Spatiotemporal distribution of floral resources in a Brazilian city: Implications for the maintenance of pollinators, especially bees

Aleixo, Kátia Paula; Faria, Letícia Biral de; Groppo, Milton; Castro, Maurício Meirelles do Nascimento; Silva, Cláudia Inês da

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2014.08.002

Cited by 41 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…This research didn't register the vegetal species producing pollen and the anthesis patterns presented by the flora of the studied area. Although, researches have been showing a flowering peak starting at the transition between the dry and the rainy season (September), in the area (Aleixo et al, 2014). The authors report that the average peak of pollen availability corresponds to February, revealing a seasonal pattern mainly related to the rainy season.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The surrounding campus flora comprises 289 native and introduced species distributed in 232 genera and 73 botanical families, about 67% of those plants present melittophily as the main pollination syndrome (Aleixo et al, 2014;Silva et al, 2014 Barreto et al (2006), assert that in the São Paulo State there is more pollen available for bees, in the environment, within periods between January and May, as well as between September and December. This research didn't register the vegetal species producing pollen and the anthesis patterns presented by the flora of the studied area.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to the classification system developed by Köppen and Geiger (1928), the region presents a subtropical climate, ranging from humid to sub-humid. The climate of the region is typically defined by two marked seasons: one cool and dry (April to September) and another hot and rainy (October to March) (Silva et al, 2014).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analysis of the effects of climate variables on Apis mellifera pollen foraging performance

Mattos

Souza

Soares

2018

Arq. Bras. Med. Vet. Zootec.

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Pollination services performed by bees are essential for the reproduction of a great part of flowering plants. The pollen collected by Apis mellifera while performing pollination (bee pollen), has been incorporated into the human diet for its favorable nutritional components. Around 1,500 tons of bee pollen are produced annually worldwide, especially in Spain, China, Australia, Argentina, and Brazil. Despite the importance of bee pollen within apiculture, little is known about the effects of climate variations on bee pollen collection and production. We monitored the pollen collection performance of 24 different honey bee colonies in different climate conditions within a period of one year. We then analyzed the statistical interaction among the number of worker bees returning with pollen loads and 12 climatic variables, to produce a predictive mixed linear model. The results obtained showed that 7 climatic variables were statistically correlated to the pollen collection observed: Maximum temperature of the day, minimum temperature of the day, dew point temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover, rainfall, and the date of the sample. This research brings information for the development of a more effective pollen productive system. Keywords: africanized honey bees, bee pollen, climate, foraging, pollination RESUMO

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analysis of the effects of climate variables on Apis mellifera pollen foraging performance

Mattos

Souza

Soares

2018

Arq. Bras. Med. Vet. Zootec.

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“…Therefore, there might be a selective pressure for the conservation of pollen in perennial colonies. Pollen availability is seasonal in many tropical and subtropical areas (Aleixo et al 2014), so long-term pollen storage could be advantageous. Moreover, this process is even more important in regions with severe scarcity of pollen during some periods of the year (Maia-Silva et al 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Newly emerged workers of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona aff. depilis prefer stored pollen to fresh pollen

et al. 2016

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-Like in honey bees, the pollen collected and stored by stingless bees usually undergoes a fermentation process characterized by increase in moisture, lactic acid, and proliferation of microorganisms. We tested whether 2-day-old Scaptotrigona aff. depilis workers were more attracted to and consumed fermented pollen from old pollen pots (>7 days) or fresh pollen collected from the corbicula of foragers. In each bioassay, we offered both types of pollen to 40 inexperienced workers of one colony for 24 min, and repeated the procedure in ten different colonies. In all cases, there were more bees feeding on the fermented pollen, which was 2.2 times more consumed than the fresh pollen. Our results suggested that fermented pollen attracted more bees potentially due to innate preference of young bees, higher levels of attractant substances present in fermented pollen, or due to associative learning reminiscent from larvae feeding habits. To ensure a constant food supply and, consequently, increase the colony's chances of survival during events of resource scarcity, bees store pollen and nectar (carbohydrate source) in the nest (Roubik 1982;Maia-Silva et al. 2015).During pollen collection on flowers, foragers agglomerate pollen grains in their corbicula using nectar or salivary secretions. This process facilitates pollen adhesion to the corbicula (Herbert and Shimanuki 1978;Leonhardt et al. 2007). Vásquez and Olofsson (2009) observed bacteria from the honey stomach of honey bees in newly collected pollen as well as in pollen stored in the nest, which suggests that worker bees may inoculate microorganisms in the pollen during collection on flowers.Inside the nest of honey bees and also in some stingless bees species, the stored pollen undergoes chemical and biological processes during storage that may change its chemical composition. Corresponding author: A. Vollet-Neto,

