Review
Ecology
Phuong N. Nguyen, Sandra M. Rehan
Summary: Anthropogenic activities and increased land use directly and indirectly affect pollinators by altering habitats, floral availability, and microbial composition. Bees rely on their microbiota for physiological functions and immunity, making their health vulnerable to altered environments. This review examines the impact of sociality, geographic distribution, temperature, precipitation, floral resources, agriculture, and urbanization on bee microbiota, highlighting the role of microbiota in plant-pollinator relationships and urban ecology. Understanding bee microbiota provides opportunities for sustainable land use restoration and wildlife conservation.
Article
Entomology
Elsa Blareau, Pauline Sy, Karim Daoud, Fabrice Requier
Summary: This study in an urban area near Paris found that wild pollinators are able to support strawberry production in an urban agricultural context. Honey bees were not observed visiting the flowers, but fruits were larger when pollinators were able to visit. These results highlight the importance of wild urban pollinators in providing high-quality, local, and sustainable crops in urban areas.
Article
Environmental Studies
Alicejane Evans, Michael Hardman
Summary: There is a growing interest in embedding Green Infrastructure (GI) into the built environment, with planners, developers, and architects exploring novel methods such as green roofs and living walls. Urban car parks are also being considered as potential spaces for enhancing GI, creating a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly urban environment.
Article
Agronomy
Michael Hardman, Andrew Clark, Graeme Sherriff
Summary: Urban Agriculture (UA) is gaining popularity worldwide and is supported by policy makers and other key actors. However, there are barriers to upscaling city farming, such as soil contamination and public hesitation. This paper explores the UK's largest urban farm and other UA sites to identify and address these barriers, proposing a way forward for enabling UA at scale.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ge Zhang, Caroline J. J. Murray, Ashley L. L. St. Clair, Randall P. P. Cass, Adam G. G. Dolezal, Lisa A. A. Schulte, Amy L. L. Toth, Matthew E. E. O'Neal
Summary: Integrating conservation with agriculture by adding diverse prairie strips into annual croplands can reduce soil and nutrient loss and support diverse communities of birds, insects, and pollinators. A study was conducted on commercial farms to determine if prairie strips provide floral resources to honey bees and improve their health and productivity. The results showed that colonies located in fields with prairie strips had more diverse flowering plants, collected more pollen, had larger populations, higher overwinter survival rates, and produced more honey compared to colonies in control fields.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kit S. Prendergast, Sean Tomlinson, Kingsley W. Dixon, Philip W. Bateman, Myles H. M. Menz
Summary: Urbanization has a negative impact on native bee abundance and diversity, while bushland remnants play a crucial role in conserving native bee populations.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alisha Rajbhandari, Kevin Matteson, Emma Katz, Gretchen LeBuhn, Elizabeth Johnson
Summary: In this study, four years of citizen science data was used to analyze bee visitation to flowers in New York City. The research found that five bees were observed in 63% of the observations, with bumble bees being the most commonly observed bee morphotype. Community gardens had the highest bee visitation rate, followed by parks, private gardens, and rooftops/terraces. The 500 m buffer scale was found to be the most informative in analyzing the factors affecting bee visitation.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Review
Ecology
D. L. Evans, N. Falagan, C. A. Hardman, S. Kourmpetli, L. Liu, B. R. Mead, J. A. C. Davies
Summary: The ability of urban ecosystems to provide various services is crucial for the health and sustainability of urban environments. This study examines the benefits and drawbacks of urban agriculture and green infrastructure in delivering ecosystem services in urban areas. The findings show that some services are better provided with solely green infrastructure, while others require a combination of green infrastructure and urban agriculture. The study also highlights the importance of different growing spaces in modulating ecosystem service delivery. Additionally, the research identifies gaps and priorities for future studies on urban ecosystem services, including the need for more data collection and incorporating ecosystem service assessments into broader analyses.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katherine J. Turo, Mary M. Gardiner
Summary: The study found that insect nesting success in inner-city Cleveland is influenced by landscape configuration, composition, and local patch quality, with native bees and wasps reproducing more in habitats with large contiguous greenspace, low plant biomass, and seeded with native wildflowers or fine-fescue grass. By maintaining large contiguous greenspace and establishing native plants in the landscape, urban planning can support the conservation of bees and wasps.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ujjwal Layek, Arijit Kundu, Sourabh Bisui, Prakash Karmakar
Summary: This study identified native pollinators of watermelon flowers and their impact, as well as the potential yield enhancement and effects on native pollinators by managed western honey bees and stingless bees. Among different pollinators, Halictus acrocephalus and Lasioglossum funebre were found to be the most effective native pollinators.
ANNALS OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Timothy Weekers, Leon Marshall, Nicolas Leclercq, Thomas James Wood, Diego Cejas, Bianca Drepper, Louise Hutchinson, Denis Michez, Jean-Marc Molenberg, Guy Smagghe, Peter Vandamme, Nicolas J. Vereecken
Summary: The study found that the dominance of honey bees is significantly and negatively associated with wild bee diversity, regardless of local management practices. Semi-natural habitats have a positive impact on functional diversity of wild bees, while urbanization and crop cover around orchards have no effect on diversity metrics. In locations with high honey bee dominance, a greater number of bee species exhibit less common combinations of functional traits, especially larger bee species with longer tongues.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Entomology
Hazel Cooley, Mario Vallejo-Marin
Summary: Buzz-pollinated plants rely on vibration-producing bee species for successful pollen release, including important crops like tomato and blueberry. Studies on tomato cultivation show that pollination by buzz-pollinating bees significantly increases fruit weight, while other pollination methods do not have the same effect.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography
Ziyu Liu, Yi Zhou, Haiyan Yang, Zhenhuan Liu
Summary: Urban green infrastructure (UGI) in Shenzhen plays a crucial role in bird diversity conservation. This study finds that UGI characteristics, such as size and surrounding environment, have significant effects on bird diversity. Migratory birds are particularly sensitive to the negative impact of surrounding impervious surfaces and nighttime light.
