Assessing the value of annual and perennial forage mixtures for bumblebees by direct observation and pollen analysis

Carvell, Claire; Westrich, Paul; Meek, William R.; Pywell, Richard F.; Nowakowski, M.

doi:10.1051/apido:2006002

Cited by 95 publications

(99 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Such mixed pollen loads were also found in previous studies, but the degree of pollen mixing in specific bumblebee species varied among studies (Goulson and Darvill 2004;Carvell et al 2006;Leonhardt and Blüthgen 2012;Somme et al 2015) and seems to be predominantly determined by the plant community present at a given site. So, why do individual foragers of nearly all species occasionally mix pollen loads?…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Different but the same: bumblebee species collect pollen of different plant sources but similar amino acid profiles

2016

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-Access to abundant and diverse floral plant sources is essential for generalist bees as they obtain all energy and nutrients required from pollen and nectar. Despite their importance, we still know little about the precise nutritional requirements of most bee species. Here, we investigated differences in floral and amino acid profiles of pollen collected by five bumblebee species in southern Germany, which had access to the same spectrum of plant species and thus sources of nutrition. We found that different bumblebee species visited different floral spectra for pollen collection but nevertheless had highly similar pollen amino acid profiles. This finding suggests that common bumblebee species only slightly differ in their nutritional target for amino acids in pollen. In fact, floral and chemical composition of pollen loads appear to be largely determined by the plant community present at a site as bumblebees attempt to maximize site-specific nutrient collection efficiency.bee foraging / insect nutrition / plant-insect interactions / pollen chemistry / resource use

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Different but the same: bumblebee species collect pollen of different plant sources but similar amino acid profiles

2016

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“…(see e.g., Waters et al 2011). Our results on the diet breadth of B. lapidarius in peaty, wet meadows further support the results in agricultural landscapes, as they showed high constancy when foraging for pollen (Carvell et al 2006;Connop et al 2010; Leonhardt and Blüthgen 2 0 1 2 ) . H o w e v e r, s t u d i e s s h o w e d t h a t B. lapidarius can also present diet breadth as large as other co-occurring bumble bee species, or even larger (Goulson and Darvill 2004;Kleijn and Raemakers 2008).…”

Section: Bumble Bee Floral Choicessupporting

confidence: 83%

“…Bumble bee individuals sampled on flowers of Comarum palustre were highly constant during pollen collection. However, as previously shown in other studies (Carvell et al 2006;Goulson and Darvill 2004), differences were observed among bumble bee species in their degree of constancy. Bombus lapidarius and B. pascuorum showed higher constancy than B. terrestris s.l..…”

Section: Bumble Bee Floral Choicessupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Studies usually focus on the bumble bee's host plant use and foraging constancy (Carvell et al 2006;Connop et al 2010;Kleijn and Raemakers 2008), or on the pollen nutritive value of several plant species (Hagbery and Nieh 2012;Leonhardt and Blüthgen 2012;Tasei and Aupinel 2008;Vanderplanck et al 2014b). However, the bee's host plant choices coupled with the nectar and pollen quality of host plants have been rarely addressed (Hanley et al 2008;Leonhardt and Blüthgen 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pollen and nectar quality drive the major and minor floral choices of bumble bees

et al. 2014

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-To investigate whether floral resource quality impacts on bumble bee floral choices, we determined the pollen foraging constancy and floral choices of four bumble bee species commonly occurring in peaty, wet meadows in South Belgium. We subsequently analyzed the chemical contents of pollen and nectar, as well as the nectar production of the major host plant species. Individuals of B. lapidarius and B. pascuorum collected high-quality pollen (i.e., having high essential amino acid and phytosterol content) on Comarum palustre and Trifolium pratense, whereas individuals of B. terrestris s.l. and B. hypnorum enlarged their diet breadth to less valuable pollen resources (Cirsium palustre and Valeriana repens). Since Persicaria bistorta and Comarum palustre offer abundant and concentrated nectar, these plant species might represent major nectar sources for bumble bee species in peaty, wet meadows. The present study demonstrated the role of pollen composition on differences in foraging strategies among bumble bee species.amino acids / floral rewards / nectar sugars / phytosterols / polylectism

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“…Their deep root systems are able to retrieve nutrients from subsoil, thus reducing nitrate leaching, and can sequester C deep in the profile Olmstead and Brummer 2008;Malhi et al 2009). Perennial forages also provide habitat for wildlife, in particular nesting birds and pollinators (Jefferson et al 1999;Carvell et al 2006;Arnold et al 2007).…”

Section: Perennial Crops In Rotationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience

2015

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Thiessen Martens, J. R., Entz, M. H. and Wonneck, M. D. 2015. Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 1049Á1072. Redesign of agricultural systems according to ecological principles has been proposed for the development of sustainable systems. We review a wide variety of ecologically based crop production practices, including crop varieties and genetic diversity, crop selection and rotation, cover crops, annual polyculture, perennial forages, perennial grains, agroforestry systems, reducing tillage, use of animal manures and green manures, soil biological fertility, organic production systems, integrated cropÁlivestock systems, and purposeful design of farm landscapes (farmscaping), and discuss their potential role in enhancing the profitability, environmental sustainability, and resilience of Canadian prairie cropping systems. Farming systems that most closely mimic natural systems through appropriate integration of diverse components, within a context of supportive social and economic structures, appear to offer the greatest potential benefits, while creating a framework in which to place all other farming practices. Our understanding of ecological relationships within agricultural systems is currently lacking, and a major shift in research, education, and policy will be required to purposefully and proactively redesign Canadian prairie agricultural systems for long-term sustainability.

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Assessing the value of annual and perennial forage mixtures for bumblebees by direct observation and pollen analysis

Cited by 95 publications

References 28 publications

Different but the same: bumblebee species collect pollen of different plant sources but similar amino acid profiles

Different but the same: bumblebee species collect pollen of different plant sources but similar amino acid profiles

Pollen and nectar quality drive the major and minor floral choices of bumble bees

Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience

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