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Landscape Simplification Constrains Adult Size in a Native Ground-Nesting Bee
Miles Renauld1, Alena Hutchinson1, Gregory Loeb2
1Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
Plos One
|March 5, 2016
Summary
Agricultural intensification reduces wild bee size, impacting offspring provisioning. Landscape simplification limits resources, potentially threatening bee populations and pollination services.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Entomology
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- Bees are vital pollinators for angiosperms, but declining populations threaten ecosystem services.
- Agricultural intensification simplifies landscapes, reducing resources for wild bees and potentially impacting their reproductive strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of landscape-scale agricultural intensification on wild bee offspring provisioning.
- To determine the relationship between agricultural intensity and the size and number of wild ground-nesting bees (Andrena nasonii).
Main Methods:
- Field collection of Andrena nasonii adults across varying agricultural landscapes.
- Analysis of adult bee size and population numbers in relation to landscape agricultural intensity.
- Measurement of pollen loads carried by female bees to assess resource provisioning.
Main Results:
- Agricultural intensification was linked to smaller average adult sizes in Andrena nasonii.
- No significant association was found between agricultural intensification and the number of collected individuals.
- Smaller female bees carried substantially smaller pollen loads, indicating reduced resource provisioning.
Conclusions:
- Landscape simplification due to agricultural intensification constrains resource allocation for wild bees.
- Reduced offspring size and provisioning capacity in wild bees can have long-term fitness consequences.
- Conservation strategies should consider landscape complexity to support wild bee populations and pollination services.
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