Phenology of farmland floral resources reveals seasonal gaps in nectar availability for bumblebees

Timberlake, Thomas P.; Vaughan, Ian P.; Memmott, Jane

doi:10.1111/1365-2664.13403

Cited by 211 publications

(265 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Introduction of species and genotypes, with complementary phenology, can supplement resources during periods of diminished availability that may be created by a phenological shift (Timberlake et al ). Many restoration projects are designed with a diverse array of plant species with complementary traits and hence incorporating phenology into trait selection can extend the duration of resources across the year.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mismatch managed? Phenological phase extension as a strategy to manage phenological asynchrony in plant–animal mutualisms

Olliff-Yang

Gardali

Ackerly

2020

Restoration Ecology

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Species-specific shifts in phenology (timing of periodic life cycle events) are occurring with climate change and are already disrupting interactions within and among trophic levels. Phenological phase duration (e.g. beginning to end of flowering) and complementarity (patterns of nonoverlap), and their responses to changing conditions, will be important determinants of species' adaptive capacity to these shifts. Evidence indicates that extension of phenological duration of mutualistic partners could buffer negative impacts that occur with phenological shifts. Therefore, we suggest that techniques to extend the length of phenological duration will contribute to management of systems experiencing phenological asynchrony. Techniques of phenological phase extension discussed include the role of abiotic heterogeneity, genetic and species diversity, and alteration of population timing. We explore these approaches with the goal of creating a framework to build adaptive capacity and address phenological asynchrony in plant-animal mutualisms under climate change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mismatch managed? Phenological phase extension as a strategy to manage phenological asynchrony in plant–animal mutualisms

Olliff-Yang

Gardali

Ackerly

2020

Restoration Ecology

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“…Potentially, these effects might ultimately impact bumble bee populations. Late‐season gaps in nectar availability have been detected in the UK (Timberlake, Vaughan, & Memmott, ). There is also evidence that pollinator species with late‐summer flight periods have higher levels of decline and extinction (Balfour, Ollerton, Castellanos, & Ratnieks, ; Fliszkiewicz & Wilkaniec, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Potentially, these effects might ultimately impact bumble bee populations. Late-season gaps in nectar availability have been detected in the UK (Timberlake, Vaughan, & Memmott, 2019).…”

Section: Bumble Bee Declinementioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome analysis reveals nutrition‐ and age‐related patterns of gene expression in the fat body of pre‐overwintering bumble bee queens

et al. 2020

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Many diapausing insects undergo a nutrient storage period prior to their entry into diapause. Bumble bee queens diapause as adults in the winter preceding their spring nest initiation period. Before diapause, they sequester glycogen and lipids, which they metabolize during the overwintering period. We used RNA sequencing to examine how age and nectar diet (specifically, the concentration of sucrose in nectar) impact gene expression in the pre‐overwintering bumble bee queen fat body, the “liver‐like” organ in insects with broad functions related to nutrient storage and metabolism. We found that diet on its own, and in combination with age, impacts the expression of genes involved in detoxification. Age was also a strong driver of gene expression, especially at earlier ages (up to 3 days). In addition to these molecular correlates of diet and age, we also found a putative molecular signature of diapause entry or preparation in adult queens in the oldest age group (12 days) fed the most sucrose‐rich diet, based on comparisons between our data set and another transcriptome data set from bumble bee queens. This transcriptomic pattern suggests that preparation for (or entry into) diapause might be in part mediated by nutritional state in bumble bee queens. Collectively, these findings show that there are molecular processes in the fat body that are responsive to sucrose levels in the diet and/or associated with age‐related maturational changes. A better understanding of these processes may shed light on important aspects of bumble bee biology, such as queen responses to nutritional and other forms of stress, and the factors that regulate their entrance into diapause.

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“…Summers in the region are dry; thus canals can be important sources of water and fresh vegetation for true bugs and floral resources for butterflies. Furthermore, several studies emphasize that agricultural areas usually have “hunger periods” for arthropods in summer when there is a mismatch between resource demand and supply due to the synchronized phenology of cropped plants (Timberlake et al, 2019; Wintermantel et al, 2019). At the same time, canals are rich in resources throughout the vegetation period, including times when agricultural areas experience supply gaps.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turning old foes into new allies – harnessing drainage canals for biodiversity conservation in desiccated novel ecosystems

Tölgyesi

Torma

Bátori

et al. 2020

Preprint

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22 1. Drainage canals are ubiquitous components of agricultural landscapes worldwide. 23 Although canals have greatly contributed to biodiversity loss by desiccating wetlands, they 24 have recently attracted conservation attention due to their potential to function as refugia for 25 native wetland-dependent species in intensively managed landscapes. However, their 26 conservation role in complex landscapes comprising a mosaic of agricultural and desiccated 27 semi-natural habitats, on which canals still pose a heavy burden, is unknown. Improved 28 understanding of drainage canals and related biodiversity in these landscapes could help 29 unlock their potential and support synergistic land management for nature conservation and 30 water management. 31 2. We applied a multitaxon approach, including plants, butterflies, true bugs, spiders and 32 birds, to (1) assess the conservation value of drainage canals in a heavily drained European 33 lowland region, (2) to test landscape-level and local canal parameters for aiding prioritization 34 among canal types, and (3) to propose a reconciliation-based management framework that 35 suits the interest of all stakeholders. 36 3. We found that drainage canals concentrate more species across most taxa than 37 adjacent semi-natural habitats, owing to the micro-environmental heterogeneity and the 38 comparatively low management intensity in the canals. The species-concentrating capacity is 39 particularly high in canals that traverse semi-natural habitats, although agricultural canals also 40 support remarkable species diversity. However, agricultural canals are important dispersal 41 corridors for invasive plants, which may negatively affect native species. Canal size has little 42 effect on biodiversity but habitat stress is an important determinant. The higher the stress (due 43 to sandiness and salinity), the higher is the added value of canals to landscape-wide 44 biodiversity. 45 Synthesis and applications. We provide evidence that drainage canals can harbour 46 surprisingly high levels of biodiversity and should therefore be recognized as important novel 47 ecosystems with high conservation value, even within semi-natural habitats. Canals have 48 previously been considered detrimental to nature conservation due to their association with 49 loss of wetlands. However, by reducing water loss with reversible obstructions, controlling 50 invasive species and applying specific conservation measures, they may be turned into 51 conservation allies without compromising long-term interests of water management and 52 agricultural land use. 53 54

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Phenology of farmland floral resources reveals seasonal gaps in nectar availability for bumblebees

Cited by 211 publications

References 49 publications

Mismatch managed? Phenological phase extension as a strategy to manage phenological asynchrony in plant–animal mutualisms

Mismatch managed? Phenological phase extension as a strategy to manage phenological asynchrony in plant–animal mutualisms

Transcriptome analysis reveals nutrition‐ and age‐related patterns of gene expression in the fat body of pre‐overwintering bumble bee queens

Turning old foes into new allies – harnessing drainage canals for biodiversity conservation in desiccated novel ecosystems

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