Impacts of an Urbanization Gradient on Pollination Services to a Bee-Pollinated Plant

Impacts of an Urbanization Gradient on Pollination Services to a Bee-Pollinated Plant PDF Author: Cory Barker
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The vast majority of flowering plants rely on pollinators for outcrossed reproduction. Unfortunately, many species of pollinators are in decline. Pollinators face a number of challenges, including shifting land use, climate change and pesticides. In addition, pollinator habitat may be altered or eliminated through urbanization. Fragmented urban landscapes may lengthen the distances among foraging patches, limit resources in a given patch, and reduce the availability of pollinator nesting sites. Here, I examine the effects of urbanization on pollination services by addressing the following questions: (1) Does bee species richness and/or abundance change along an urbanization gradient?; (2) Does the pollen limitation of a focal species vary along the same gradient?; (3) Do plants with a mixed mating system produce more selfed seeds in more urban environments? Using the percentage of impervious land cover in the space immediately surrounding the site as a proxy for site urbanization, 15 study sites were set up across the city of Ottawa to span a range from minimal percent impervious surface (mostly green space) to mostly impervious surface (little green space) at a range of spatial scales. At each site I set up an array of 20 potted Impatiens capensis plants as well as six pan traps in order to collect data on pollen limitation, seed production, and the number of selfed progeny, in addition to information about local pollinator species richness and abundance. Plants in the arrays were randomly assigned to either a hand or open pollination treatment in order to assess the level of pollen limitation. Surprisingly, pollinator species richness and abundance were not correlated with urbanization. Pollen limitation declined with urbanization, however, so did overall seed set, making it difficult to detangle the effects of resource limitation and hand pollination treatments. The number of selfed seeds produced by a plant was also significantly correlated with site urbanization. Further investigation is required to better understand the dynamics of pollination services in urban environments. I recommend that future studies explore how the presence of individual bee species in rural and urban habitats could be influencing pollen limitation and selfing in I. capensis.

Impacts of an Urbanization Gradient on Pollination Services to a Bee-Pollinated Plant

Impacts of an Urbanization Gradient on Pollination Services to a Bee-Pollinated Plant PDF Author: Cory Barker
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The vast majority of flowering plants rely on pollinators for outcrossed reproduction. Unfortunately, many species of pollinators are in decline. Pollinators face a number of challenges, including shifting land use, climate change and pesticides. In addition, pollinator habitat may be altered or eliminated through urbanization. Fragmented urban landscapes may lengthen the distances among foraging patches, limit resources in a given patch, and reduce the availability of pollinator nesting sites. Here, I examine the effects of urbanization on pollination services by addressing the following questions: (1) Does bee species richness and/or abundance change along an urbanization gradient?; (2) Does the pollen limitation of a focal species vary along the same gradient?; (3) Do plants with a mixed mating system produce more selfed seeds in more urban environments? Using the percentage of impervious land cover in the space immediately surrounding the site as a proxy for site urbanization, 15 study sites were set up across the city of Ottawa to span a range from minimal percent impervious surface (mostly green space) to mostly impervious surface (little green space) at a range of spatial scales. At each site I set up an array of 20 potted Impatiens capensis plants as well as six pan traps in order to collect data on pollen limitation, seed production, and the number of selfed progeny, in addition to information about local pollinator species richness and abundance. Plants in the arrays were randomly assigned to either a hand or open pollination treatment in order to assess the level of pollen limitation. Surprisingly, pollinator species richness and abundance were not correlated with urbanization. Pollen limitation declined with urbanization, however, so did overall seed set, making it difficult to detangle the effects of resource limitation and hand pollination treatments. The number of selfed seeds produced by a plant was also significantly correlated with site urbanization. Further investigation is required to better understand the dynamics of pollination services in urban environments. I recommend that future studies explore how the presence of individual bee species in rural and urban habitats could be influencing pollen limitation and selfing in I. capensis.