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“…All bee colonies were housed in wooden observation hives that had been installed at the meliponary at least 3 months prior to the onset of the study. MQ naturally occurs in the study area, characterized through seasonal semi-deciduous forest vegetation and, climatically, through two well-defined seasons (cold-dry season, hot-rainy season) (Camargo & Pedro, 2013;Oliveira et al, 2013;Aleixo et al, 2014). Workers are 8 to 10.5 mm in length and have a thorax with of between 3.75 and 4.75 mm (Schwarz, 1932).…”

Section: Bee Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental windows for foraging activity in stingless bees, Melipona subnitida Ducke and Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Maia-Silva¹,

Imperatriz-Fonseca²,

Silva³

et al. 2014

Sociobiology

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Environmental windows for foraging activity in stingless bees, Melipona subnitida Ducke and Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) IntroductionDue to their impact on many aspects of colony life, abiotic factors are considered key determinants for the geographical distribution of social bee species (Michener, 1974). An environmentally influenced aspect of vital importance for colony functioning is food collection. The success of foragers, which is crucial for the maintenance and survival of the colonies, is affected both directly and indirectly by climatic factors. Associated with the morphological and interrelated physiological peculiarities of a bee species -such as body size and colouration -abiotic factors determine the timing of food collection (daily onset and end) and the food patch choice (sunny versus shaded patches) (Biesmeijer et al., 1999; AbstractThe foraging success of a bee species is limited to an environmental window, a combination of optimal ambient temperatures and resource availability. Mismatches between flowering and optimal foraging temperature may lead to a reduction of a colony's food intake and, eventually, of brood production. In the present study, we evaluated the pollen foraging activity of two native Brazilian meliponine species Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier and Melipona subnitida Ducke at the campus of the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto (March, 2010 -January, 2011). Whereas M. quadrifasciata naturally occurs in the study region (Brazilian Southeast), M. subnitida is restricted to the Brazilian Northeast. This difference in geographic distribution and concordant climatic specializations suggest differences concerning the environmental window between the two species. We investigated potential differences between the species concerning the thermal window within which foraging occurs, and associated differences in foraging activity, visited pollen sources, and colony survival. The lower temperature limit for M. subnitida (17 ° C) was 5 °C above the lower temperature limit found in M. quadrifasciata (12 °C). This difference resulted in a considerable time lag concerning the onset of foraging between the bee species (maximum: 120 minutes), mainly during the cold-dry season. Due to this delay in foraging, M. subnitida could not benefit from highly profitable pollen sources (massflowering trees) that were in bloom during this time of the year. Possibly because of this deficit in pollen intake, three of the six monitored colonies of M. subnitida did not survive the study period.

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Spatiotemporal distribution of floral resources in a Brazilian city: Implications for the maintenance of pollinators, especially bees

Cited by 41 publications

References 49 publications

Analysis of the effects of climate variables on Apis mellifera pollen foraging performance

Analysis of the effects of climate variables on Apis mellifera pollen foraging performance

Newly emerged workers of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona aff. depilis prefer stored pollen to fresh pollen

Environmental windows for foraging activity in stingless bees, Melipona subnitida Ducke and Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

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