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Ikemoto M, Tanaka Y, Kohno K, Yokoi T. Diurnal and geographic variations of pollinator importance for Cucurbita maxima Duchesne. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10651. [PMID: 37915802 PMCID: PMC10616738 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite growing awareness of the importance of monitoring wild crop pollinators worldwide, there are still few reports, especially in East Asia. Considering ongoing global warming may change the distribution range and diurnal activity of pollinators, it is necessary to describe current geographic and diurnal patterns. We clarified pollinators of Cucurbita maxima Duchesne (Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae) in three geographically distinct (>350 km, minimum) areas in Japan, focusing on diurnal variation. Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Halictidae (Hymenoptera) were observed in all of the experimental gardens. Apis cerana japonica Radoszkowski (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were mainly observed in Mie and Kagoshima, while Bombus diversus diversus Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were observed only in Ibaraki. The peak time of flower visits depended both on bee taxa and area, and interestingly, did not necessarily synchronize with the timing of the highest pollen loads and the probability of stigma contact. In particular, visits and probability of contacting stigmas of Halictidae tended to increase as time passed, whereas pollen grains on their bodies sharply decreased with time; only a few individuals of Halictidae that visit early can become effective pollinators. There were no differences in yields between supplementary hand and natural pollination in all areas, and flower-enclosure experiments using different mesh sizes clarified that small insects that can go across an approximately 4-mm mesh may not transport sufficient pollen for fruit set. Our study demonstrated that pollination effectiveness, which is usually regarded as a static value, within a taxon can fluctuate in the space of just several hours. Considering such diurnal patterns can be altered by climate change, we need to carefully monitor the diurnal temporal patterns of pollinators worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mito Ikemoto
- Faculty of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of TsukubaTsukubaJapan
- National Institute for Environmental StudiesTsukubaJapan
| | - Yoshihiro Tanaka
- Kagoshima Prefectural Institute for Agricultural DevelopmentMinamisatsumaJapan
| | - Katsuyuki Kohno
- Institute of Vegetable and Floriculture Science, National Agriculture and Food Research OrganizationTsuJapan
| | - Tomoyuki Yokoi
- Faculty of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of TsukubaTsukubaJapan
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Leach A, Kaplan I. Prioritizing pollinators over pests: wild bees are more important than beetle damage for watermelon yield. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221279. [PMID: 36350210 PMCID: PMC9653259 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Insect pests and pollinators can interact directly and indirectly to affect crop production; however, impacts of these interactions on marketable yield are little known. Thus, the evaluation of interactions between pests and pollinators are needed to best prioritize management efforts. Over 2 years, we evaluated the impact of pollinator visitation and/or beetle (Acalymma vittatum) infestation on fruit set and yield in seedless watermelon production. In 2020, we tested the main effect of pollinator visitation: two or eight honeybee visits, two wild bee visits, hand pollinated and open pollinated. In 2021, we crossed wild and managed pollinator visitation (two or four honeybee visits, two or four wild bee visits, hand pollinated and open pollinated) with varying beetle infestation levels (0, 3, 6 and 9 beetles/plant). In both years, wild bees contributed significantly to high fruit yields, and exclusive visitation from wild bees increased yield by a factor of 1.5-3 compared to honeybees. In 2021, pollination was the only significant factor for fruit set and marketable yield even when compared to the varying beetle infestation levels. These data advocate for a reprioritization of management, to conserve and protect wild bee pollination, which could be more critical than avoiding pest damage for ensuring high yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Leach
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Ian Kaplan
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Li HY, Luo AC, Hao YJ, Dou FY, Kou RM, Orr MC, Zhu CD, Huang DY. Comparison of the pollination efficiency of Apis cerana with wild bees in oil-seed camellia fields. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Komasilova O, Komasilovs V, Kviesis A, Zacepins A. Model for finding the number of honey bee colonies needed for the optimal foraging process in a specific geographical location. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12178. [PMID: 34616624 PMCID: PMC8451444 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Finding a proper location for a bee apiary is a crucial task for beekeepers and especially for travelling beekeepers. Normally beekeepers choose an appropriate apiary location based on their previous experience and sometimes the location may not be optimal for the bee colonies. This can be explained by different flowering periods, variation of resources at the known fields, as well as other factors. In addition it is very challenging to evaluate how many bee colonies should be placed in one geographical location for an optimal nectar foraging process. This research presents a model for finding the number of honey bee colonies needed for the optimal foraging process in the specific location, taking into account several assumptions. Authors propose to take into account potential field productivity, possible chemical contamination, surroundings of the apiary. To run the model, several steps have to be completed, starting from the selection of area of interest, conversion to polygons for further calculations, defining the roads in the selected area. The outcome of the model number of colonies that should be placed is presented to the user. The Python language was used for the model development. The model can be extended to use additional factors and values to increase the precision of the evaluation. In addition, input from users (farmers, agricultural specialists, etc.) about external factors that can affect the number of bee colonies in the apiary can be taken into account. This work is conducted within the Horizon 2020 FET project HIVEOPOLIS (Nr.824069).
