Contributors: Lund University, Faculty of Science, Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), Lunds universitet, Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten, Centrum för miljö- och klimatvetenskap (CEC), Originator; Lund University, Profile areas and other strong research environments, Strategic research areas (SRA), BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate, Lunds universitet, Profilområden och andra starka forskningsmiljöer, Strategiska forskningsområden (SFO), BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate, Originator; Lund University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Research groups at the Department of Biology, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Lunds universitet, Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten, Biologiska institutionen, Forskargrupper vid Biologiska institutionen, Biodiversitet och bevarandevetenskap, Originator; Lund University, Profile areas and other strong research environments, Lund University Profile areas, LU Profile Area: Nature-based future solutions, Lunds universitet, Profilområden och andra starka forskningsmiljöer, Lunds universitets profilområden, LU profilområde: Naturbaserade framtidslösningar, Originator; Lund University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Sections at the Department of Biology, Biodiversity and Evolution, Lunds universitet, Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten, Biologiska institutionen, Avdelningar vid Biologiska institutionen, Biodiversitet och evolution, Originator
نبذة مختصرة : Bee-mediated pollination plays a crucial role in sustaining global food production. However, while the demand for these pollination services is increasing, many bee species are in decline. To address this discrepancy, farmers use managed bee species to improve crop pollination. One key factor affecting pollination efficiency is the affinity for the crop of interest (i.e., the extent to which a bee integrates floral resources of a crop into its diet). In this study, we characterised and compared the pollen foraging preferences of three managed bee species: Apis mellifera, Bombus terrestris, and Osmia bicornis, across European agricultural landscapes and across biogeographic regions. Managed populations of each bee species were experimentally established at 128 agricultural sites growing either apple or rapeseed, in landscapes representing gradients in terms of the proportion of cropland, in eight European countries. We conducted pollen store sampling and employed palynological analyses to describe the foragingpreferences of these species and to extrapolate their suitability as pollinators for both crops. Our findings reveal that A. mellifera and B. terrestris exhibited a more generalised pollen diet compared to O. bicornis, which showed stronger preference to certain pollen forage plants, but these were mainly non-crop rather than crop plants. These results question the relevance of using O. bicornis in apple orchards and rapeseed crops given their poor affinity with these crops. Overall, A. mellifera collected the highest proportion of rapeseed pollen in its diet, and A. mellifera and B. terrestris collected higher proportions of apple pollen than O. bicornis. Our findings also highlight substantial variation in the percentage of focal crop pollen in the diet across biogeographic regions, while landscape composition had virtually no impact. These results provide valuable insights for selecting the most suitable managed bee species to enhance the pollination of two key crops in Europe.
Processing Request
No Comments.