Rapid initial recovery and long‐term persistence of a bee community in a former landfill

Abstract

Abstract. 1. The effects of habitat restoration are usually studied using crosssectional comparisons of species assemblages among sites of various ages or disturbance levels. Longitudinal studies, however, are necessary for detecting longterm responses to habitat restoration and for understanding annual demographic variation.2. To investigate the time course of bee community restoration in sites previously made uninhabitable by anthropogenic disturbance, we studied a former landfill site for 10 years from initial revegetation in 2003 until 2013, comparing two restored sites with three nearby, undisturbed control sites. We used permutational multivariate analysis of variance and generalised additive mixed models to investigate how bee abundance and species richness varied over time (years), between seasons and between restoration levels.3. Landfill restoration and the creation of foraging and nesting habitat resulted in rapid and persistent occupation by bees, suggesting that efforts to restore bee communities can be successful when a source of colonists exists nearby.4. Based on earlier studies, we predicted that in restored sites there would be an initial rapid increase in bee abundance and species richness, followed by a decline to a stable intermediate level. This prediction was supported as bee abundance and species richness in restored sites increased until 2006/2007 and subsequently declined.5. In control sites, there were significant declines in abundance and species richness over time, despite a lack of anthropogenic disturbance. Possible contributors are changing weather patterns, especially severe droughts; plant community succession resulting in loss of bare ground for nesting sites; and increasing suburbanisation of the surrounding landscape.

Phenology of a bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) community over a 10 year period in south‐eastern Australia

“…There was a large decline in bee abundance and richness ofollowing the first year of sampling. Interestingly, long‐term longitudinal studies of bee communities in the northern hemisphere have also reported declines in abundance and/or diversity through time, which the authors attributed to long‐term weather patterns or landscape change (Iserbyt & Rasmont 2012; Onuferko et al 2018). Landscape change could have been important at our study site as a large urban development (the suburb of Crace) commenced within 1 km in the second year of sampling.…”

“…They primarily provide insight into broad‐scale changes in bee faunas that can be interpreted in light of anthropogenic disturbances occurring over similar spatial and temporal scales. A small number of studies have been longitudinal, repeatedly surveying bees at one or few nearby locations over a decade or more of consecutive years (Roubik 2001; Iserbyt & Rasmont 2012; Onuferko et al 2018). In addition to describing long‐term trends, these longitudinal studies characterise the natural temporal variation of bee communities against which the signal and biological significance of anthropogenic impacts must be detected and assessed.…”

Validating taxonomic identifications in entomological research

“…As an example, one genus included in Onuferko et al . () was treated differently by the relevant expert early during this long‐term study than toward the end. Authors should explicitly provide a valid taxon concept for each species‐level taxon identified. The ‘revisional concept’ of Franz and Peet () as modified above (i.e.…”

A global review of determinants of native bee assemblages in urbanised landscapes

“…However, single‐species studies on bees in urban areas were dominated by Bombus ; more studies on solitary and oligolectic taxa are required, as well as on halictids (with their diverse sociality) and cavity‐nesting megachilids – large components of bee faunas in urban areas (Supplementary Materials S1). Investigating how historical land‐use influences the current composition of the bee fauna: Historical land use and the age of a city are likely to have a major influence on the composition of contemporary urban bee communities (Cusser et al, 2015), although there is also evidence that bees respond rapidly to landscape alterations both negatively and positively (Bommarco et al, 2014; Onuferko et al, 2018). Older cities may have a bee fauna adapted to the city environment, whereas in recently urbanised areas, bees may have had insufficient time to adapt, while sensitive species may not yet have been eliminated due to lag effects (Ramalho et al, 2014; Ramalho & Hobbs, 2012).…”