An Overview of Pollination in Rangelands: Who, Why, and How

Harmon, Jason P.; Ganguli, Amy C.; Solga, Michelle J.

doi:10.2111/1551-501x-33.3.4

Cited by 16 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…According to (Kearns et al, 1998), pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems, including rangelands. Solitary bees (Halictidae) have been reported to collect pollen from temperate grass species, which promote a better seed set compared to only wind pollinated grasses (Harmon et al, 2011). Our results that Maasai do not relate rangeland health to pollinator presence are in line with findings by (Misganaw, 2017), whereby more than half of the respondents stated that they did not know the role of bees and other insects when they visit crops indicating limited knowledge of pollination.…”

Section: Perceived Pollinator Role For Rangelandssupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Pollinators further contribute to 75% of crop production (Klein et al, 2007). The world is endowed with diverse pollinator groups, including insects, birds, bats, lizards and small mammals, estimated to reach 2,00,000 species (Harmon et al, 2011). Insects represent the most significant group of the pollinators, with bees being the most crucial ones (Elisante et al, 2017;Patr ı, 2014;Potts et al, 2010).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Balancing Bees and Livestock: Pastoralist Knowledge, Perceptions and Implications for Pollinator Conservation in Rangelands, Northern Tanzania

Mpondo

Ndakidemi

Treydte

2021

Tropical Conservation Science

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Insect pollinators provide numerous ecosystem services that support other living organisms. While pollinators play a large role in cropping systems, little is known about their presence and function in rangeland ecosystems, which have recently become fragmented and overexploited at an extraordinary rate. We assessed local Maasai knowledge on insect pollinators and how pollinators affect livelihood diversification in Simanjiro rangelands, Tanzania. Through questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations, we found varied insect knowledge among Maasai herders. Lasioglossum of sub genus Ipomalictus and Syriphidae were the least commonly recognized pollinators as only 24%, and 7% of participants could identify them, respectively. Responses varied significantly between men and women (F = 7.397, p = .007). Commiphora africana, Acacia mellifera and Albizia anthelmintica were noted as most important bee forage plants while observations showed Aspilia mossambicensis, Justicia debile and Acacia tortilis. Most (77%) of Maasai herders showed limited ability to link pollinators and rangeland wellbeing. Beekeeping contributed to livelihood diversification for 61% of respondents, with women participating more frequently than men (χ2 = 46.962, p = .0001). Beekeeping was positively influenced by education level ( R = .421, p < .0001) and occupation ( R = .194, p = .009). Pollinator declines were attributed to climate change (47%), agriculture (37%), and habitat destruction (8%). We conclude that Maasai have limited knowledge of common pollinator groups and their roles. Community outreach and training should bridge the knowledge gap in pastoralist communities to fully realize pollinator benefits and highlight the importance of rangeland health.

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Section: Perceived Pollinator Role For Rangelandssupporting

confidence: 87%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Balancing Bees and Livestock: Pastoralist Knowledge, Perceptions and Implications for Pollinator Conservation in Rangelands, Northern Tanzania

Mpondo

Ndakidemi

Treydte

2021

Tropical Conservation Science

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“…They can carry pollen to help plants pollinate when they fly. In return, plants usually provide them with petals, nutrient-rich pollen, and nectar as food [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Meligethinae is (in company with members of the only moderately related neotropical tribe Mystropini in the subfamily Nitidulinae) the only independent subfamily in Nitidulidae, wholly associated with flowers for larval development, with some 700 species in the world.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological Study of the Alimentary Canal and Malpighian Tubules in the Adult of the Pollen Beetle Meligethes (Odonthogethes) chinensis (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Meligethinae)

