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Ecology Letters Mar 2014The idea of pollination syndromes has been largely discussed but no formal quantitative evaluation has yet been conducted across angiosperms. We present the first... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The idea of pollination syndromes has been largely discussed but no formal quantitative evaluation has yet been conducted across angiosperms. We present the first systematic review of pollination syndromes that quantitatively tests whether the most effective pollinators for a species can be inferred from suites of floral traits for 417 plant species. Our results support the syndrome concept, indicating that convergent floral evolution is driven by adaptation to the most effective pollinator group. The predictability of pollination syndromes is greater in pollinator-dependent species and in plants from tropical regions. Many plant species also have secondary pollinators that generally correspond to the ancestral pollinators documented in evolutionary studies. We discuss the utility and limitations of pollination syndromes and the role of secondary pollinators to understand floral ecology and evolution.
Topics: Adaptation, Biological; Biological Evolution; Flowers; Geography; Magnoliopsida; Phylogeny; Pollination; Species Specificity; Symbiosis
PubMed: 24393294
DOI: 10.1111/ele.12224 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Sep 2023The phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasingly real and relevant health problem. It is essential to verify the spread of this phenomenon in the... (Review)
Review
The phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasingly real and relevant health problem. It is essential to verify the spread of this phenomenon in the environment. The European honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is a globally managed pollinator continuously used for biomonitoring thanks to its morphological and behavioural characteristics. During their foraging activities, a large number of honey bees move in the area surrounding the hive within a 1.5 km of radius. Besides, their body covered with hair and bristles are able to intercept pollen and minute particles, such as atmospheric particles, contaminants and microorganisms. For these reasons, A. mellifera L. is widely used as an environmental sentinel, especially for detecting pollutants, pesticides, microorganisms, and AMR. This systematic review aimed to collect and summarize the role of honey bee colonies as a biological monitor of AMR pathogenic bacteria and the environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). From honey bees were isolated a wide range of pathogenic and environmental bacteria strains, harbouring AMR and ARGs. However, AMR and ARGs were detected not only in environmental bacteria but also in symbiotic bacteria colonizing the bee gut. This systematic review highlights the employment of potential use of honey bees as AMR sentinel helpful for ecosystem health to implement possible control measures for humans, animals and plants, in the context of the "One-Health" approach.
PubMed: 37385360
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122120 -
Insects Jun 2021The impact of elevated CO (eCO) on plant-pollinator interactions is poorly understood. This study provides the first systematic review of this topic and identifies...
The impact of elevated CO (eCO) on plant-pollinator interactions is poorly understood. This study provides the first systematic review of this topic and identifies important knowledge gaps. In addition, we present field data assessing the impact of eCO (150 ppm above ambient) on bluebell ()-pollinator interactions within a mature, deciduous woodland system. Since 1956, only 71 primary papers have investigated eCO effects on flowering time, floral traits and pollination, with a mere 3 studies measuring the impact on pollination interactions. Our field experiment documented flowering phenology, flower visitation and seed production, as well as the abundance and phenology of dominant insect pollinators. We show that first and mid-point flowering occurred 6 days earlier under eCO, but with no change in flowering duration. Syrphid flies and bumble bees were the dominant flower visitors, with peak activity recorded during mid- and late-flowering periods. Whilst no significant difference was recorded in total visitation or seed set between eCO and ambient treatments, there were clear patterns of earlier flowering under eCO accompanied by lower pollinator activity during this period. This has implications for potential loss of synchrony in pollination systems under future climate scenarios, with associated long-term impacts on abundance and diversity.
