Amount, distance-dependent and structural effects of forest patches on bees in agricultural landscapes

Rahimi, Ehsan; Barghjelveh, Shahindokht; Dong, Pinliang

doi:10.1186/s40066-022-00360-x

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 126 publications

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“…The second approach has involved testing the influence of proportional forest cover on pollinator diversity at one or more spatial scale(s) based on aerial imagery. Although most studies from this latter group support the conclusion that forests benefit pollinator diversity (Rahimi, Barghjelveh & Dong, 2022), others report conflicting results. Even studies conducted within the same region, such as the northeastern USA, have reached divergent conclusions about the importance of forests to pollinator diversity (Collado et al, 2019;Wagner et al, 2019;Winfree et al, 2007a).…”

Section: Local Effects Of Forest Cover Are Scale Taxon and Context De...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Forests are critically important to global pollinator diversity and enhance pollination in adjacent crops

et al. 2023

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Although the importance of natural habitats to pollinator diversity is widely recognized, the value of forests to pollinating insects has been largely overlooked in many parts of the world. In this review, we (i) establish the importance of forests to global pollinator diversity, (ii) explore the relationship between forest cover and pollinator diversity in mixed‐use landscapes, and (iii) highlight the contributions of forest‐associated pollinators to pollination in adjacent crops. The literature shows unambiguously that native forests support a large number of forest‐dependent species and are thus critically important to global pollinator diversity. Many pollinator taxa require or benefit greatly from resources that are restricted to forests, such as floral resources provided by forest plants (including wind‐pollinated trees), dead wood for nesting, tree resins, and various non‐floral sugar sources (e.g. honeydew). Although landscape‐scale studies generally support the conclusion that forests enhance pollinator diversity, findings are often complicated by spatial scale, focal taxa, landscape context, temporal context, forest type, disturbance history, and external stressors. While some forest loss can be beneficial to pollinators by enhancing habitat complementarity, too much can result in the near‐elimination of forest‐associated species. There is strong evidence from studies of multiple crop types that forest cover can substantially increase yields in adjacent habitats, at least within the foraging ranges of the pollinators involved. The literature also suggests that forests may have enhanced importance to pollinators in the future given their role in mitigating the negative effects of pesticides and climate change. Many questions remain about the amount and configuration of forest cover required to promote the diversity of forest‐associated pollinators and their services within forests and in neighbouring habitats. However, it is clear from the current body of knowledge that any effort to preserve native woody habitats, including the protection of individual trees, will benefit pollinating insects and help maintain the critical services they provide.

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Section: Local Effects Of Forest Cover Are Scale Taxon and Context De...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Forests are critically important to global pollinator diversity and enhance pollination in adjacent crops

et al. 2023

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“…We discovered that the two stingless bee species foraged more on wild plants than ornamental and food crops combined. Forest patches that were the nearest source of food were the main resources for stingless bees, highlighting their importance as they are also host plants for nests (Rahimi et al., 2022). These results corroborate with a recent global survey that shows that stingless bees are important pollinators of wild plants and are important in the maintenance of the ecosystems (Garcia Bulle Bueno et al., 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic patterns of host plants and its impact on honey properties by two sympatric Afrotropical stingless bee species in Zanzibar (Tanzania)

Ndungu,

Noiset,

Chege

et al. 2024

Afr J Ecol

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Stingless bees are important pollinators and producers of honey used in folk medicine. We investigate the nectar sources for two Afrotropical stingless bee species, Hypotrigona araujoi and Meliponula ferruginea. Pollen was extracted and processed using next‐generation sequencing (NGS) methods, DNA metabarcoding. Results show that stingless bees visited 32 plant genera. Wild plants were the major nectar sources for the two stingless bees' species. The diversity of plants visited and honey physical–chemical characteristics differed between the two bee species, suggesting that they use comparable spectra of host plants. This information should help prioritise the conservation of identified forage plants.

