Bee phenology is predicted by climatic variation and functional traits

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Climate Change Biology
• Entomology

Background:

• Phenological synchrony between interacting species, like plants and pollinators, is crucial for ecosystem function.
• Climate change alters environmental cues, potentially disrupting these interactions and leading to temporal mismatches.
• While plant phenology is well-studied, the drivers of bee phenology remain less understood.

Discussion:

• Bee emergence timing is primarily driven by climatic factors, particularly earlier snowmelt.
• Later bee phenological stages are influenced by species-specific functional traits, such as overwintering strategy and nesting habits.
• Comparing bee and flower phenological responses reveals that bee phenology is less sensitive to climatic variation.

Key Insights:

• Community-wide analysis of 67 bee species in the Colorado Rocky Mountains quantifies drivers of bee phenology.
• Bee emergence advances with earlier snowmelt, while later stages depend on traits like overwintering and nest location.
• Bee phenology shows lower sensitivity to climate variation compared to flowering plant phenology.

Outlook:

• Reduced synchrony between bees and flowering plants is a potential consequence of differential phenological responses to climate change.
• This phenological mismatch could negatively impact plant reproduction and bee populations.
• Further research is needed to understand adaptive strategies and conservation implications for plant-pollinator networks under warming conditions.