Article
Environmental Sciences
Elena Zioga, Blanaid White, Jane C. Stout
Summary: In an agricultural environment, bees are exposed to different chemical compounds in crops treated with pesticides, and the extent of their impact varies depending on concentration and type of exposure. Pollen samples from oilseed rape fields were found to be more contaminated compared to broad bean fields. Honey bee pollen loads contained mainly fungicides, while bumble bee pollen loads had more insecticides.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Minghui Han, Yuanping Wang, Zichen Yang, Yi Wang, Min Huang, Baozhang Luo, Hexing Wang, Yue Chen, Qingwu Jiang
Summary: China, the largest beekeeping and honey consumption country globally, has extensive residues of neonicotinoids in honey, which may affect bee health but show no detectable effect on human health.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Frederic McCune, Olivier Samson-Robert, Sabrina Rondeau, Madeleine Chagnon, Valerie Fournier
Summary: Providing clean water to honey bees can help reduce bee mortality associated with pesticides and improve colony health, but waterers did not reduce worker mortality or increase overall colony weight in the study. However, waterers provided bees with water containing fewer pesticides and reduced the risk of drowning compared to natural sources of water.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Hamutahl Cohen, Monika Egerer, Summer-Solstice Thomas, Stacy M. Philpott
Summary: The study revealed that urban cover and garden size are positively associated with bee species richness and abundance. Urban cover is also related to the prevalence of specific bee traits, suggesting that urbanization selects for species with certain characteristics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Denise Castle, Abdulrahim T. Alkassab, Gabriela Bischoff, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Jens Pistorius
Summary: The study revealed that pesticide exposure and low pollen quality can have significant impacts on honey bee health, affecting parameters such as brood capping rate and adult longevity. Different responses were observed in terms of body weight and enzyme activity between different plant species and pesticide treatments.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dimitri Breda, Davide Frizzera, Giulia Giordano, Elisa Seffin, Virginia Zanni, Desiderato Annoscia, Christopher J. Topping, Franco Blanchini, Francesco Nazzi
Summary: This study examines the impact of pesticides on honey bees using a systems biology approach and laboratory experiments. The authors found that the immune suppressive effect of the deformed wing virus on honey bees may contribute to the variability in experiment outcomes. They demonstrate that the interaction of toxic compounds with other stressors can lead to different consequences for honey bee health under similar initial conditions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Fabienne Reiss, Antonia Schuhmann, Leon Sohl, Markus Thamm, Ricarda Scheiner, Matthias Noll
Summary: This study is the first to investigate the impact of plant protection products (PPPs) on the cuticular microbiome of honey bees. The results show that PPPs significantly affect the fungal community and function of honey bees, and PPP mixtures have stronger effects on the cuticular community than individual PPPs. Furthermore, the use of PPPs leads to a more diverse cuticular community, which may have important implications for the health of honey bees.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Myung-Bok Lee
Summary: Rapid urbanization leads to increased urban population and loss of agricultural lands, raising concerns for food security. Urban agriculture is gaining attention as a way to improve food access and livelihoods of local farmers. This study investigated the environmental factors affecting insect pollinators (bees) and pests (butterflies) in urban farmlands in a megacity in China. Results showed that the abundance of butterflies increased with local crop diversity but decreased with landscape-scale crop and weed covers. Bees responded positively to flower cover at a fine scale and their abundance increased with local-scale weed cover but decreased with increasing landscape-scale weed cover. The abundance of bees also decreased with increasing farmland fragmentation within a landscape. Retaining un-harvested flowering crops and weedy vegetation, especially in less fragmented farmlands, can benefit bees when natural resources are scarce.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohamed Alburaki, Shayne Madella, Steven C. Cook
Summary: In this study, the researchers analyzed the transcriptional regulation of five honey bee genes in response to different ambient temperatures and exposure to imidacloprid. The results showed that bees kept at non-optimal temperatures (26°C and 38°C) were more susceptible to imidacloprid and had higher mortality rates. The expression of certain genes was also significantly influenced by ambient temperature.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Entomology
K. Chandrakumara, K. Muralimohan, H. S. H. Anand, Suresh Gundoju, V. V. Belavadi, T. M. Ramanappa
Summary: The widespread use of neonicotinoid insecticides in agricultural ecosystems may not be the main cause for the decline of honeybee populations. This study found that when neonicotinoids were applied as seed treatment, they had little impact on the foraging activity of bees. However, foliar application of neonicotinoids did significantly reduce the foraging activity in the short term.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria Murcia-Morales, Flemming Vejsnaes, Robert Brodschneider, Fani Hatjina, Jozef J. M. Van der Steen, Jose Luis Oller-Serrano, Amadeo R. Fernandez-Alba
Summary: The use of APIStrips as a passive sampling approach provides a more accurate and robust detection of pesticide residues in beehives compared to active bee sampling methods.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Xin Wang, Jing Shuai, Yijin Kong, Zhong Li, Weihua Li, Jiagao Cheng
Summary: There is variation in sensitivity of honey bees, Apis mellifera, to imidacloprid and thiacloprid, which is related to rapid oxidative metabolism mediated by P450s. The study reveals the different metabolism and binding modes of imidacloprid and thiacloprid with CYP9Q3, which can facilitate the design of low bee toxicity neonicotinoid insecticides.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR GRAPHICS & MODELLING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huseyin Bayir, Ali Aygun
Summary: This study investigated the levels of heavy metals in honey bee, honey, and pollen samples obtained from different locations in Konya City, Turkey. The results showed that the heavy metal values in honey and pollen samples varied among different locations, but were in accordance with international food standards.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Rodrigo Aaron Burciaga, Gloria Ruiz-Guzman, Humberto Lanz-Mendoza, Indrikis Krams, Jorge Contreras-Garduno
Summary: This study demonstrates for the first time that honey bees have immune memory, which helps improve their survival rate and immune activity, and has potential applications in combating natural parasites.
DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sarah K. Richman, Isabelle M. Maalouf, Angela M. Smilanich, Denyse Marquez Sanchez, Sharron Z. Miller, Anne S. Leonard
Summary: This study found that even a single acute exposure to a pesticide has the potential to reshape interactions between pollinators and plants mediated by nectar secondary chemistry.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Laura Russo, Una Fitzpatrick, Michelle Larkin, Sarah Mullen, Eileen Power, Dara Stanley, Cian White, Aoife O'Rourke, Jane C. Stout
Summary: The study analyzed the structure of insect-flower interactions in Ireland and found that conserving seminatural grasslands is crucial for pollinator conservation. The study also identified 35 plant species that are important for restoring seminatural habitats.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Simon Hodge, Oliver Schweiger, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Simon G. Potts, Cecilia Costa, Matthias Albrecht, Joachim R. de Miranda, Marika Mand, Pilar De la Rua, Maj Rundlof, Eleanor Attridge, Robin Dean, Philippe Bulet, Denis Michez, Robert J. Paxton, Aurelie Babin, Nicolas Cougoule, Marion Laurent, Anne-Claire Martel, Laurianne Paris, Marie-Pierre Riviere, Eric Dubois, Marie-Pierre Chauzat, Karim Arafah, Dalel Askri, Sebastien N. Voisin, Tomasz Kiljanek, Irene Bottero, Christophe Dominik, Giovanni Tamburini, Maria Helena Pereira-Peixoto, Dimitry Wintermantel, Tom D. Breeze, Elena Cini, Deepa Senapathi, Gennaro Di Prisco, Piotr Medrzycki, Steffen Hagenbucher, Anina Knauer, Janine M. Schwarz, Risto Raimets, Vicente Martinez-Lopez, Kjell Ivarsson, Chris Hartfield, Pamela Hunter, Mark J. E. Brown, Jane C. Stout
Summary: To understand the negative impacts on insects in agricultural landscapes, it is important to assess multiple stressors and their interactions across large geographical scales. The PoshBee project established a network of 128 study sites across Europe and collected measurements and samples related to various aspects of the bees' environment. This paper describes the development process, rationale, and outcomes of the project, highlighting the challenges and actions that may benefit future large-scale studies.
Article
Ecology
Andrew M. Neill, Cathal O'Donoghue, Jane C. Stout
Summary: This study examines the integration of ecosystem service (ES) and natural capital (NC) concepts in national public policy, using Ireland as a case study. The results show that conceptual integration began in 2008, with a higher frequency of explicit use of ES terminology compared to NC. The use of explicit terminology was concentrated in biodiversity policy and environmental reports. Implicit descriptions of ESs varied between policy types, with cultural services being more prevalent throughout the sample and regulating services becoming more visible in recent documents.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Andreas Tsakiridis, Cathal O'Donoghue, Mary Ryan, Paula Cullen, Daire O. hUallachain, Helen Sheridan, Jane Stout
Summary: This paper investigates the relationship between farmer participation in an agri-environment scheme (AES) and the quantity and quality of semi-natural habitats on farms. The study finds a positive relationship between AES participation and habitat quantity and quality, but cannot reject the null hypothesis of no significant differences between participants and non-participants. However, results highlight significant variations in habitat area among farm households with different characteristics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Courtney E. Gorman, Andrew Torsney, Aoibheann Gaughran, Caroline M. McKeon, Catherine A. Farrell, Cian White, Ian Donohue, Jane C. Stout, Yvonne M. Buckley
Summary: Globally, urgent action is needed to transition to a low-carbon economy and address the biodiversity crisis. Climate action must consider biodiversity impacts, and there are potential win-win strategies for both climate and biodiversity. This review demonstrates how national climate actions can be implemented in a biodiversity-conscious way.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elena Zioga, Blanaid White, Jane C. Stout
Summary: Residues of glyphosate, a pesticide widely used as a herbicide, have been found in the nectar and pollen collected by bees. This study found glyphosate contamination in both targeted crops and non-target wild plants. The study recommends further research to understand the extent of glyphosate translocation and its impact on bees in non-target plants and soil.