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“…This is important as forest patches are globally important for their role as buffers to pesticide and pathogen risks in agroecosystems (e.g. McNeil et al, 2020; Obregon et al, 2021; Park et al, 2020) and that there is higher bee abundance, visitation, pollination success and even yield in crops and rows near woods (Bailey et al, 2014; Castle et al, 2019; Chacoff & Aizen, 2006; Ganuza et al, 2022; Gemmill‐Herren & Ochieng', 2008; MacInnis et al, 2020; Proesmans, Bonte, et al, 2019; Rahimi et al, 2022; Watson, 2013). Actively managing forests for health, diversity and climate resilience is thus an important conservation action for supporting vibrant pollinator communities in orchard agroecosystems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is extensive correlative evidence connecting natural and forested habitats in agroecosystems with higher wild pollinator abundance and diversity in crops (Bailey et al, 2014; Kammerer et al, 2016; Park et al, 2015; Pfeiffer et al, 2019; Ricketts et al, 2008; Watson et al, 2011), buffered pesticide exposure (McArt et al, 2017; Park et al, 2015), lower pathogen loads (McNeil et al, 2020) and even higher yields and pollination success (Castle et al, 2019; De Marco & Coelho, 2004; Földesi et al, 2016; Gemmill‐Herren & Ochieng', 2008; Halinski et al, 2020; Proesmans, Bonte, et al, 2019). In both tropical and temperate systems, diverse habitat matrices which include forests have higher bee abundance and diversity (Ganuza et al, 2022; Mandelik et al, 2012; Montagnana et al, 2021; Rahimi et al, 2022). Temperate deciduous forest edges host high abundance and richness of wild bees in forest edges in early spring (Bailey et al, 2014; Urban‐Mead et al, 2021), although the importance of forests varies greatly over space and time (Mola, Hemberger, et al, 2021; Proesmans, Smagghe, et al, 2019) and forest pollinator abundance and richness generally declines across the summer (Harrison et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early spring orchard pollinators spill over from resource‐rich adjacent forest patches

Urban‐Mead

Dyke

Muñiz

et al. 2023

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Pollinator communities are more abundant and diverse in agricultural matrices with more natural habitat, although the reasons for these correlations remain unclear. It is possible that forest fragments and edges provide resources for pollinators in important early weeks of spring, after which time those insects can then ‘spill over’ into crops such as apple orchards during bloom. To explore how forest edges may feed and therefore promote flower visitor communities in adjacent agricultural habitats, we sampled springtime pollinators in nine orchards and their adjacent forest edge canopies and understories. We identified pollen consumed by pan‐trapped bees and flower flies to assess if pollinators ate pollen where they were caught, and if their diets similarly ‘spill over’ from forest to orchard. We further explored sex differences in habitat usage. Our spatially replicated sampling found that bee and flower fly abundance peaks first in the forest understorey, then in the forest canopy and finally in the orchard. Analysis of digestive tracts showed significant usage of forest canopy pollen throughout the spring, especially before apple bloom. Pollinators had often eaten pollen from a different habitat than the one in which they were caught, suggesting frequent movement between habitats. Digestive tract pollen is an underused but powerful avenue for ecological insight. In Andrena, which are important orchard pollinators and one of the most abundant wild bee taxa in this study, male bees were primarily found in the woods but not the orchards where conspecific females were later active. Synthesis and applications: Forested areas, especially forest canopy trees, provide large amounts of early spring resources that facilitate build‐up and spillover of wild pollinator populations into apple orchards during bloom. Forests also provide critical habitat for male bees, which were rarely found in orchards. Despite their importance for bee reproduction, the needs of male bees are usually not considered in conservation planning. Overall, our data indicate that ensuring there is adequate forest habitat adjacent to orchards can improve the long‐term sustainability of pollinator populations that provide essential crop pollination services.

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Amount, distance-dependent and structural effects of forest patches on bees in agricultural landscapes

Cited by 12 publications

References 126 publications

Forests are critically important to global pollinator diversity and enhance pollination in adjacent crops

Forests are critically important to global pollinator diversity and enhance pollination in adjacent crops

Taxonomic patterns of host plants and its impact on honey properties by two sympatric Afrotropical stingless bee species in Zanzibar (Tanzania)

Early spring orchard pollinators spill over from resource‐rich adjacent forest patches

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