock production systems used to be the rule in agriculture before the industrial revolution. However, agricultural landscapes have undergone a massive intensification process in recent decades. This trajectory has led to uniform landscapes of specialized cropping systems or consolidated zones of intensive livestock production. Loss of diversity is at the core of increasing side effects on the environment from agriculture. The unintended consequences of specialization demand the reconciliation of food production with environmental quality. We argue that the reconnection of grazing livestock to specialized crop landscapes can restore decoupled biogeochemical cycles and reintroduce the necessary complexity to restore ecosystem functioning. Besides, the reconnection of crops and livestock promotes several ecosystem services underlying multifunctionality. We focus on the capacity of integrated crop-livestock systems to create biophysical and socioeconomic resilience that cope with weather and market oscillations. We present examples of redesigned landscapes that leverage grazing animals to optimize food production per unit of land while mitigating the externalities of specialized agriculture. We also debate mindset barriers to the shift of current specialization trends toward the design of multifunctional landscapes.
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10
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Staley JT, Redhead JW, O'Connor RS, Jarvis SG, Siriwardena GM, Henderson IG, Botham MS, Carvell C, Smart SM, Phillips S, Jones N, McCracken ME, Christelow J, Howell K, Pywell RF. Designing a survey to monitor multi-scale impacts of agri-environment schemes on mobile taxa. J Environ Manage 2021; 290:112589. [PMID: 33906116 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Agri-environment schemes (AES) are key mechanisms to deliver conservation policy, and include management to provide resources for target taxa. Mobile species may move to areas where resources are increased, without this necessarily having an effect across the wider countryside or on populations over time. Most assessments of AES efficacy have been at small spatial scales, over short timescales, and shown varying results. We developed a survey design based on orthogonal gradients of AES management at local and landscape scales, which will enable the response of several taxa to be monitored. An evidence review of management effects on butterflies, birds and pollinating insects provided data to score AES options. Predicted gradients were calculated using AES uptake, weighted by the evidence scores. Predicted AES gradients for each taxon correlated strongly, and with the average gradient across taxa, supporting the co-location of surveys across different taxa. Nine 1 × 1 km survey squares were selected in each of four regional blocks with broadly homogenous background habitat characteristics. Squares in each block covered orthogonal contrasts across the range of AES gradients at local and landscape scales. This allows the effects of AES on species at each scale, and the interaction between scales, to be tested. AES options and broad habitats were mapped in field surveys, to verify predicted gradients which were based on AES option uptake data. The verified AES gradient had a strong positive relationship with the predicted gradient. AES gradients were broadly independent of background habitat within each block, likely allowing AES effects to be distinguished from potential effects of other habitat variables. Surveys of several mobile taxa are ongoing. This design will allow mobile taxa responses to AES to be tested in the surrounding countryside, as well as on land under AES management, and potentially in terms of population change over time. The design developed here provides a novel, pseudo-experimental approach for assessing the response of mobile species to gradients of management at two spatial scales. A similar design process could be applied in other regions that require a standardized approach to monitoring the impacts of management interventions on target taxa at landscape scales, if equivalent spatial data are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Staley
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK.
