Article
Plant Sciences
Francisco E. Fonturbel, Isidora B. Sepulveda, Giselle Muschett, Gaston O. Carvallo, Lorena Vieli, Maureen M. Murua
Summary: Invasive species are a significant driver of worldwide biodiversity loss. This study examines the associations between bumblebees and native and exotic plant species in Chile, particularly focusing on flower color preferences. The findings suggest that exotic bumblebee species primarily visit flowers of exotic plants and show preferences for purple and pink flowers, while native bumblebees visit both native and exotic plant species in similar proportions and have preferences for white, pink, and purple flowers.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Brenskelle, Vijay Barve, Lucas C. Majure, Rob P. Guralnick, Daijiang Li
Summary: The study found that the flowering of Yucca plants in the American Southwest is influenced by complex interactions between temperature, precipitation, and daylength, and an anomalous blooming event occurred in late fall and early winter of 2018-2019. Despite higher odds of early-season flowering in colder and drier conditions for Yucca plants, the models used to predict normal blooming overestimated the number of anomalous blooms.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jessica L. Knapp, Adam Bates, Ove Jonsson, Bjorn Klatt, Theresia Krausl, Ullrika Sahlin, Glenn P. Svensson, Maj Rundlof
Summary: Trade-offs between pesticide use, pollinators and yield in pollinator-dependent, mass-flowering crops may cause conflicts between conservation and agronomic goals. This study proposes a framework to explore these trade-offs, using red clover as an example. The results indicate that the insecticide thiacloprid can increase seed yield without negative effects on the key pollinator, Bombus terrestris, and the presence of red clover benefits pollinator populations.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Alejandro Trillo, Ignasi Bartomeus, F. Javier Ortiz-Sanchez, Jordina Belmonte, Montserrat Vila
Summary: Over two million commercial bumblebee colonies are used annually worldwide for pollinating various crops, posing a potential risk to wild pollinators due to foraging behaviors outside of greenhouses. A study in southern Spain found high parasite prevalence in commercial Bombus terrestris, with most foraging within 200 m of greenhouses. However, the abundance and diversity of pollinators in natural habitats were not significantly affected by commercial bumblebee presence.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Pamela Cristina Santana, Chloe Aline Raderschall, Rafael Maia Rodrigues, Allan G. Ellis, Vinicius Lourenco Garcia de Brito
Summary: This study investigated the influence of floral colour change on pollinator visitation using Lantana undulata as a model plant species. The results showed that the retention of colour-changed white flowers attracted pollinators at long distances, while the yellow colour of young flowers guided pollinators to rewarding and sexually receptive flowers at short distances, maximizing both pollination and foraging efficiency.
Article
Ecology
Sebastiaan Verbeke, Margaux Boeraeve, Sebastien Carpentier, Hans Jacquemyn, Maria I. Pozo
Summary: The decline of pollinators may have negative effects on ecosystems and ecosystem services. This study investigates the impact of pollen diversity and composition on reproductive success and fitness of Bombus terrestris colonies. The results suggest that plant diversity may not be a good predictor of colony fitness, and that vegetation composition and differences in pollen quantity and quality are more important.
