Article
Plant Sciences
Cecilia Alducin-Martinez, Karen Y. Ruiz Mondragon, Ofelia Jimenez-Barron, Erika Aguirre-Planter, Jaime Gasca-Pineda, Luis E. Eguiarte, Rodrigo A. Medellin
Summary: We compiled and analyzed an updated database of Agave species found in Mexico to evaluate their conservation and knowledge status. The analysis helped identify species that require special protection, especially those used for distilled beverage production. Our study revealed a lack of knowledge and research regarding specific Agave species, emphasizing the need for further studies. This review will contribute to ensuring the future of Agave plants and promoting awareness of their conservation needs and sustainable use.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Rodrigo M. Barahona-Segovia, Paz Gatica-Barrios, Vanessa Duran-Sanzana, Cecilia Smith-Ramireza
Summary: Native pollinators, such as beetles and flies, are important for fruit production in apple orchards. This study examines the diversity and abundance of pollinators in central Chile and how they are influenced by landscape and orchard characteristics. The distance to the nearest native forest patch, orchard management, and apple variety were found to affect the richness and abundance of pollinators.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Axel Decourtye, Orianne Rollin, Fabrice Requier, Fabrice Allier, Charlotte Ruger, Cyril Vidau, Mickael Henry
Summary: The risk of poisoning bees by sprayed pesticides depends on various factors. To protect bees, farmers can spray insecticides or acaricides on blooming flowers when no bees are foraging, but the criteria for assessing the absence of bees remain unclear. This review analyzes environmental factors and weather conditions affecting the presence of bees on flowering crops, and suggests that nocturnal sprays of pesticides would be the most effective method to avoid unintentional acute poisoning of bees.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Max Anderson, Ellen L. Rotheray, Fiona Mathews
Summary: This study aimed to assess the relative contribution of diurnal and nocturnal insects to the pollination of bramble. The researchers found that although diurnal insects visited the flowers more frequently, nocturnal insects had higher pollen deposition rates, indicating the important role of moths in bramble pollination.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael C. Orr, Alice C. Hughes, Douglas Chesters, John Pickering, Chao-Dong Zhu, John S. Ascher
Summary: The study shows that publicly accessible records are sparse, especially from developing countries, and are frequently inaccurate, suggesting different biodiversity patterns from checklist data. Global analysis reveals hotspots of species richness that generate a rare bimodal latitudinal richness gradient. Xeric areas, solar radiation, and non-forest plant productivity are among the most important global drivers of bee biodiversity.
Article
Ecology
Audrey Alignier, Nathan Lenestour, Emma Jeavons, Joan van Baaren, Stephanie Aviron, Lea Uroy, Claire Ricono, Cecile Le Lann
Summary: This study examines the relationship between flower-visiting insect abundance and floral community traits by translating land-cover maps into potential floral resource maps. The results show that the relative amount of attractive and accessible floral resources positively influences the abundance of small wild bees, while the relative amount of high nectar producing plants positively affects the abundance of domestic bees and bumblebees.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tobias Pamminger, Christof Schneider, Raffael Maas, Matthias Bergtold
Summary: The study found that scaling models in bee risk assessment can predict the food requirements of solitary bees in agricultural settings and help protect their food sources. Overall, the model predictions were consistent with measured values in the field, but more data are needed to confirm these results.
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alberto Linguadoca, Margret Jurison, Sara Hellstroem, Edward A. Straw, Peter Sima, Reet Karise, Cecilia Costa, Giorgia Serra, Roberto Colombo, Robert J. Paxton, Marika Mand, Mark J. F. Brown
Summary: There is growing evidence that suggests pesticides may contribute to the decline in bee populations worldwide. Current assessment frameworks may be biased towards evaluating risks to honey bees, leading to repeated calls for increased scrutiny. This study demonstrates significant variation in pesticide sensitivity both within and across bee species, suggesting the existence of unexplored mechanisms. Bee weight is found to be a meaningful predictor of pesticide susceptibility, but additional factors contribute to the observed differences.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Blaire M. Kleiman, Suzanne Koptur, Krishnaswamy Jayachandran
Summary: This study investigates how leaving weeds in a mango farm affects pollinators and fruit yield. The research found that leaving weeds attracts more pollinating insects and leads to significantly higher fruit yield compared to removing weeds.
Article
Ecology
Jessica L. Knapp, Charlie C. Nicholson, Ove Jonsson, Joachim R. de Miranda, Maj Rundlof
Summary: Widespread pesticide contamination threatens non-target organisms in ecosystems. This study examines how life-history traits and landscape context influence pesticide exposure and risk for bees across an agricultural land-use gradient. The findings show that extensive foragers like Apis mellifera face the highest pesticide risk, while species with intermediate or limited foraging ranges respond to landscape context with reduced pesticide risk. The study provides essential information for future pesticide monitoring and realistic risk assessment to track policy goals for reducing pesticide risk.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Colin Fontaine, Benoit Fontaine, Anne-Caroline Prevot
Summary: The diversity of insects requires great effort to assess and understand their ecological role. While academics and naturalists have always been interested in insects, the increasing involvement of non-academics in research suggests that science is becoming more entrenched in society. This involvement of amateurs in insect science represents important opportunities for insect conservation.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Panlong Wu, Piaopiao Dai, Meina Wang, Sijie Feng, Aruhan Olhnuud, Huanli Xu, Xiang Li, Yunhui Liu
Summary: Wild bees play a significant role in improving apple fruit set and quality, with their diversity positively correlated to apple seed numbers. The abundance and species richness of wild bees are influenced by factors such as flowering ground cover and the percentage of semi-natural habitats. This suggests that ecological intensification through promoting wild bee populations can benefit apple production and quality.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ari Jarvinen, Sari J. Himanen, Sakari Raiskio, Terho Hyvonen
Summary: This study examined the impact of strip intercropping on pollinators of spring turnip rape and faba bean. The results showed that intercropping partially succeeded in substituting abundant turnip rape pollinators with more specialized faba bean pollinators. This shift could potentially improve ecological sustainability, but rare pollinator species and landscape-level species diversity of pollinators must be supported with additional complementary methods.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nadejda Tsvetkov, Victoria J. MacPhail, Sheila R. Colla, Amro Zayed
Summary: In this study, a conservation genomics approach was used to investigate the vulnerable Bombus terricola, with transcriptional and metatranscriptomic analysis revealing signs of pesticide exposure and pathogen infections. These findings suggest that pesticides and pathogen spillover may contribute to the decline of B. terricola populations.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Lucas Battisti, Michele Potrich, Amanda Roberta Sampaio, Nedia de Castilhos Ghisi, Fabiana Martins Costa-Maia, Raiza Abati, Claudia Bueno dos Reis Martinez, Silvia Helena Sofia
Summary: Glyphosate, originally considered non-toxic to bees, has been shown to negatively impact their survival and behavior even at recommended doses. Meta-analysis of studies on GLY toxicity to bees revealed an increase in bee mortality rates, suggesting its toxic effects.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)