| | - J W Redhead
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - R S O'Connor
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - S G Jarvis
- UKCEH, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - G M Siriwardena
- British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, UK
| | - I G Henderson
- British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, UK
| | - M S Botham
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - C Carvell
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - S M Smart
- UKCEH, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - S Phillips
- Natural England, Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green, York, YO1 7PX, UK
| | - N Jones
- FERA Science Ltd, National Agri-food Innovation Campus, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - M E McCracken
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - J Christelow
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - K Howell
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - R F Pywell
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
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11
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Marja R, Klein AM, Viik E, Batáry P. Environmentally-friendly and organic management practices enable complementary diversification of plant–bumblebee food webs. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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12
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Abstract
Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) to benefit biodiversity became mandatory in intensively farmed landscapes after the reform of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2013. The implementation of EFAs as uncropped field margins has been criticized as ineffective but created a window of opportunity to test if augmenting them with annual flower strips can benefit biodiversity. In this study, we investigated if annual flower strips on EFAs benefited functional biodiversity in intensively farmed landscapes. To this end we established eleven annual flower strips with a seed mixture targeted for both natural enemies and pollinators, on areas were farmers had planned for EFAs. We determined effects on aphids and their natural enemies in cereal fields close to six of the flower strips, and for solitary bees and wasp close to and in the surroundings of all eleven flower strips. We found that annual flower strips benefited the abundance of hoverfly larvae and possibly also that of solitary bees. However, there were neither any significant effects on natural enemies (other than hoverfly larvae), nor any difference in natural pest control as shown by lack of differences in aphid numbers and parazitation rates. Abundances of solitary bees and wasps in the surrounding landscapes were unaffected, although there was a tendency for more solitary bee cells closer to the strips. We suggest that the critical issue leading to the mostly negative results is the lack of permanent structures to sustain populations of arthropods that in turn can benefit from annual flower strips. Hence, future agri-environmental policies need to carefully consider if and how annual agri-environmental measures should be implemented in intensively managed agricultural landscapes, e.g., by combining them with more permanent structures.
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13
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Hederström V, Rundlöf M, Birgersson G, Larsson MC, Balkenius A, Lankinen Å. Do plant ploidy and pollinator tongue length interact to cause low seed yield in red clover? Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Hederström
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences AlnarpSE‐230 53Sweden
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science Lund University LundSE‐223 62Sweden
| | - Maj Rundlöf
- Department of Biology Lund University LundSE‐223 62Sweden
| | - Göran Birgersson
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences AlnarpSE‐230 53Sweden
| | - Mattias C. Larsson
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences AlnarpSE‐230 53Sweden
| | - Anna Balkenius
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences AlnarpSE‐230 53Sweden
- Department of Biology Lund University LundSE‐223 62Sweden
| | - Åsa Lankinen
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences AlnarpSE‐230 53Sweden
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14
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Albrecht M, Kleijn D, Williams NM, Tschumi M, Blaauw BR, Bommarco R, Campbell AJ, Dainese M, Drummond FA, Entling MH, Ganser D, Arjen de Groot G, Goulson D, Grab H, Hamilton H, Herzog F, Isaacs R, Jacot K, Jeanneret P, Jonsson M, Knop E, Kremen C, Landis DA, Loeb GM, Marini L, McKerchar M, Morandin L, Pfister SC, Potts SG, Rundlöf M, Sardiñas H, Sciligo A, Thies C, Tscharntke T, Venturini E, Veromann E, Vollhardt IMG, Wäckers F, Ward K, Westbury DB, Wilby A, Woltz M, Wratten S, Sutter L. The effectiveness of flower strips and hedgerows on pest control, pollination services and crop yield: a quantitative synthesis. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1488-1498. [PMID: 32808477 PMCID: PMC7540530 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Floral plantings are promoted to foster ecological intensification of agriculture through provisioning of ecosystem services. However, a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of different floral plantings, their characteristics and consequences for crop yield is lacking. Here we quantified the impacts of flower strips and hedgerows on pest control (18 studies) and pollination services (17 studies) in adjacent crops in North America, Europe and New Zealand. Flower strips, but not hedgerows, enhanced pest control services in adjacent fields by 16% on average. However, effects on crop pollination and yield were more variable. Our synthesis identifies several important drivers of variability in effectiveness of plantings: pollination services declined exponentially with distance from plantings, and perennial and older flower strips with higher flowering plant diversity enhanced pollination more effectively. These findings provide promising pathways to optimise floral plantings to more effectively contribute to ecosystem service delivery and ecological intensification of agriculture in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Albrecht