Article
Biology
Laura L. Ingwell, John J. Ternest, Jacob R. Pecenka, Ian Kaplan
Summary: The study indicates that both insecticides and non-crop forage play integral roles in shaping pollinator health in agricultural landscapes, but the relative importance and interaction of these two factors depend on which aspect of 'health' is being considered.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christoph Gayer, Alina Biermann, Martin Dieterich, Konrad Reidl, Peter Batary
Summary: Scant floral resources in farmland can lead to declining pollinator populations, but measures like flowering fields and organic farming can help attract bumblebees. Bumblebee colonies near organic winter spelt fields showed higher foraging activity and better body sizes, while the presence of Phacelia tanacetifolia in flowering fields had a landscape-wide attraction for Bombus terrestris. Despite the positive effect of flowering fields, local bumblebee populations could benefit from less intensive farming practices to increase wild plant diversity.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
John M. Mola, Leif L. Richardson, Greg Spyreas, David N. Zaya, Ian S. Pearse
Summary: Populations of bumblebees and other pollinators have declined due to threats like habitat loss, with a notable decline in abundance of bumblebee forage plants in spring-flowering forest understories. However, per-unit area abundance of food plants in grasslands and wetlands has not declined significantly, but overall loss of grassland area has resulted in a net loss of resources. These findings emphasize the importance of considering habitat complementarity in bumblebee conservation efforts.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Anina C. Knauer, Hanna Kokko, Florian P. Schiestl
Summary: The study investigates honest signaling in a plant species by analyzing how two honest floral signals attract pollinators and influence nectar volume. The results of experiments were incorporated into a mathematical model and verified, showing how honest floral signaling can evolve as a stable strategy in a plant species.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Shivani Krishna, Tamar Keasar
Summary: The research indicates that successful foraging on complex flowers, especially those with high rewards, can motivate insect pollinators to attempt accessing other plant species with different complex shapes.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Raphael A. Stern, Ada Rozen, Ravit Eshed, Tali Zviran, Isaac Sisai, Amir Sherman, Vered Irihimovitch, Gal Sapir
Summary: Adding bumblebee hives to 'Hass' avocado orchards can increase pollination and yield, with studies showing a positive correlation between bumblebee presence and avocado production.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alexander Suarez-Marino, Gerardo Arceo-Gomez, Cristopher Albor, Victor Parra-Tabla
Summary: Co-flowering communities with high plant generalization and pollinator sharing are influenced by flowering phenology and floral similarity, which play important roles in shaping plant-pollinator network structure. Flowering overlap has a positive effect on pollinator sharing and plant generalization, and also influences network nestedness and modularity. The interaction between floral similarity and flowering overlap affects pollinator sharing and network nestedness.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alessandro Fisogni, Natasha de Manincor, C. David Bertelsen, Nicole E. Rafferty
Summary: This study examines the changes in flowering synchrony within and among plant communities in response to changing climate. The results show that flowering synchrony significantly decreases with increasing temperatures and has locally-dependent effects in combination with reduced precipitation. However, there is an increase in synchrony within plant species occurring in multiple communities, indicating a homogenization of flowering phenology across the gradient. These changes in flowering synchrony may have far-reaching and negative effects on ecosystem stability.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rodrigo M. Barahona-Segovia, Cecilia Smith-Ramirez, Vanesa Duran-Sanzana, Juan Carlos Huaranca, Patricio Pliscoff
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the resource use and competition of invasive and native bumblebee species in the highlands of Chile. The results showed a 94.3% overlap in distribution between the two bumblebee species, and a high overlap in the use of floral resources. The abundance of both species was associated with the use of natural scrubland in the highlands. Therefore, it is recommended to implement an export ban on invasive bumblebee species, strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries, remove remaining invasive populations, and restore native flora to enhance pollination services in the Chilean highlands.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Anne Burkhardt, Antonina Internicola, Giorgina Bernasconi
Article
Ecology
Antonina I. Internicola, Paul A. Page, Giorgina Bernasconi, Luc D. B. Gigord
ARTHROPOD-PLANT INTERACTIONS
(2009)
Article
Biology
Stephanie Bedhomme, Giorgina Bernasconi, Joris M. Koene, Asa Lankinen, H. S. Arathi, Nico K. Michiels, Nils Anthes
Article
Ecology
Anne-Marie Labouche, Giorgina Bernasconi
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2010)
Article
Ecology
Anne-Marie Labouche, Giorgina Bernasconi
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2013)
Article
Ecology
S. Teixeira, K. Foerster, G. Bernasconi
Review
Ecology
G. Bernasconi, J. Antonovics, A. Biere, D. Charlesworth, L. F. Delph, D. Filatov, T. Giraud, M. E. Hood, G. A. B. Marais, D. McCauley, J. R. Pannell, J. A. Shykoff, B. Vyskot, L. M. Wolfe, A. Widmer
Article
Ecology
M. Barluenga, F. Austerlitz, J. A. Elzinga, S. Teixeira, J. Goudet, G. Bernasconi
Article
Plant Sciences
Jelmer A. Elzinga, Giorgina Bernasconi
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2009)
Article
Ecology
A. Burkhardt, B. J. Ridenhour, L. F. Delph, G. Bernasconi
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2012)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Isabel S. Magalhaes, Gabriela Gleiser, Anne-Marie Labouche, Giorgina Bernasconi
Article
Plant Sciences
Sara Teixeira, Giorgina Bernasconi
Article
Plant Sciences
Jonathan Kissling, Peter K. Endress, Giorgina Bernasconi
Article
Ecology
Anne Burkhardt, Lynda F. Delph, Giorgina Bernasconi
Article
Biology
Frederic Austerlitz, Gabriela Gleiser, Sara Teixeira, Giorgina Bernasconi
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2012)