Article
Ecology
Andrew M. Neill, Cathal O'Donoghue, Jane C. Stout
Summary: Experiences gained through in-person interactions with ecosystems provide cultural ecosystem services. Data obtained from social media can provide spatially-explicit information regarding some in-situ cultural ecosystem services. Different spatial models can be applied to assess ecosystem services, and results show that local context, including biophysical traits and accessibility, are relevant for in-situ cultural ecosystem service flows.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Elizabeth M. Alejandre, Laura Scherer, Jeroen B. Guinee, Marcelo A. Aizen, Matthias Albrecht, Mario V. Balzan, Ignasi Bartomeus, Danilo Bevk, Laura A. Burkle, Yann Clough, Lorna J. Cole, Casey M. Delphia, Lynn V. Dicks, Michael P. D. Garratt, David Kleijn, Aniko Kovacs-Hostyanszki, Yael Mandelik, Robert J. Paxton, Theodora Petanidou, Simon Potts, Miklos Sarospataki, Catharina J. E. Schulp, Menelaos Stavrinides, Katharina Stein, Jane C. Stout, Hajnalka Szentgyorgyi, Androulla I. Varnava, Ben A. Woodcock, Peter M. van Bodegom
Summary: While wild pollinators are crucial for global food production, they are currently not included in the commonly used environmental impact assessment method, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), due to data limitations and compatibility issues. To address this gap, a Delphi assessment was conducted to obtain relative pollinator abundance estimates from 25 experts covering 16 nationalities and 45 countries. Based on the estimates, globally generic characterization factors (CFs) were developed to assess the impact of land use on wild pollinator abundance in LCA studies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Sarah J. Larragy, Jannik S. Moellmann, Jane C. Stout, James C. Carolan, Thomas J. Colgan
Summary: All organisms need an immune system to recognize and defend against pathogens. Different immune components and genes can evolve under different forms of selection. Insect pollinators, facing declining populations due to pathogens, provide a valuable system for studying immune gene evolution. Our analysis of wild-caught Bombus terrestris males revealed strong positive selection on genes involved in pathogen recognition and antiviral defense, potentially driven by increasing pathogen spread. We also found immune genes evolving under strong purifying selection, suggesting potential constraints on the bumblebee immune system. Additionally, we identified non-essential alleles in the immune genes of haploid males, indicating redundancy in the bumblebee immune system.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Linzi J. Thompson, Jane C. Stout, Dara A. Stanley
Summary: Fungicides and herbicides, commonly used pesticides, are not extensively studied for their potential impacts on bees. This study investigated the effects of the herbicide glyphosate and the fungicide prothioconazole on olfactory learning in bumblebees. The results showed that both formulations did not impair learning, but exposure to prothioconazole increased learning level in some situations, while exposure to glyphosate decreased responsiveness to sucrose stimulation. These findings suggest that fungicides and herbicides may not negatively impact olfactory learning, but glyphosate may alter bee responsiveness. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and implications of these pesticides on bee behavior.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Arrian Karbassioon, Jon Yearlsey, Tara Dirilgen, Simon Hodge, Jane C. Stout, Dara A. Stanley
Summary: Insect pollination, especially by bees, is an important ecosystem service that ensures plant reproduction and crop production. Bee activity is influenced by weather, and as climate changes, the flight and foraging behavior of bees may also change. To optimize pollination in a changing world, it is crucial to understand how weather conditions affect different bee species' activity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elena Zioga, Blanaid White, Jane C. Stout
Summary: The presence of managed and wild pollinators benefits the cultivation of mass flowering entomophilous crops, but the use of pesticides poses a hazard to these pollinators. In this study, pesticide residues were detected in the pollen and nectar of both crop plants (Brassica napus) and wild plants (Rubus fruticosus agg.). Higher concentrations of residues were observed in recently treated fields. Persistent compounds like neonicotinoids should be continuously monitored in the field environment. The toxicological evaluation of compound mixtures identified in this study should be performed.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Russo, Jane C. Stout
Summary: This study demonstrates that network connectance can be manipulated through agrochemical treatments, with the fertilizer treatment increasing connectance and a combination of fertilizer and herbicide maintaining connectance. This has important implications for management goals and conservation efforts in mutualistic communities.
Article
Biology
Sara Ruas, Ruth Kelly, Karzan S. D. Ahmed, Stephanie Maher, Ellen O'Hora, Alessio Volpato, Daire O. Huallachain, Michael J. Gormally, Jane C. Stout, James Moran
Summary: This study explores how landscape structure affects the presence of pollinators associated with woody vegetation in farmland. The results indicate that connectivity, distance, and edge density are important factors influencing pollinator abundance. Incentivizing the connectivity of farm linear features to surrounding woodland patches and increasing optimal habitat availability can benefit woodland specialists needed for woody vegetation.
BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT-PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
James T. Murphy, Tom D. Breeze, Bryony Willcox, Saorla Kavanagh, Jane C. Stout
Summary: Trade in animal-pollinated crops is crucial for global food systems, and the loss of pollination services poses significant risks to economies. This study finds that large developed economies, even if they are not directly affected, suffer the greatest economic losses due to pollinator losses. When higher income countries are affected, the value of global pollinated crop production shifts to unaffected countries.