Pollinator decline: what do we know about the drivers of solitary bee declines?

LeBuhn, Gretchen; Luna, Joshua Vargas

doi:10.1016/j.cois.2021.05.004

Cited by 48 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Amidst growing concerns around pollinator declines, cities are increasingly recognized as a potential refuge for wild bee species ( Hall et al, 2017 ). Although wild bee species declines are largely driven by human land use changes, including urbanization ( LeBuhn & Luna, 2021 ), cities can harbor a surprising diversity of pollinators when compared to nearby agricultural or rural systems ( Kaluza et al, 2016 ; Hall et al, 2017 ; Banaszak-Cibicka et al, 2018 ). The heterogeneity of the urban landscape, the diversity of greenspace types, and the pesticide-free bylaws in many cities can enhance species richness in urban bee communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decline in wild bee species richness associated with honey bee (Apis melliferaL.) abundance in an urban ecosystem

MacInnis

Normandin

Ziter

2023

PeerJ

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The spatial heterogeneity of urban landscapes, relatively low agrochemical use, and species-rich floral communities often support a surprising diversity of wild pollinators in cities. However, the management of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in urban areas may represent a new threat to wild bee communities. Urban beekeeping is commonly perceived as an environmentally friendly practice or a way to combat pollinator declines, when high-density beekeeping operations may actually have a negative influence on native and wild bee populations through floral resource competition and pathogen transmission. On the Island of Montréal, Canada there has been a particularly large increase in beekeeping across the city. Over the years following a large bee diversity survey ending in 2013, there was an influx of almost three thousand honey bee colonies to the city. In this study, we examined the wild bee communities and floral resources across a gradient of honey bee abundances in urban greenspaces in 2020, and compared the bee communities at the same sites before and after the large influx of honey bees. Overall, we found a negative relationship between urban beekeeping, pollen availability, and wild bee species richness. We also found that honey bee abundance had the strongest negative effect on small (inter-tegular span <2.25 mm) wild bee species richness. Small bee species may be at higher risk in areas with abundant honey bee populations as their limited foraging range may reduce their access to floral resources in times of increased competition. Further research on the influence of urban beekeeping on native and wild pollinators, coupled with evidence-based beekeeping regulations, is essential to ensure cities contain sufficient resources to support wild bee diversity alongside managed honey bees.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decline in wild bee species richness associated with honey bee (Apis melliferaL.) abundance in an urban ecosystem

MacInnis

Normandin

Ziter

2023

PeerJ

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“…Change in land configuration is one of the most important global drivers of pollinator decline [1,2]. Knowledge of patch selection in fragmented landscapes is crucial to guide the design of habitats that support pollinators and ensure their conservation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The decision-making process of leafcutting bees when selecting patches

Fragoso

Brunet

2023

Biol. Lett.

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Change in land configuration is an important driver of pollinator decline. Understanding patch selection by bees in fragmented landscapes has therefore become imperative to guide the design of habitats that support pollinators and ensure their conservation. This is especially true for solitary bees that make up most bee species in the world. To elucidate the decision-making process of a solitary bee when selecting patches, we tested four models of patch attractiveness that differed in the role of patch size and isolation distance in the selection process. In these models, bees used both patch size and patch distance, only patch distance, or chose randomly among patches. When patch size was included, bees could estimate patch resources fully or partially. An experiment with a centre patch, surrounded by four peripheral patches of different sizes and distances from the centre, provided observed transition data to test against predictions derived from each of the models. The alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata, does not move randomly among patches. This bee uses both patch size and isolation distance when selecting a patch but can only evaluate patch resources partially. This knowledge can guide the design of habitats in fragmented landscapes to facilitate solitary bee conservation.

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“…Current extinction rates exceed those of the last five mass extinction events, with the sixth mass extinction event being driven by ever-growing anthropogenic activities (Ehlers & Krafft, 2006). The Anthropocene has been particularly detrimental to pollinators (Cameron et al, 2011;Hallmann et al, 2017;Lever et al, 2014;Macgregor et al, 2019), with global declines documented and highly publicized (LeBuhn & Vargas Luna, 2021;Nath et al, 2022;Potts et al, 2010;van der Sluijs, 2020). Pollinators are of vital importance to North American ecosystems and economies (Losey & Vaughan, 2006;Southwick & Southwick, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

BeeDNA: Microfluidic environmental DNA metabarcoding as a tool for connecting plant and pollinator communities

et al. 2022

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Pollinators are declining globally, and this loss can reduce plant reproduction, erode critical ecosystem services and resilience, and drive economic losses. Monitoring pollinator biodiversity trends is essential for adaptive conservation and management, but conventional surveys are often costly, time-consuming, and requires considerable taxonomic expertise. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding surveys are booming due to their rapidity, nondestructiveness, and cost efficiency. Microfluidic technology allows multiple primer sets from different markers to be used in eDNA metabarcoding for more comprehensive inventories, minimizing associated primer bias. We evaluated microfluidic eDNA metabarcoding for pollinator community monitoring in both controlled greenhouse and natural field settings. Using a variety of sampling, preservation, and extraction methods, we assessed pollinator communities with a number of markers using microfluidic metabarcoding. In greenhouse experiments, microfluidic eDNA metabarcoding detected the target bumblebee in two of four focal flower species as well as greenhouse insects in all focal flower species. In the field, numerous common regional arthropods, including some directly observed, were detected. Pollinator detection was maximized using whole flower heads preserved in ATL buffer and extracted with a modified Qiagen® DNeasy protocol for amplification with COI primers. eDNA surveillance could enhance pollinator assessment by detecting protected and endangered species and being more applicable to remote, inaccessible locations, whilst reducing survey time, effort, and expense. Microfluidic eDNA metabarcoding requires optimization to address remaining efficacy concerns, but this approach shows potential in revealing complex networks underpinning critical ecosystem functions and services, enabling more accurate assessments of ecosystem resilience.

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Pollinator decline: what do we know about the drivers of solitary bee declines?

Cited by 48 publications

References 61 publications

Decline in wild bee species richness associated with honey bee (Apis melliferaL.) abundance in an urban ecosystem

Decline in wild bee species richness associated with honey bee (Apis melliferaL.) abundance in an urban ecosystem

The decision-making process of leafcutting bees when selecting patches

BeeDNA: Microfluidic environmental DNA metabarcoding as a tool for connecting plant and pollinator communities

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