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Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Jun 2022Disease is an integral part of any organisms' life, and bees have evolved immune responses and a suite of hygienic behaviours to keep them at bay in the nest. It is now... (Review)
Review
Disease is an integral part of any organisms' life, and bees have evolved immune responses and a suite of hygienic behaviours to keep them at bay in the nest. It is now evident that flowers are another transmission hub for pathogens and parasites, raising questions about adaptations that help pollinating insects stay healthy while visiting hundreds of plants over their lifetime. Drawing on recent advances in our understanding of how bees of varying size, dietary specialization and sociality differ in their foraging ranges, navigational strategies and floral resource preferences, we explore the behavioural mechanisms and strategies that may enable foraging bees to reduce disease exposure and transmission risks at flowers by partitioning overlapping resources in space and in time. By taking a novel behavioural perspective, we highlight the missing links between disease biology and the ecology of plant-pollinator relationships, critical for improving the understanding of disease transmission risks and the better design and management of habitat for pollinator conservation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
Topics: Animals; Appetitive Behavior; Bees; Ecosystem; Flowers; Insecta; Pollination
PubMed: 35491598
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0157 -
Journal of Economic Entomology Oct 2017Courgette (Cucurbita pepo L.) production in the United Kingdom is estimated to be worth £6.7 million. However, little is known about this crop's requirement for...
Courgette (Cucurbita pepo L.) production in the United Kingdom is estimated to be worth £6.7 million. However, little is known about this crop's requirement for insect-mediated pollination (pollinator dependence) and if pollinator populations in a landscape are able to fulfil its pollination needs (pollination deficit). Consequently, pollination experiments were conducted over 2 yr to explore pollinator dependence and pollination deficit in field-grown courgette in the United Kingdom. Results showed that pollination increased yield by 39% and there was no evidence of pollination limitation on crop yield. This was evidenced by a surprisingly low pollination deficit (of just 3%) and no statistical difference in yield (length grown, circumference, and weight) between open- and hand-pollinated crops. Nonetheless, the high economic value of courgettes means that reducing even the small pollination deficit could still increase profit by ∼£166/ha. Interestingly, 56% of fruit was able to reach marketable size and shape without any pollination. Understanding a crop's requirement for pollinators can aid growers in their decision-making about what varieties and sites should be used. In doing so, they may increase their agricultural resilience and further their economic advantage.
Topics: Agriculture; Animals; Bees; Cucurbita; Pollination
PubMed: 28981657
DOI: 10.1093/jee/tox184 -
PeerJ 2022Changes in environmental conditions are likely to have a complex effect on the growth of plants, their phenology, plant-pollinator interactions, and reproductive...
Changes in environmental conditions are likely to have a complex effect on the growth of plants, their phenology, plant-pollinator interactions, and reproductive success. The current world is facing an ongoing climate change along with other human-induced environmental changes. Most research has focused on the impact of increasing temperature as a major driving force for climate change, but other factors may have important impacts on plant traits and pollination too and these effects may vary from season to season. In addition, it is likely that the effects of multiple environmental factors, such as increasing temperature, water availability, and nitrogen enrichment are not independent. Therefore, we tested the impact of two key factors-water, and nitrogen supply-on plant traits, pollination, and seed production in (Brassicaceae) in three seasons defined as three temperature conditions with two levels of water and nitrogen supply in a factorial design. We collected data on multiple vegetative and floral traits and assessed the response of pollinators in the field. Additionally, we evaluated the effect of growing conditions on seed set in plants exposed to pollinators and in hand-pollinated plants. Our results show that water stress impaired vegetative growth, decreased flower production, and reduced visitation by pollinators and seed set, while high amount of nitrogen increased nectar production under low water availability in plants grown in the spring. Temperature modulated the effect of water and nitrogen availability on vegetative and floral traits and strongly affected flowering phenology and flower production. We demonstrated that changes in water and nitrogen availability alter plant vegetative and floral traits, which impacts flower visitation and consequently plant reproduction. We conclude that ongoing environmental changes such as increasing temperature, altered precipitation regimes and nitrogen enrichment may thus affect plant-pollinator interactions with negative consequences for the reproduction of wild plants and insect-pollinated crops.
Topics: Humans; Pollination; Sinapis; Brassicaceae; Dehydration; Crops, Agricultural
PubMed: 35462774
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13009 -
Trends in Ecology & Evolution Apr 2022Wild bee populations are declining due to human activities, such as land use change, which strongly affect the composition and diversity of available plants and food... (Review)
Review
Wild bee populations are declining due to human activities, such as land use change, which strongly affect the composition and diversity of available plants and food sources. The chemical composition of food (i.e., nutrition) in turn determines the health, resilience, and fitness of bees. For pollinators, however, the term 'health' is recent and is subject to debate, as is the interaction between nutrition and wild bee health. We define bee health as a multidimensional concept in a novel integrative framework linking bee biological traits (physiology, stoichiometry, and disease) and environmental factors (floral diversity and nutritional landscapes). Linking information on tolerated nutritional niches and health in different bee species will allow us to better predict their distribution and responses to environmental change, and thus support wild pollinator conservation.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Biodiversity; Ecosystem; Flowers; Phenotype; Plants; Pollination
PubMed: 34955328
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.11.013 -
Ecology Nov 2022Despite the importance of pollinating insects to natural environments and agriculture, there have been few attempts to unite the existing plant-pollinator interaction...