Pollinators and Pollination

Pollinators and Pollination PDF Author: Jeff Ollerton
Publisher: Pelagic Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 1784272299
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Book Description
A unique and personal insight into the ecology and evolution of pollinators, their relationships with flowers, and their conservation in a rapidly changing world. The pollination of flowers by insects, birds and other animals is a fundamentally important ecological function that supports both the natural world and human society. Without pollinators to facilitate the sexual reproduction of plants, the world would be a biologically poorer place in which to live, there would be an impact on food security, and human health would suffer. Written by one of the world’s leading pollination ecologists, this book provides an introduction to what pollinators are, how their interactions with flowers have evolved, and the fundamental ecology of these relationships. It explores the pollination of wild and agricultural plants in a variety of habitats and contexts, including urban, rural and agricultural environments. The author also provides practical advice on how individuals and organisations can study, and support, pollinators. As well as covering the natural history of pollinators and flowers, the author discusses their cultural importance, and the ways in which pollinator conservation has been portrayed from a political perspective. The book draws on field work experiences in South America, Africa, Australia, the Canary Islands and the UK. For over 30 years the author has spent his career researching how plants and pollinators evolve relationships, how these interactions function ecologically, their importance for society, and how we can conserve them in a rapidly changing world. This book offers a unique and personal insight into the science of pollinators and pollination, aimed at anyone who is interested in understanding these fascinating and crucial ecological interactions.

Effects of Suburbanization on Plant-pollinator Interactions

Effects of Suburbanization on Plant-pollinator Interactions PDF Author: Adrian L. Carper
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 330

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Book Description
Urban and suburban development is a dominant factor driving ecological processes at local and regional scales and its impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services are alarming. Pollinators, especially bees, and the ecosystem services they provide are of particular concern, given their importance for both the conservation of native plants and their value to global food production. However, bees might benefit from moderate levels of development, depending on how they alter the availability of foraging and nesting resources. How such changes in bee communities and other floral interactors affect native plants persisting in urban and suburban areas is less studied. To determine how one type of low-intensity human development, suburbanization, affects bee communities, pollination, and the mechanisms involved, I characterized the bee communities of suburban and natural forests in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina, and used a series of experiments and observations to explore factors driving bee communities and their pollination services to native plants. Overall, suburban forests more bees than natural forests. Moreover, suburban bee richness and composition was similar to those in natural forests. Bee abundance and richness were both positively associated with local floral diversity and the amount of open habitats in the surrounding landscape. Hand-pollination experiments using three native flowering plants suggested that increased bee abundance associated with suburban developments did not translate into increased pollination services. Finally, a manipulative field experiment demonstrated that floral herbivory, which is generally more prevalent in suburban areas, can indirectly effect plant reproduction through altered pollinator behavior and subsequently pollen export. Taken together, these results suggest that while suburban areas can hold conservation value for bees, increased bee abundance in suburban areas does not translate into increased pollination services to native plants. Furthermore, plant interactions with other floral consumers can modify consumers can modify the outcome of plant-pollinator interactions, and have sex-specific effects on plant reproduction.

Insect Conservation

Insect Conservation PDF Author: Michael J. Samways
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199298238
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 458

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Book Description
This handbook outlines the main methods and techniques, both modern and traditional, used to measure insect diversity. With the growing relevance of insect conservation in nature, this guide should assist students in understanding a complicated field.

Status of Pollinators in North America

Status of Pollinators in North America PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309102898
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 327

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Book Description
Pollinators-insects, birds, bats, and other animals that carry pollen from the male to the female parts of flowers for plant reproduction-are an essential part of natural and agricultural ecosystems throughout North America. For example, most fruit, vegetable, and seed crops and some crops that provide fiber, drugs, and fuel depend on animals for pollination. This report provides evidence for the decline of some pollinator species in North America, including America's most important managed pollinator, the honey bee, as well as some butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds. For most managed and wild pollinator species, however, population trends have not been assessed because populations have not been monitored over time. In addition, for wild species with demonstrated declines, it is often difficult to determine the causes or consequences of their decline. This report outlines priorities for research and monitoring that are needed to improve information on the status of pollinators and establishes a framework for conservation and restoration of pollinator species and communities.