Chen

Liu

Giulio

et al. 2023

Insects

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Meligethes (Odonthogethes) chinensis is a highly specialized species of Nitidulidae in China that takes pollen as its main food source, and its main host plant is Rubus idaeus L. (Rosaceae). In this study, the structural morphology of the alimentary canal and Malpighian tubules of adult M. (O.) chinensis was observed under light, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy. The alimentary canal of adult M. (O.) chinensis is divided into foregut, midgut, and hindgut. The foregut is the shortest and consists of the pharynx, esophagus, proventriculus, and cardiac valve. The midgut is a straight, distended, cylindrical, thin-walled tube. Numerous blunt-fingered gastric ceca are distributed irregularly throughout the midgut. The hindgut is subdivided into the ileum, colon, and rectum. The ileum is coiled. The colon gradually enlarges posteriorly. The rectum is thickly muscled and followed by a membranous structure. The openings of proximal Malpighian tubules are evenly inserted into the junction of the midgut and hindgut, and distal Malpighian tubules are evenly attached to the colon to form a cryptonephridial system. In this study, we also compare the structure and infer the function of the alimentary canal and Malpighian tubules among beetles, as well as discuss the evolutionary and taxonomical implications.

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“…Healthy pollinator populations are crucial in maintaining global food security, as many crops rely on pollination events to produce a harvestable crop [2]. Though less studied, pollinators play key roles in wild plant reproduction [11] and therefore are also critical to sustaining healthy vegetation communities in non-crop ecosystems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, quantitative studies have shown how restoration efforts can improve pollinator habitat, diversity, and abundance in ecosystems including tropical forests [15], temperate grasslands and prairies [13,16], heathlands [17], and a variety of other non-crop ecosystems including urban and suburban flower gardens [18]. Additionally, research has documented and quantified increases to pollinating insect populations in crop ecosystems [19]; however, less work has been focused in wild ecosystems [11,12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of 3-Dimensional Videography as a Non-Lethal Way to Improve Visual Insect Sampling

Curran

Summerfield

Alexander

et al. 2020

Land

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Insects, the most diverse and abundant animal species on the planet, are critical in providing numerous ecosystem services which are significant to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). In addition to the UN-SDGs, the UN has declared the period 2021–2030 as the “Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.” Insects, because of the ecosystem services they provide, are critical indicators of restoration success. While the importance of insects in providing ecosystem services and their role in helping fulfil the UN-SDGs is recognized, traditional techniques to monitor insects may result in observer bias, high rates of type-I and type-II statistical error, and, perhaps most alarmingly, are often lethal. Since insects are critical in maintaining global food security, contribute to biological control and are a key food source for higher trophic levels, lethal sampling techniques which may harm insect populations are undesirable. In this study, we propose a method to visually sample insects which involves non-lethal 3-dimensional video cameras and virtual reality headsets. A total of eight observers viewed video captured insects visiting floral resources in a landscaped area on a university campus. While interobserver variability existed among individuals who partook in this study, the findings are similar to previous visual sampling studies. We demonstrate a combination of 3D video and virtual reality technology with a traditional insect count methodology, report monitoring results, and discuss benefits and future directions to improve insect sampling using these technologies. While improving quantitative monitoring techniques to study insects and other forms of life should always be strived for, it is a fitting time to introduce non-lethal sampling techniques as preservation and restoration of biodiversity are essential components of the UN-SDGs and the “Decade on Ecosystem Restoration”.

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An Overview of Pollination in Rangelands: Who, Why, and How

Cited by 16 publications

References 11 publications

Balancing Bees and Livestock: Pastoralist Knowledge, Perceptions and Implications for Pollinator Conservation in Rangelands, Northern Tanzania

Balancing Bees and Livestock: Pastoralist Knowledge, Perceptions and Implications for Pollinator Conservation in Rangelands, Northern Tanzania

Morphological Study of the Alimentary Canal and Malpighian Tubules in the Adult of the Pollen Beetle Meligethes (Odonthogethes) chinensis (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Meligethinae)

Use of 3-Dimensional Videography as a Non-Lethal Way to Improve Visual Insect Sampling

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