Article
Urban Studies
Perla Zambrano-Prado, David Pons-Gumi, Susana Toboso-Chavero, Felipe Parada, Alejandro Josa, Xavier Gabarrell, Joan Rieradevall
Summary: The study examines perceived barriers and opportunities in implementing urban agri-green roofs in Barcelona, with stakeholders discussing social, environmental, legal, technological, and economic factors. Main barriers are lack of information, Mediterranean climate, regulations, investment, and roof conditions, while opportunities include social cohesion, quality of life improvement, regulations, profits, and aesthetics. The impact of UAGR is distributed evenly within buildings and cities, with limited global impact, and opportunities and barriers mostly arise during different stages of the roof's life cycle.
Article
Environmental Sciences
H. Blaydes, E. Gardner, J. D. Whyatt, S. G. Potts, A. Armstrong
Summary: Solar parks have the potential to provide a suitable habitat for pollinators, particularly for bumble bees. Proper management and design decisions of solar parks can significantly increase bumble bee density and benefit crop pollination.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Molly Dieterich Mabin, Celeste Welty, Mary M. Gardiner
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Frances S. Sivakoff, Scott P. Prajzner, Mary M. Gardiner
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yvan A. Delgado de la Flor, Kayla I. Perry, Katherine J. Turo, Denisha M. Parker, Jennifer L. Thompson, Mary M. Gardiner
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Kayla Perry, Nicole C. Hoekstra, Yvan A. Delgado de la Flor, Mary M. Gardiner
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2020)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katherine J. Turo, Mary M. Gardiner
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katherine J. Turo, MaLisa R. Spring, Frances S. Sivakoff, Yvan A. Delgado de la Flor, Mary M. Gardiner
Summary: Rich pollinator assemblages can be found in urban areas with larger surrounding greenspaces, where vegetation management and landscape context influence bee communities. Non-native vegetation plays a significant role in providing forage for urban bees in vacant lots.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Mary M. Gardiner, Yvan A. Delgado de la Flor, Denisha M. Parker, James D. Harwood
Summary: Urbanization is a major factor in biodiversity loss, but there is evidence that cities can support diverse arthropod communities. Efforts to transform vacant lots into habitats that promote biodiversity are important for species conservation. Research shows that increasing vegetation cover and diversity of grasses and flowering plants in urban greenspaces can benefit spider populations by reducing competition for prey.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kayla I. Perry, Nicole C. Hoekstra, Steve W. Culman, Mary M. Gardiner
Summary: This study in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, found that soil chemical and physical properties significantly influenced the community of soil-dwelling invertebrates, with heavily contaminated vacant lots having simplified communities. Increased mowing frequency led to greater biomass and blooms of urban spontaneous forbs, but also correlated with heavy metal contamination in the soil.
Article
Ecology
Mary M. Gardiner, Kayla I. Perry, Christopher B. Riley, Katherine J. Turo, Yvan A. Delgado de la Flor, Frances S. Sivakoff
Summary: Community scientists found that within residential gardens in Ohio, USA, native aphidophagous lady beetle abundance is positively correlated with forest habitat, while alien species are more common within agricultural landscapes. Urbanization is negatively associated with both aphidophagous alien and native lady beetles. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding how declining aphidophagous native species utilize forest habitats as a conservation priority.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katherine J. Turo, Mary M. Gardiner
Summary: The study found that insect nesting success in inner-city Cleveland is influenced by landscape configuration, composition, and local patch quality, with native bees and wasps reproducing more in habitats with large contiguous greenspace, low plant biomass, and seeded with native wildflowers or fine-fescue grass. By maintaining large contiguous greenspace and establishing native plants in the landscape, urban planning can support the conservation of bees and wasps.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sarah B. Scott, Frances S. Sivakoff, Mary M. Gardiner
Summary: Legacy cities with industrial pasts often have higher concentrations of soil heavy metal contamination, which can negatively impact bee colonies. A study conducted in Cleveland, Ohio, USA found that the presence of four metals in the provisions of bees affected colony growth, with the highest impact observed in colonies exposed to all four metals.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Michelle A. Pham, Sarah B. Scott, Lydia R. Fyie, Mary M. Gardiner
Summary: Sustainable landscaping programs are voluntary initiatives that aim to improve the environmental quality of urban ecosystems by providing resources and guidelines. These programs provide opportunities to engage people with local ecological knowledge and conservation practices, and offer environmental education spaces. However, there is a lack of assessments on their ecological value, and some programs may have costs that limit participation.
Correction
Biodiversity Conservation
Michelle A. Pham, Sarah B. Scott, Lydia R. Fyie, Mary M. Gardiner
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Sarah B. Scott, Frances S. Sivakoff, Megan E. Meuti, Mary M. Gardiner
Summary: Metal contamination is a widespread issue in urban environments and can negatively affect pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Understanding the risks and hazards they face in metal contaminated landscapes is crucial for habitat conversion efforts. This investigation found that bees and butterflies have different responses to metal exposure, which can impact their reproduction, development, and behavior. The review highlights the importance of recognizing metal exposure in contaminated landscapes for pollinator conservation efforts.
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2023)