Spatial and temporal variation in pollinator community structure relative to a woodland-almond plantation edge

Abstract

1 Agricultural landscape elements, such as field edges, are not always a barrier to insects but can influence their distribution and dispersal behaviour. 2 The present study investigated spatial and temporal patterns in wild pollinator (fly, wasp and non-Apis bee) distribution across an edge between natural mallee woodland and monoculture almond plantations in southern Australia, during the critical almond flowering period. This is the first study of variation in pollinator community distribution on both sides of an edge between natural vegetation and flowering tree crop plantations. Species richness, diversity and evenness (SHE) analysis was also used to identify changes in pollinator community structure relative to the edge. 3 It is shown that the spatial distribution and structure of pollinator communities can vary across a habitat edge with an abrupt temporal changes in resources. Our results suggest that the plantation edge did not prevent wild pollinators spilling over from woodlands, although vegetation homogeneity and phenological changes in resources most likely influenced the dispersal of pollinators into plantation interiors. 4 The findings of the present study contribute to our knowledge of edge responses by insects in managed landscapes and could motivate growers to adopt ecological management practices in commercial plantations. Future studies of insects near farmland edges should include samples on both sides of the edge and should also consider the landscape context.

The proportion of impervious surfaces at the landscape scale structures wild bee assemblages in a densely populated region

“…Regarding taxonomical aspects, the dominance of nonparasitic halictids (Lasioglossum and Halictus spp.) appears to be a common feature in bee assemblages (e.g., Marini et al 2012;Morandin and Kremen 2013;Fortel et al 2014;Geroff et al 2014;Saunders and Luck 2014;Torn e-Noguera et al 2014;Pisanty and Mandelik 2015). These species are especially well caught by pan traps, but high abundance of these species is also observed when bees are sampled by netting (e.g., Rollin et al 2015).…”

Spill-over of pest control and pollination services into arable crops

“…The extent to which species spill-over into crops will have fundamental consequences for the provision of biodiversity mediated ecosystem services (e.g. Saunders and Luck, 2014). This is likely to become increasingly true in the future where precision farming allows the possibility for spatial complementarity between conventional and nature conservation based strategies (Stafford, 2000).…”

“…This is likely to become increasingly true in the future where precision farming allows the possibility for spatial complementarity between conventional and nature conservation based strategies (Stafford, 2000). However, the quantification of spill-over for both pest control and pollination providing taxa and the ecosystem services they support remains poorly defined (but see Bailey et al, 2014;Morandin et al, 2014;Saunders and Luck, 2014).…”

An expert-assisted citizen science program involving agricultural high schools provides national patterns on bee species assemblages

“…in particular, appeared as a general trend. This feature has been observed in various places across the world [e.g., Marini et al (2012) in Italy; Morandin and Kremen (2013) in USA; Fortel et al (2014) in France; Rader et al (2014) in New-Zealand; Saunders and Luck (2014) in Australia; Pisanty and Mandelik (2015) in Israel;Le Féon et al (2016) in Argentina]. These species are especially well caught by pan traps but their high abundance is also observed when bees are sampled by netting (e.g., Rollin et al 2015).…”