PubMed: 34206033
DOI: 10.3390/insects12060512 -
Integrated Environmental Assessment and... Nov 2020Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticide class worldwide, and unfortunately, the widely used neonicotinoid imidacloprid is problematic for pollinators and... (Review)
Review
Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticide class worldwide, and unfortunately, the widely used neonicotinoid imidacloprid is problematic for pollinators and other nontarget organisms. These nontarget impacts and the development of resistance prompt the ongoing development and testing of new neonicotinoids. The novel neonicotinoid cycloxaprid was described in 2011 and registered in China in 2015. Studies investigating its use and effect on target and nontarget species are recent and ongoing, and empirical evidence has not yet been collectively considered. Therefore, a systematic review was performed to identify and summarize data associated with target and nontarget, lethal and sublethal impacts of cycloxaprid for its use as a new insecticide. We performed keyword literature searches in Web of Science, PubMed, Academic Search Complete, and Google Scholar and explored citations used in identified articles. The search strategy yielded 66 citations; 25 citations fulfilled eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Under experimental conditions, cycloxaprid reduced populations of plant-feeding insect pests, suppressed populations of sucking and biting insect pests, and affected reproduction, development time, longevity, growth, gene regulation and expression, and phloem-feeding behavior of various life stages of certain insects. Studies focus on pest control efficacy and comparison with imidacloprid. Five nontarget organisms have been evaluated: Apis mellifera, Chrysoperla sinica, Harmonia axyridis, Daphnia magna, and Eisenia fetida. Variation in study design, to date, precludes a metaanalysis. However, these results provide valuable insight into possible effects to target and nontarget arthropods. Because cycloxaprid is a new insecticide, additional research is needed to clarify the mechanism of action of cycloxaprid and its metabolites, and to determine if it harms natural enemies or other nontarget organisms, if resistance develops, and if it exhibits cross-resistance with other insecticides. Although research on target arthropods will inform some effects on nontarget organisms, studies focusing explicitly on impacts to nontarget organisms are needed. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:831-840. © 2020 SETAC.
Topics: Animals; Arthropods; Bees; China; Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; Insecticides; Neonicotinoids; Pyridines
PubMed: 32592520
DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4305 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2020Currently, a global analysis of the information available on the relative composition of the floral scents of a very diverse variety of plant species is missing. Such...
Currently, a global analysis of the information available on the relative composition of the floral scents of a very diverse variety of plant species is missing. Such analysis may reveal general patterns on the distribution and dominance of the volatile compounds that form these mixtures, and may also allow measuring the effects of factors such as the phylogeny, pollination vectors, and climatic conditions on the floral scents of the species. To fill this gap, we compiled published data on the relative compositions and emission rates of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the floral scents of 305 plant species from 66 families. We also gathered information on the groups of pollinators that visited the flowers and the climatic conditions in the areas of distribution of these species. This information allowed us to characterize the occurrence and relative abundances of individual volatiles in floral scents and the effects of biotic and climatic factors on floral scent. The monoterpenes trans-β-ocimene and linalool and the benzenoid benzaldehyde were the most abundant floral VOCs, in both ubiquity and predominance in the floral blends. Floral VOC richness and relative composition were moderately preserved traits across the phylogeny. The reliance on different pollinator groups and the climate also had important effects on floral VOC richness, composition, and emission rates of the species. Our results support the hypothesis that key compounds or compounds originating from specific biosynthetic pathways mediate the attraction of the main pollinators. Our results also indicate a prevalence of monoterpenes in the floral blends of plants that grow in drier conditions, which could link with the fact that monoterpene emissions protect plants against oxidative stresses throughout drought periods and their emissions are enhanced under moderate drought stress. Sesquiterpenes, in turn, were positively correlated with mean annual temperature, supporting that sesquiterpene emissions are dominated mainly by ambient temperature. This study is the first to quantitatively summarise data on floral-scent emissions and provides new insights into the biotic and climatic factors that influence floral scents.
PubMed: 32849712
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01154 -
Global Change Biology Mar 2024The Western honey bee Apis mellifera is a managed species that provides diverse hive products and contributing to wild plant pollination, as well as being a critical...