FACTORS INFLUENCING BEE COMMUNITIES AND POLLINATION SERVICES ACROSS AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT

FACTORS INFLUENCING BEE COMMUNITIES AND POLLINATION SERVICES ACROSS AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT PDF Author: Justin D. Burdine
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Bees
Languages : en
Pages : 118

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Book Description
Current declines in the abundance and diversity of bees and other pollinators has created uncertainty in their ability to reliably deliver pollination services. Recent studies examining urban bee communities show that bees respond to urbanization-mediated changes in land-use and environmental conditions. This includes increases in thermal and desiccation threats via urban heat island (UHI) effects that have not been well explored in bees. But it is unclear whether or how urbanization-related changes to pollinators influence pollination services. In this dissertation, I surveyed urban gardens and city parks across the metropolitan region of Toledo, Ohio (USA). First, I examined thermal and desiccation tolerances and safety margins for three bee species: silky striped sweat bees (Agapostemon sericeus), western honey bees (Apis mellifera), and common eastern bumble bees (Bombus impatiens). Second, I examined how urbanization and local habitat characteristics (herbaceous cover, floral abundance and color, tree abundance, canopy cover, soil moisture, gardens size) influenced bee communities (abundance, diversity, composition) and pollination services (visitation frequency). Third, I examined how bee species with specific functional traits and combinations of traits (functional guilds) were influenced by urbanization. The findings from this dissertation suggest that bees have differential sensitivities to urbanization, and managing for diverse bee communities in urban environments may require mitigating changes in temperature and water and increasing floral resource availability.

Ecology of Cities and Towns

Ecology of Cities and Towns PDF Author: Mark J. McDonnell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521861128
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 747

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Book Description
Assesses the current status, and future challenges and opportunities, of the ecological study, design and management of cities and towns.

Pollination and Floral Ecology

Pollination and Floral Ecology PDF Author: Pat Willmer
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691128618
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 790

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Book Description
Pollination and Floral Ecology is a very comprehensive reference work to all aspects of pollination biology.

The pollination services of forests

The pollination services of forests PDF Author: Krishnan, S., Wiederkehr Guerra, G., Bertrand, D., Wertz-Kanounnikoff, S. and Kettle, C.J.
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN: 9251328137
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description
Most flowering plants, including wild species and many food crops, are pollinated by animals and are vital, therefore, for biological production and the maintenance of biodiversity. Pollinators benefit from diverse natural habitats for forage and nesting, especially when these are limited in plant production systems. Landscape and forest management practices can help ensure the continued availability of pollinators and thereby increase resilience and the productivity of forestry and agriculture. The extent of forests and other natural habitats in a landscape plays a role in determining the species composition of pollinators. Agricultural landscapes adjoining fragmented forests and natural areas benefit from pollinator services, and animal-pollinated crops therefore achieve higher fruit set. Forest management practices can have significant effects on pollinator abundance and diversity. They affect forest variables such as structure, species composition, soil dynamics, hydrology and light availability, all of which can affect pollinator species composition and diversity and plant–pollinator networks. Indigenous and local knowledge can contribute to the conservation of pollinators through traditional management practices. This working paper, which is aimed at forest practitioners, landscape planners and land-use decision-makers, reviews published literature on the impacts of forest and landscape management practices on pollinators. It also addresses the implications of climate change, collates 36 case studies, and makes recommendation on measures for maintaining pollinator diversity and abundance in forests and landscapes

Pollination Biology

Pollination Biology PDF Author: Dharam P. Abrol
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400719426
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 812

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Book Description
This book has a wider approach not strictly focused on crop production compared to other books that are strictly oriented towards bees, but has a generalist approach to pollination biology. It also highlights relationships between introduced and wild pollinators and consequences of such introductions on communities of wild pollinating insects. The chapters on biochemical basis of plant-pollination interaction, pollination energetics, climate change and pollinators and pollinators as bioindicators of ecosystem functioning provide a base for future insights into pollination biology. The role of honeybees and wild bees on crop pollination, value of bee pollination, planned honeybee pollination, non-bee pollinators, safety of pollinators, pollination in cages, pollination for hybrid seed production, the problem of diseases, genetically modified plants and bees, the role of bees in improving food security and livelihoods, capacity building and awareness for pollinators are also discussed.