A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Biodiversity Science
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Bees are crucial pollinators for ecosystems and food production.
• Global understanding of bee-plant interactions is limited.
• Existing interaction databases require taxonomic and geographic refinement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and refine a subset of the Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI) database specifically for bee-plant interactions.
• To enhance the dataset with updated taxonomy and relevant metadata.
• To create a comprehensive resource for ecological and conservation research.

Main Methods:

• Updated taxonomy using current checklists.
• Integrated metadata on plant geography, endemism, and human uses.
• Compiled interaction records from the Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI) database.

Main Results:

• The refined dataset contains 981,982 unique bee-plant interaction records.
• It includes 5,537 bee species and 12,699 plant taxa.
• Significant taxonomic and geographic biases were identified, with coverage skewed toward human-used plants and specific regions.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced GloBI dataset is a valuable resource for biodiversity and conservation research.
• It represents a significant advancement in understanding bee-plant interactions.
• Addressing data biases is crucial for future research and conservation efforts.