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, Zurich, CH-8046, Switzerland
| | - David Kleijn
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, Wageningen, 6708PB, The Netherlands
| | - Neal M Williams
- Department of Entomology and Nematology and Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Matthias Tschumi
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, Zurich, CH-8046, Switzerland
| | - Brett R Blaauw
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7044, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
| | - Alistair J Campbell
- Laboratório de Entomologia, Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, Pará, CEP 66095-903, Brazil
| | - Matteo Dainese
- Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, Bozen/Bolzano, 39100, Italy
| | - Francis A Drummond
- School of Biology And Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA
| | - Martin H Entling
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstr. 7, Landau, D-76829, Germany
| | - Dominik Ganser
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, Zurich, CH-8046, Switzerland.,University of Bern, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Baltzerstrasse 6, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - G Arjen de Groot
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, The Netherlands
| | - Dave Goulson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Heather Grab
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA
| | - Hannah Hamilton
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Felix Herzog
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, Zurich, CH-8046, Switzerland
| | - Rufus Isaacs
- Department of Entomology and EEBB Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Katja Jacot
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, Zurich, CH-8046, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Jeanneret
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, Zurich, CH-8046, Switzerland
| | - Mattias Jonsson
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7044, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
| | - Eva Knop
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, Zurich, CH-8046, Switzerland.,University of Bern, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Baltzerstrasse 6, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Claire Kremen
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, & Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Douglas A Landis
- Department of Entomology and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Gregory M Loeb
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA
| | - Lorenzo Marini
- DAFNAE, University of Padova, viale dell'Università 16, Padova, 35020, Italy
| | - Megan McKerchar
- Institute of Science & the Environment, University of Worcester, Worcester, UK
| | - Lora Morandin
- Pollinator Partnership, 475 Sansome Street, 17th Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94111, USA
| | - Sonja C Pfister
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstr. 7, Landau, D-76829, Germany
| | - Simon G Potts
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, Reading University, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Maj Rundlöf
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
| | - Hillary Sardiñas
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Amber Sciligo
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Carsten Thies
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eric Venturini
- Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, 5784 York Complex, Suite 52, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
| | - Eve Veromann
- Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu, 51006, Estonia
| | - Ines M G Vollhardt
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Felix Wäckers
- Lancaster Environnent Centre, Lancaster University, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Kimiora Ward
- Department of Entomology and Nematology and Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Duncan B Westbury
- Institute of Science & the Environment, University of Worcester, Worcester, UK
| | - Andrew Wilby
- Lancaster Environnent Centre, Lancaster University, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Megan Woltz
- Department of Entomology and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Steve Wratten
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Louis Sutter
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, Zurich, CH-8046, Switzerland
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Boff S, Raizer J, Lupi D. Environmental Display Can Buffer the Effect of Pesticides on Solitary Bees. Insects 2020; 11:E417. [PMID: 32635667 DOI: 10.3390/insects11070417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Environmental quality (e.g., diversity of resource availability, nesting sites, environmental display) plays an important role in an animal’s life. While homogeneous environments can restrict organisms from developing activities such as food seeking (behavioral impairment), more complex environments allow animals to perform activities with learning and behavioral perfecting outcomes. Pesticides are known to affect the learning and foraging behaviors of bees; however, little is known about the counterbalance displayed by the environment. Herein, we conducted two experiments that simulated distinct environmental displays, in which the effects of a fungicide (IndarTM 5EW-febunconazole) on solitary bee foraging activities were tested. We found that the fungicide only impaired the activities of bees in one of the studied environments. The difference in visitation rates and flower exploitation of bees between the two different environmental displays led to changes in metrics of bee–flower networks across environments. Linkage density, a metric associated with pollination efficiency that is known to be impacted by different environments, differed across environments. Our results showed that ecological interaction network metrics can differ regarding the different environmental displays. This study indicates that environmental complexity helps balance the negative effects of pesticides on solitary bees and highlights the potential use of solitary bees as model organisms for experimental simulations of environmental change.