The Western honey bee Apis mellifera is a managed species that provides diverse hive products and contributing to wild plant pollination, as well as being a critical component of crop pollination systems worldwide. High mortality rates have been reported in different continents attributed to different factors, including pesticides, pests, diseases, and lack of floral resources. Furthermore, climate change has been identified as a potential driver negatively impacting pollinators, but it is still unclear how it could affect honey bee populations. In this context, we carried out a systematic review to synthesize the effects of climate change on honey bees and beekeeping activities. A total of 90 articles were identified, providing insight into potential impacts (negative, neutral, and positive) on honey bees and beekeeping. Interest in climate change's impact on honey bees has increased in the last decade, with studies mainly focusing on honey bee individuals, using empirical and experimental approaches, and performed at short-spatial (<10 km) and temporal (<5 years) scales. Moreover, environmental analyses were mainly based on short-term data (weather) and concentrated on only a few countries. Environmental variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind were widely studied and had generalized negative effects on different biological and ecological aspects of honey bees. Food reserves, plant-pollinator networks, mortality, gene expression, and metabolism were negatively impacted. Knowledge gaps included a lack of studies at the apiary and beekeeper level, a limited number of predictive and perception studies, poor representation of large-spatial and mid-term scales, a lack of climate analysis, and a poor understanding of the potential impacts of pests and diseases. Finally, climate change's impacts on global beekeeping are still an emergent issue. This is mainly due to their diverse effects on honey bees and the potential necessity of implementing adaptation measures to sustain this activity under complex environmental scenarios.
Topics: Animals; Beekeeping; Bees; Climate Change; Food; Pesticides; Pollination
PubMed: 38450832
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17219 -
Ecology and Evolution Mar 2024The use of coloured pan traps (bee bowls, Moericke traps) for sampling bees (and other pollinators) has continuously increased over the last two decades. Although a... (Review)
Review
The use of coloured pan traps (bee bowls, Moericke traps) for sampling bees (and other pollinators) has continuously increased over the last two decades. Although a number of methodological studies and conceptual frameworks offer guidance on standardised sampling, pan trap setups vary widely in characteristics even when optimised for capturing bees. Moreover, some uncertainty persists as to how local flower abundance and diversity influence sampling. We systematically reviewed peer-reviewed studies that used pan traps for bee collection and that were listed in the Web of Science core collection. To gauge methodological variation, we identified a set of relevant methodological criteria and assessed the studies accordingly. For obtaining evidence that pan trap samples and floral environment around traps are correlated, we screened the relevant studies for such correlations. While some aspects of pan trapping (e.g., trap coloration and elevation) were similar in the majority of studies, other aspects varied considerably (e.g., trap volume/diameter and sampling duration). Few studies used floral abundance and/or diversity as an explanatory variable in their analyses of bee samples. Among these studies, we found a considerable variation in key aspects of floral survey methods, such as time and space between vegetation surveys and pan trap sampling, abundance measures (quantitative, semi-quantitative and presence-absence), and processing of raw data prior to analysis. Often studies did not find any correlation between the floral environment and bee samples. Reported correlations varied markedly across studies, even within groups of studies applying a similar method or analysing a similar group of bees. Our synthesis helps to identify key issues of further standardisation of pan trap methodology and of associated floral surveys. In addition to the few aspects that have been standardised over the past decades, we suggest methodological direction for future research using pan traps as a better standardised method for the collection of wild bees. We encourage further studies to illuminate if and how varying floral resources around traps bias bee samples from pan traps. More generally, our synthesis shows that trapping methodologies should be reviewed regularly when their use increases to ensure standardisation.
PubMed: 38500849
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11157 -
Neotropical Entomology Aug 2020Many studies have evaluated and categorized the pollination systems of plants in different regions. These studies resulted in the definition of new pollination systems,...
Many studies have evaluated and categorized the pollination systems of plants in different regions. These studies resulted in the definition of new pollination systems, such as that by small diverse insects (SDI). Although SDI systems are frequent in tropical communities, we know little about the species of plants and pollinators that compose these systems. This study synthesized knowledge of SDI systems through a systematic review of the literature, in order to characterize the composition of plants and pollinator species related to this pollination system. Most studies of SDI systems were carried out in tropical rainforest communities, and used a variety of terminologies and concepts. We found 362 plant species assigned to the SDI system, distributed in 76 families and 35 orders. These species are mainly trees and have inconspicuous greenish flowers, and most are hermaphroditic or dioecious. Few studies provided information on the composition of pollinators, which encompassed small and large insects; beetles, wasp, flies, and bees were the most frequent groups. We suggest adoption of the term "pollination system by diverse insects" instead of "small diverse insects." We discuss conceptual aspects and questions for studies with this pollination system.