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Affiliation(s)
- Olvija Komasilova
- Department of Computer Systems, Faculty of Information Technologies, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia
| | - Vitalijs Komasilovs
- Department of Computer Systems, Faculty of Information Technologies, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia
| | - Armands Kviesis
- Department of Computer Systems, Faculty of Information Technologies, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia
| | - Aleksejs Zacepins
- Department of Computer Systems, Faculty of Information Technologies, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia
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McGrady CM, Strange JP, López‐Uribe MM, Fleischer SJ. Wild bumble bee colony abundance, scaled by field size, predicts pollination services. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3735] [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: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- C. M. McGrady
- Department of Entomology The Pennsylvania State University 501 Agricultural Sciences and Industry Building University Park Pennsylvania 16801 USA
| | - J. P. Strange
- USDA‐ARS Pollinating Insect Research Unit 1410 N 800 E N. Logan Utah 84341 USA
| | - M. M. López‐Uribe
- Department of Entomology The Pennsylvania State University 501 Agricultural Sciences and Industry Building University Park Pennsylvania 16801 USA
| | - S. J. Fleischer
- Department of Entomology The Pennsylvania State University 501 Agricultural Sciences and Industry Building University Park Pennsylvania 16801 USA
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Abstract
Pumpkins and winter squash require insect pollination to set fruit, but only three bee species are important pollinators of these crops in the Northeastern US. To determine if natural levels of pollen deposition are sufficient for full fruit production, open pollination was measured by counting pollen grains on stigmas, and open pollination was compared to supplemental hand pollination for fruit set, fruit size, and seed number. A threshold of 2300 pollen grains per stigma was sufficient for full pollination and fruit production. This threshold was met in 79 out of 80 combinations of site and sample date over four years on farms across Connecticut with a wide range of field sizes and pest management practices. Along with stigma collection, bees per flower were counted hourly on 100 flowers along a transect. Counts of bumble bees on female flowers were more closely related to the amount of pollen deposited than counts of bees on all flowers or counts of honey bees or squash bees on female flowers. There was tremendous variation in abundance of the three bee species on female flowers across farms within a year and even among years on a single farm.