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Sawe T, Eldegard K, Totland Ø, Macrice S, Nielsen A. Enhancing pollination is more effective than increased conventional agriculture inputs for improving watermelon yields. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5343-5353. [PMID: 32607157 PMCID: PMC7319119 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Agricultural practices to improve yields in small-scale farms in Africa usually focus on improving growing conditions for the crops by applying fertilizers, irrigation, and/or pesticides. This may, however, have limited effect on yield if the availability of effective pollinators is too low. In this study, we established an experiment to test whether soil fertility, soil moisture, and/or pollination was limiting watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) yields in Northern Tanzania. We subjected the experimental field to common farming practices while we treated selected plants with extrafertilizer applications, increased irrigation and/or extra pollination in a three-way factorial experiment. One week before harvest, we assessed yield from each plant, quantified as the number of mature fruits and their weights. We also assessed fruit shape since this may affect the market price. For the first fruit ripening on each plant, we also assessed sugar content (brix) and flesh color as measures of fruit quality for human consumption. Extra pollination significantly increased the probability of a plant producing a second fruit of a size the farmer could sell at the market, and also the fruit sugar content, whereas additional fertilizer applications or increased irrigation did not improve yields. In addition, we did not find significant effects of increased fertilizer or watering on fruit sugar, weight, or color. We concluded that, insufficient pollination is limiting watermelon yields in our experiment and we suggest that this may be a common situation in sub-Saharan Africa. It is therefore critically important that small-scale farmers understand the role of pollinators and understand their importance for agricultural production. Agricultural policies to improve yields in developing countries should therefore also include measures to improve pollination services by giving education and advisory services to farmers on how to develop pollinator-friendly habitats in agricultural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Sawe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Katrine Eldegard
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Ørjan Totland
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
| | - Samora Macrice
- Department of Ecosystems and ConservationSokoine University of AgricultureMorogoroTanzania
| | - Anders Nielsen
- Department of Landscape and BiodiversityNorwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO)ÅsNorway
- Department of BiosciencesCentre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES)University of OsloOsloNorway
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Cardarelli E, Gentili R, Della Rocca F, Zanella M, Caronni S, Bogliani G, Citterio S. Seeding and Overseeding Native Hayseed Support Plant and Soil Arthropod Communities in Agriculture Areas. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:E38. [PMID: 32290501 PMCID: PMC7235896 DOI: 10.3390/life10040038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Using native seed mixtures to create or recover grassland habitats in rotation to crops or in strips surrounding fields is considered a cost-effective practice to enhance ecosystem resilience and agro-biodiversity. The aim of this research was to assess the effects of native hayseed mixtures on plant and microarthropod communities in an agricultural area of Northern Italy. Three different experimental treatments were set up. The first was a control (C) (i.e., non-seeded plots left to spontaneous vegetation succession after ploughing no deeper than 15 cm). The second, hayseed seeded (Hs) after ploughing no deeper than 15 cm. The third experimental treatment was hayseed overseeded (Ov) on the resident plant community after only a superficial harrowing. Ov plots exhibited the preeminent positive effects on the total productivity and quality of the grassland in terms of total vegetation cover, cover and richness of typical grassland species (i.e., Molinio-Arrhenatheretea species), and cover of legumes, grasses and perennial species. Moreover, Ov sites exhibited the highest abundance of microarthropod taxa and soil biological quality (QBS-ar) but only in spring, when the disturbance of ploughing negatively affected Hs and C plots. On the other hand, Hs sites showed a great reduction of invasive alien (i.e., Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Artemisia verlotiorum) and segetal weed species (i.e., Capsella bursa-pastoris and Spergula arvensis) in terms of cover. This study provides valuable indication on using hayseed mixtures to create grassland habitats as reservoir of native flora and soil biodiversity in agriculture areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Cardarelli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.C.); (F.D.R.); (M.Z.); (G.B.)
| | - Rodolfo Gentili
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy; (S.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Francesca Della Rocca
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.C.); (F.D.R.); (M.Z.); (G.B.)
| | - Marta Zanella
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.C.); (F.D.R.); (M.Z.); (G.B.)
| | - Sarah Caronni
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy; (S.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Giuseppe Bogliani
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.C.); (F.D.R.); (M.Z.); (G.B.)
| | - Sandra Citterio
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy; (S.C.); (S.C.)