Despite the importance of pollinating insects to natural environments and agriculture, there have been few attempts to unite the existing plant-pollinator interaction datasets into a single depository using a common format. Accordingly, we have created one of the world's first online, open-access, and searchable pollinator-plant interaction databases. DoPI (The Database of Pollinator Interactions) was built from a systematic review of the scientific literature and unpublished datasets requested from researchers and organizations. We collated records of interactions between British plant and insect flower-visitor species (or genera), together with associated metadata (date, location, habitat, source publication) when available. The dataset currently (December 2021) contains 101,539 records, detailing over 320,000 interactions. The number of interactions (i.e., the number of times a pairwise species interaction was recorded per occasion) varies considerably among records, averaging 3.6. These include records from 1888 pollinator species and 1241 plant species, totaling >17,000 pairwise species interactions. By combining a large volume of information in a single repository, DoPI can be used to answer fundamental ecological questions on the dynamics of pollination interactions in space and time, as well as applied questions in conservation practice. We hope this dynamic database will be a useful tool not only for researchers, but also for conservationists, funding agencies, governmental departments, beekeepers, agronomists, and gardeners. We request that this paper is cited when using the data in publications and individual studies when appropriate. Researchers and organizations are encouraged to add further data in the future. The database can be accessed at: https://www.dopi.org.uk/.
Topics: Animals; Databases, Factual; Ecosystem; Flowers; Insecta; Plants; Pollination
PubMed: 35754095
DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3801 -
Annals of Botany Jun 2009Some of the most exciting advances in pollination biology have resulted from interdisciplinary research combining ecological and evolutionary perspectives. For example,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Some of the most exciting advances in pollination biology have resulted from interdisciplinary research combining ecological and evolutionary perspectives. For example, these two approaches have been essential for understanding the functional ecology of floral traits, the dynamics of pollen transport, competition for pollinator services, and patterns of specialization and generalization in plant-pollinator interactions. However, as research in these and other areas has progressed, many pollination biologists have become more specialized in their research interests, focusing their attention on either evolutionary or ecological questions. We believe that the continuing vigour of a synthetic and interdisciplinary field like pollination biology depends on renewed connections between ecological and evolutionary approaches.
SCOPE
In this Viewpoint paper we highlight the application of ecological and evolutionary approaches to two themes in pollination biology: (1) links between pollinator behaviour and plant mating systems, and (2) generalization and specialization in pollination systems. We also describe how mathematical models and synthetic analyses have broadened our understanding of pollination biology, especially in human-modified landscapes. We conclude with several suggestions that we hope will stimulate future research. This Viewpoint also serves as the introduction to this Special Issue on the Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Pollinator Interactions. These papers provide inspiring examples of the synergy between evolutionary and ecological approaches, and offer glimpses of great accomplishments yet to come.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Ecology; Models, Biological; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Pollination; Reproduction
PubMed: 19482881
DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcp122 -
Annals of Botany Mar 2022Eriocaulaceae exhibit a great variety of floral traits associated with insect (e.g. nectariferous structures) and wind pollination (unisexual flowers, exposed sexual...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Eriocaulaceae exhibit a great variety of floral traits associated with insect (e.g. nectariferous structures) and wind pollination (unisexual flowers, exposed sexual organs and small pollen grains), as well as the 'selfing syndrome' (small flowers, short distance between stigma and anthers, and temporal overlap of male and female phases). Paepalanthus bifidus, P. subtilis and P. tortilis are related species that differ in form, size and colour of floral structures. We aimed to investigate the pollination and reproductive biology of these three species.
METHODS
We analysed the floral biology, floral visitors, pollinator behaviour, and the contribution of insects, wind and spontaneous geitonogamy to fruit set. We also evaluated the floral colour and scent of the species. Colour reflectance of capitula of each species was measured and plotted in models of insect vision. Floral scent samples were extracted and the compounds were compared to vegetative scent samples.
KEY RESULTS
In all species, the staminate and pistillate flowers are arranged in alternating cycles with a temporal overlap between these phases. Ants were the most frequent floral visitors and were effective pollinators in P. bifidus and P. tortilis, while flies were occasional pollinators in P. tortilis. Floral visitors were not observed in P. subtilis. In all species, fruits were produced by spontaneous geitonogamy, with no evidence of wind pollination. According to the models of insect vision, the colours of the capitula of P. bifidus and P. subtilis are the most inconspicuous for ants and flies. We found no difference between the emission of volatiles of inflorescences and vegetative structures.
CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that ant pollination might be more widespread in Eriocaulaceae than currently assumed. Furthermore, for small monocarpic plants, mixed mating strategies are most favourable, by ensuring reproduction either by outcrossing when pollinators are abundant or by spontaneous geitonogamy when pollinations are scarce/absent.
Topics: Animals; Ants; Eriocaulaceae; Flowers; Insecta; Pollination; Reproduction
PubMed: 35039823
DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac008 -
Annals of Botany Jun 2009Co-flowering plant species frequently share pollinators. Pollinator sharing is often detrimental to one or more of these species, leading to competition for pollination.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Co-flowering plant species frequently share pollinators. Pollinator sharing is often detrimental to one or more of these species, leading to competition for pollination. Perhaps because it offers an intriguing juxtaposition of ecological opposites - mutualism and competition - within one relatively tractable system, competition for pollination has captured the interest of ecologists for over a century.
SCOPE
Our intent is to contemplate exciting areas for further work on competition for pollination, rather than to exhaustively review past studies. After a brief historical summary, we present a conceptual framework that incorporates many aspects of competition for pollination, involving both the quantity and quality of pollination services, and both female and male sex functions of flowers. Using this framework, we contemplate a relatively subtle mechanism of competition involving pollen loss, and consider how competition might affect plant mating systems, overall reproductive success and multi-species interactions. We next consider how competition for pollination might be altered by several emerging consequences of a changing planet, including the spread of alien species, climate change and pollinator declines. Most of these topics represent new frontiers whose exploration has just begun.
CONCLUSIONS
Competition for pollination has served as a model for the integration of ecological and evolutionary perspectives in the study of species interactions. Its study has elucidated both obvious and more subtle mechanisms, and has documented a range of outcomes. However, the potential for this interaction to inform our understanding of both pure and applied aspects of pollination biology has only begun to be realized.
Topics: Animals; Earth, Planet; Models, Biological; Pollen; Pollination
PubMed: 19304814
DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcp062 -
Conservation Biology : the Journal of... Aug 2022Pollinator declines have prompted efforts to assess how land-use change affects insect pollinators and pollination services in agricultural landscapes. Yet many tools to...
Pollinator declines have prompted efforts to assess how land-use change affects insect pollinators and pollination services in agricultural landscapes. Yet many tools to measure insect pollination services require substantial landscape-scale data and technical expertise. In expert workshops, 3 straightforward methods (desk-based method, field survey, and empirical manipulation with exclusion experiments) for rapid insect pollination assessment at site scale were developed to provide an adaptable framework that is accessible to nonspecialist with limited resources. These methods were designed for TESSA (Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-Based Assessment) and allow comparative assessment of pollination services at a site of conservation interest and in its most plausible alternative state (e.g., converted to agricultural land). We applied the methods at a nature reserve in the United Kingdom to estimate the value of insect pollination services provided by the reserve. The economic value of pollination services provided by the reserve ranged from US$6163 to US$11,546/year. The conversion of the reserve to arable land would provide no insect pollination services and a net annual benefit from insect-pollinated crop production of approximately $1542/year (US$24∙ha ∙year ). The methods had wide applicability and were readily adapted to different insect-pollinated crops: rape (Brassica napus) and beans (Vicia faba) crops. All methods were rapidly employed under a low budget. The relatively less robust methods that required fewer resources yielded higher estimates of annual insect pollination benefit.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Brassica napus; Conservation of Natural Resources; Crops, Agricultural; Ecosystem; Insecta; Pollination; Vicia faba
PubMed: 35075685
DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13886 -
PeerJ 2022Many crop plants rely on insect pollination, particularly insect-pollinated crops which are functionally dioecious. These crops require insects to move pollen between...
Many crop plants rely on insect pollination, particularly insect-pollinated crops which are functionally dioecious. These crops require insects to move pollen between separate plants which are functionally male or female. While honey bees are typically considered the most important crop pollinator species, many other insects are known to visit crops but the pollination contribution of the full diversity of these flower visitors is poorly understood. In this study, we examine the role of diverse insect pollinators for two kiwifruit cultivars as model systems for dioecious crops: var. 'Hayward' (a green-fleshed variety) and A. var. 'Zesy002' (a gold-fleshed variety). In our round-the-clock insect surveys, we identified that psychodid flies and mosquitoes were the second and third most frequent floral visitors after honey bees ( L), but further work is required to investigate their pollination efficiency. Measures of single-visit pollen deposition identified that several insects, including the bees spp. and spp. and the flies and , deposited a similar amount of pollen on flowers as honey bees (). Due to their long foraging period and high pollen deposition, we recommend the development of strategies to boost populations of spp., and other hover flies, and unmanaged bees for use as synergistic pollinators alongside honey bees.
Topics: Bees; Animals; Pollination; Actinidia; Insecta; Flowers; Crops, Agricultural; Culicidae
PubMed: 35702253
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12963