Diversity and Abundance of Native Bee Pollinators on Berry Crops and Natural Vegetation in the Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia

Abstract

Can. Ent. 116: 965-974 (1984) Native bee pollinators were collected and observed on cultivated blueberry, raspberry, and cranberry and on natural non-cultivated plants such as blackberry, buttercup, fireweed, thistle, and hairy cat's ear. Higher abundance and diversity of native bees were found on natural vegetation than on berry crops. Native bee populations on berry crops increased from 1981 to 1982, although diversity was similar. Native bees were not abundant enough to ensure adequate pollination of berry crops, and therefore, the use of managed honey bees is advisable. Pesticide impact, competition with managed honey bees, and habitat destruction have probably decreased native bee populations in agricultural areas of the Fraser Valley.The use of a standard measure of native pollinator abundance, bees observed/min/ m2, is recommended for future studies of this kind. ResumeLes abeilles pollinisatrices sauvages ont Ct C prelevCes et observCes sur des cultures de bleuets, de framboisiers et de canneberges, ainsi que sur des plantes non cultivCes dont le d r i e r , le bouton d'or, I'Cpilobe, le chardon et I'oreille de chat. La densit6 et la diversit6 des abeilles sauvages ttaient plus ClevCes sur la vCgCtation naturelle que sur les cultures de petits fruits. Les populations d'abeilles sauvages sur les petits fruits ont augment6 de 1981 a 1982, quoique la diversit6 Ctait similaire. Les abeilles sauvages n'Ctaient pas assez abondantes pour assurer une pollinisation adCquate des cultures de petits fruits de sorte que l'utilisation d'abeilles domestiques est ? i conseiller. Les effets des pesticides, de la concurrence par les abeilles domestiques et de la destruction des habitats ont probablement rCduit les populations naturelles d'abeilles dans les rCgions agricoles de la VallCe du Fraser.L'utilisation d'une mesure standard de I'abondance des pollinisateurs naturels, exprimee en abeilles/min./m2, est recommandCe pour les futures Ctudes de ce genre.

Pollinators as bioindicators of the state of the environment: species, activity and diversity

“…Most native bees foraging on commercial cranberry bogs are bumble bees MacKenzie, 1994;MacKenzie and Winston, 1984). The diversity and abundance of these and other bees were much greater on bogs in Massachusetts than in bogs in Wisconsin, British Columbia, and Ontario.…”

Bees and pollination in our changing environment

“…The management of several new pollinators is recently developing (Parker et al, 1987;Batra, 1994;Stubbs et al, 1994). New techniques for mass rearing bumble bees (Ptacek, 1985;Röseler, 1985;van (Allard, 1911;Green, 1955;Fronk and Slater, 1956;Medler, 1956; ), but as knowledge of ecosystem dynamics and change increased, more attention was paid to this subject, especially the relationships between native bees, honey bees and plants (Primack and Silander Jr, 1975;Schemske and Horvitz, 1984;Herrera, 1987Herrera, , 1989Harder and Thomson, 1989; Thomson, 1989, 1992;Young and Stanton, 1990;Westerkamp, 1991a,b;Willmer, 1991;Wilson and Thomson, 1991;Chagnon et al, 1993;Kunin, 1993;Cresswell, 1994;Marquez et al, 1994a,b Parker et al, 1987;Torchio, 1991), general awareness of the diversity of bee species and public knowledge of their value to ecosystems is increasing (Morse, 1960;Malyshev, 1963;Michener, 1979;Schreck and Schedl, 1979;Westrich, 1983bWestrich, , 1990MacKenzie and Winston, 1984;Scott-Dupree and Winston, 1987;Zöckler, 1988;Banaszak, 1989a;O'Toole, 1993;Adams and Senft, 1994 (Emeis, 1...…”

The Economic Impacts of Pollinator Declines: An Approach to Assessing the Consequences

“…The demise of the pollinators resulted in such severe declines in the blueberry crop in the affected regions that provincial yields were significantly below those of neighboring Nova Scotia and Maine (Kevan 1977, Kevan and Oppermann 1980, Kevan and Plowright 1995, with an annual harvest loss of about 0.75 x 10 6 kg. Intensity of agricultural activities has also been shown to correlate with lower (by about 50%) populations and diversity of pollinators in apple orchards in British Columbia (Scott-Dupree and Winston 1987) and berry production areas (MacKenzie and Winston 1984). Kevan (1999) presents more details about these and other examples, but crop yields have rarely been included in such studies.…”