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18
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Rundlöf M, Lundin O. Can Costs of Pesticide Exposure for Bumblebees Be Balanced by Benefits from a Mass-Flowering Crop? Environ Sci Technol 2019; 53:14144-14151. [PMID: 31773944 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b02789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mass-flowering crops provide forage for bees but also contain pesticides. Such pesticide exposure can harm bees, but our understanding of how this cost is balanced by forage benefits is limited. To provide insights into benefits and costs, we placed bumblebee colonies in 18 landscapes with conventional red clover fields treated with the neonicotinoid thiacloprid (flowers + pesticide), untreated organic red clover fields (flowers), or landscapes lacking clover fields (controls). Colonies grew heavier near thiacloprid-treated clover compared to controls lacking clover, while colonies near untreated clover did not differ from colonies in neither of the other landscape types. Thiacloprid treatment effectively controlled pests and increased bumblebee crop visitation. However, colony production of queens and males did not differ among landscape types. In conclusion, thiacloprid application in clover appears to be of low risk for bumblebees. More generally, neonicotinoids may not be equally harmful when used in flowering crops and effective low-risk pest control in such crops could potentially benefit bumblebees and crop pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maj Rundlöf
- Department of Biology , Lund University , SE-223 62 Lund , Sweden
| | - Ola Lundin
- Department of Ecology , Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , SE-750 07 Uppsala , Sweden
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19
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Willcox BK, Howlett BG, Robson AJ, Cutting B, Evans L, Jesson L, Kirkland L, Jean-Meyzonnier M, Potdevin V, Saunders ME, Rader R. Evaluating the taxa that provide shared pollination services across multiple crops and regions. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13538. [PMID: 31537826 PMCID: PMC6753147 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49535-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many pollinator species visit multiple crops in multiple regions, yet we know little about their pollination service provisioning at local and regional scales. We investigated the floral visitors (n = 13,200), their effectiveness (n = 1718 single visits) and response to landscape composition across three crops avocado, mango and macadamia within a single growing region (1 year), a single crop (3 years) and across different growing regions in multiple years. In total, eight wild visitor groups were shared across all three crops. The network was dominated by three pollinators, two bees (Apis mellifera and Tetragonula spp.) and a fly, Stomorhina discolor. The visitation network for the three crops was relatively generalised but with the addition of pollen deposition data, specialisation increased. Sixteen managed and wild taxa were consistently present across three years in avocado, yet their contribution to annual network structure varied. Node specialisation (d') analyses indicated many individual orchard sites across each of the networks were significantly more specialised compared to that predicted by null models, suggesting the presence of site-specific factors driving these patterns. Identifying the taxa shared across multiple crops, regions and years will facilitate the development of specific pollinator management strategies to optimize crop pollination services in horticultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryony K Willcox
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
| | - Brad G Howlett
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Andrew J Robson
- Precision Agriculture Research Group, School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Brian Cutting
- Plant & Food Research Australia, Queensland University of Technology, M Block Room 581, Gardens Point Campus GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, 4001, Australia
| | - Lisa Evans
- Plant & Food Research Australia, Queensland University of Technology, M Block Room 581, Gardens Point Campus GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, 4001, Australia
| | - Linley Jesson
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Hawke's Bay, Crosses Rd, Parkvale, Havelock, North 4172, New Zealand
| | - Lindsey Kirkland
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Manu E Saunders
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
- UNE Business School, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Romina Rader
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
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