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McGrady CM, Troyer R, Fleischer SJ. Wild Bee Visitation Rates Exceed Pollination Thresholds in Commercial Cucurbita Agroecosystems. J Econ Entomol 2020; 113:562-574. [PMID: 31815283 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toz295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Wild bees supply sufficient pollination in Cucurbita agroecosystems in certain settings; however, some growers continue to stock fields with managed pollinators due to uncertainties of temporal and spatial variation on pollination services supplied by wild bees. Here, we evaluate wild bee pollination activity in wholesale, commercial pumpkin fields over 3 yr. We identified 37 species of bees foraging in commercial pumpkin fields. Honey bees (Apis mellifera L. [Hymenoptera: Apidae]), squash bees (Eucera (Peponapis) Say, Dorchin [Hymenoptera: Apidae]), and bumble bees (Bombus spp., primarily B. impatiens Cresson [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) were the most active pollinator taxa, responsible for over 95% of all pollination visits. Preference for female flowers decreased as distance from field edge increased for several bee taxa. Visitation rates from one key pollinator was negatively affected by field size. Visitation rates for multiple taxa exhibited a curvilinear response as the growing season progressed and responded positively to increasing floral density. We synthesized existing literature to estimate minimum 'pollination thresholds' per taxa and determined that each of the most active pollinator taxa exceeded these thresholds independently. Under current conditions, renting honey bee hives may be superfluous in this system. These results can aid growers when executing pollination management strategies and further highlights the importance of monitoring and conserving wild pollinator populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M McGrady
- The Pennsylvania State University, Entomology Department, University Park, PA
| | - R Troyer
- The Pennsylvania State University, Entomology Department, University Park, PA
| | - S J Fleischer
- The Pennsylvania State University, Entomology Department, University Park, PA
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas A. Garibaldi
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural Universidad Nacional de Río Negro San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
| | - Agustín Sáez
- Grupo de Ecología de la Polinización INIBIOMA, CONICET—Universidad Nacional del Comahue San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
| | - Marcelo A. Aizen
- Grupo de Ecología de la Polinización INIBIOMA, CONICET—Universidad Nacional del Comahue San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
| | - Thijs Fijen
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group Wageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Ignasi Bartomeus
- Department of Integrative Ecology Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD‐CSIC Seville Spain
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Bertrand C, Eckerter PW, Ammann L, Entling MH, Gobet E, Herzog F, Mestre L, Tinner W, Albrecht M. Seasonal shifts and complementary use of pollen sources by two bees, a lacewing and a ladybeetle species in European agricultural landscapes. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [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)
- Colette Bertrand
- Agroecology and Environment Agroscope Zürich Switzerland
- UMR 1402 ECOSYS INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris‐Saclay Versailles France
| | - Philipp W. Eckerter
- Institute for Environmental Sciences University of Koblenz‐Landau Landau (Pfalz) Germany
| | - Lolita Ammann
- Agroecology and Environment Agroscope Zürich Switzerland
| | - Martin H. Entling
- Institute for Environmental Sciences University of Koblenz‐Landau Landau (Pfalz) Germany
| | - Erika Gobet
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Felix Herzog
- Agroecology and Environment Agroscope Zürich Switzerland
| | - Laia Mestre
- Institute for Environmental Sciences University of Koblenz‐Landau Landau (Pfalz) Germany
| | - Willy Tinner
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research University of Bern Bern Switzerland
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail MacInnis
- Department of Natural Resource SciencesMcGill University Montreal QC Canada
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Pfister SC, Eckerter PW, Krebs J, Cresswell JE, Schirmel J, Entling MH. Dominance of cropland reduces the pollen deposition from bumble bees. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13873. [PMID: 30224675 PMCID: PMC6141495 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31826-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Intensive agricultural landscapes can be hostile for bees due to a lack of floral and nesting resources, and due to management-related stress such as pesticide use and soil tillage. This threatens the pollination services that bees deliver to insect-pollinated crops. We studied the effects of farming intensity (organic vs. conventional, number of insecticide applications) and availability of semi-natural habitats at the field and landscape scale on pollinator visits and pollen delivery to pumpkin in Germany. We found that wild bumble bees were the key pollinators of pumpkin in terms of pollen delivery, despite fivefold higher visitation frequency of honey bees. Critically, we observed that the area of cropland had stronger effects on bees’ pollen deposition than the area of seminatural habitats. Specifically, a 10% increase of the proportion of cropland reduced pollen delivery by 7%. Pumpkin provides a striking example for a key role of wild pollinators in crop pollination even at high numerical dominance of honey bees. In addition, our findings suggest that habitat conversion to agricultural land is a driver of deteriorating pollination. This underlines the importance to maintain sufficient areas of non-crop habitats in agricultural landscapes.
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