Topics: Animals; Color; Flowers; Insecta; Plants; Pollination; Rainforest; Terminology as Topic
PubMed: 32578046
DOI: 10.1007/s13744-020-00779-6 -
The Science of the Total Environment Oct 2022Multiple stressors threaten bee health, a major one being pesticides. Bees are simultaneously exposed to multiple pesticides that can cause both lethal and sublethal... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Multiple stressors threaten bee health, a major one being pesticides. Bees are simultaneously exposed to multiple pesticides that can cause both lethal and sublethal effects. Risk assessment and most research on bee health, however, focus on lethal individual effects. Here, we performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis that summarizes and re-interprets the available qualitative and quantitative information on the lethal, sublethal, and combined toxicity of a comprehensive range of pesticides on bees. We provide results (1970-2019) for multiple bee species (Bombus, Osmia, Megachile, Melipona, Partamona, Scaptotrigona), although most works focused on Apis mellifera L. (78 %). Our harmonised results document the lethal toxicity of pesticides in bees (n = 377 pesticides) and the types of sublethal testing methods and related effects that cause a sublethal effect (n = 375 sublethal experiments). We identified the most common combinations of pesticides and mode of actions tested, and summarize the experimental methods, magnitude of the interactions, and robustness of available data (n = 361 experiments). We provide open access searchable, comprehensive, and integrated list of pesticides and their levels causing lethal, sublethal, and combined effects. We report major data gaps related to pesticide's sublethal (71 %) and combined (e.g., ~99 %) toxicity. We identified pesticides and mode of actions of greatest concern in terms of sublethal (chlorothalonil, pymetrozine, glyphosate; neonicotinoids) and combined (tau-fluvalinate combinations; acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and neonicotinoids) effects. Although certain pesticides have faced regulatory restrictions in specific countries (chlorothalonil, pymetrozine, neonicotinoids), most are still widely used worldwide (e.g., glyphosate). This work aims at facilitating the implementation of more comprehensive and harmonised research and risk assessments, considering sublethal and combined effects. To ensure safeguarding pollinators and the environment, we advocate for a more refined and holistic assessment that do not only focus on lethality but uses harmonised methods to test sublethal and relevant combinations.
Topics: Acetylcholinesterase; Animals; Bees; Insecticides; Neonicotinoids; Pesticides; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 35760183
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156857 -
Innovation (Abingdon, England) 2018Despite the increased attention, which has been given to the issue of involving knowledge and experts from the social sciences and humanities (SSH) into the products and...
Despite the increased attention, which has been given to the issue of involving knowledge and experts from the social sciences and humanities (SSH) into the products and works of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), little is known on what the expectations towards the involvement of SSH in IPBES actually are. The aim of this paper is to close this gap by identifying the range of possible SSH contributions to IPBES that are expected in the literature, and discuss the inherent challenges of and concrete ways to realize these contributions in the particular institutional setting of IPBES. We address these two points by: , assessing the literature dealing with IPBES and building a typology describing the main ways in which contributions from SSH to IPBES have been conceived between 2006 and 2017. We discuss these expected contributions in light of broader debates on the role of SSH in nature conservation and analyse some of the blind spots and selectivities in the perception of how SSH could substantially contribute to the works of IPBES. Then, , by looking at one particular example, economics and its use in the first thematic assessment on pollinators, pollination and food production, we will concretely illustrate how works in a given discipline could contribute in many different and unprecedented ways to the works of IPBES and help identify paths for enhancing the conservation of biodiversity. , we propose a range of practical recommendations as to how to increase the contribution of SSH in the works of IPBES.
PubMed: 29706803
DOI: 10.1080/13511610.2018.1443799