Environmental metagenetics unveil novel plant-pollinator interactions

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Botany

Background:

• Honey bees are recognized as vital pollinators for flowering plants, influencing plant population structure and evolution.
• Previous research primarily focused on honey bees' role in dispersing pollen from entomophilous (insect-pollinated) species.
• Emerging evidence suggests honey bees forage on anemophilous (wind-pollinated) species, broadening their potential role in plant gene flow.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether honey bees act as dispersal agents for non-flowering plant taxa.
• To explore the extent of honey bee-mediated gene flow across diverse plant groups, including non-flowering and aquatic species.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an extensive pollen metabarcoding dataset collected from honey bees across Canada.
• Analyzed DNA sequences from pollen samples to identify plant species visited by honey bees.

Main Results:

• Honey bees were found to carry and potentially disperse spores from various fern sporophytes (e.g., *Anchistea*, *Osmunda*) and bryophytes (e.g., *Sphagnum*, *Funaria*).
• Evidence suggests honey bees can act as vectors for aquatic green algae, such as *Coccomyxa* and *Protosiphon*.
• The findings indicate honey bees interact with a wider range of plant taxa than previously understood.

Conclusions:

• Honey bees serve as significant dispersal agents for a diverse array of plant life, extending beyond flowering plants.
• Bees may play a crucial role in facilitating gene flow and potentially acting as agents of selection across the plant kingdom.
• This study highlights the broad ecological impact of honey bees on plant communities and evolutionary processes.