Download or read book The Impact of Introduced Honey Bees on Native Solitary Bees written by Karen Goodell and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Investigating the Potential Negative Impacts of Managed Honey Bees Apis Mellifera on Native New Zealand Plant pollinator Communities written by Freya Jackson and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The interactions formed between plants and their animal pollinators play a valuable role in maintaining ecological integrity and sustaining ecosystem function. The introduction of an exotic pollinator may disrupt native plant-pollinator. Worldwide, there is contradictory evidence as to whether honey bees cause changes to the diversity and abundance to new pollinator communities, changes to native pollinator foraging behaviour, and/or consequences to plant reproductive success. The relative impact of honey bees is likely to depend on the behavior and guilds of native bees, changes in habitat availability and seasons. The impact of introduced honey bees is likely to be greater on small and remote oceanic islands with high levels of endemism, such as Aotearoa New Zealand. Given the widespread occurrence of honey bees in New Zealand, and recent increases in bee keeping, the impacts on native plants and pollinators need to be addressed. The objective of my study was to explore the potential negative impacts of honey bees on native New Zealand plant-pollinator communities. Using a comparative observational approach as well as some field manipulations and molecular analyses, I surveyed pollinator behavior, pollination processes, and plant fitness for two widespread and taonga plants, pōhutukawa and kānuka at three different sites across New Zealand, two with honey bees (Thames and Waiheke Island), and one without honey bees (Great Mercury Island). The widespread distribution of honey bees in New Zealand makes finding study sites without bees but with comparable plants very difficult. First, I examine interspecific (between pollinator species) and intraspecific (between individuals of one pollinator species) differences in foraging behaviour, and floral resource preferences between introduced honey bees and native solitary bees to gauge the potential for competition. Negative impacts on native pollinators was also assessed by measuring the body size of native bees across the three different study sites. Second, I compared the quality and quantity of pollen on the stigmatic surface, number of pollen tubes in the style, and number of seeds within a capsule to explore questions relating to plant reproductive success in the presence of honey bees. DNA metabarcoding techniques were used to assess pollen loads carried by both honey bees and native pollinator species. Overall pollinator body size, diversity and abundance was significantly lower in sites where honey bees are present. Specifically, the diversity of pollinators visiting pōhutukawa was significantly lower at Waiheke Island than Great Mercury Island. Honey bees are poor pollinators of pōhutukawa and their dominance at Waiheke also resulted in lower conspecific pollen deposition on stigmas, lower numbers of pollen tube in the style, which correlated with reduced pōhutukawa seed set. Kānuka was pollinated almost exclusively by native bees, and there was higher pollination rates on Waiheke. This is likely due to increased intraspecific competition between Leioproctus imitatus on Waiheke Island, resulting in higher delivery of conspecific pollen to the stigmas, increased number of pollen tubes in the style, and higher reproductive success. Results from pollen DNA analyses also demonstrate honey bees’ preference for pōhutukawa, but also exotic plants in the families Apiaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae. There was a significant difference in the quality and quantity of pollen carried by different pollinators. Pollen loads carried by honey bees reflected their preferences for exotic plants. Out of all the native insects, native Leioproctus carried larger pollen loads consisting of higher proportion of conspecific pollen relative to the plants that they were observed visiting. The species richness of the pollen carried by Leioproctus were significantly lower in sites where honey bees are present, especially for exotic pollen from Asteraceae. This suggests there is competition between Leioproctus and honey bees for highly rewarding exotic plant species, which may explain the observed reduced native bee body size where honey bees are present. In order to limit the potential impact of honey bees on native plant-pollinator, I urge land managers to consider site specific attributes such as conservation status of resident plant and pollinator community and flowering peak period when making decisions regarding bee hive placement. The introduction of honey bees to small offshore islands that offer refugia to from mainland threats (such as Great Mercury Island) should be discouraged.
Download or read book The Impact of the European Honey Bee Apis Mellifera on Australian Native Bees written by Dean Paini and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The European honey bee (Apis mellifera) has been present in Australia for approximately 150 years. For the majority of that time it was assumed this species could only be of benefit to Australia‘s natural ecosystems. More recently however, researchers and conservationists have questioned this assumption. Honey bees are an introduced species and may be affecting native fauna and flora. In particular, native bees have been highlighted as an animal that may be experiencing competition from honey bees as they are of similar sizes and both species require nectar and pollen for their progeny. Most research to date has focused on indirect measures of competition between honey bees and native bees (resource overlap, visitation rates and resource harvesting). The first chapter of this thesis reviews previous research explaining that many experiments lack significant replication and indirect measures of competition cannot evaluate the impact of honey bees on native bee fecundity or survival. Chapters two and four present descriptions of nesting biology of the two native bee species studied (Hylaeus alcyoneus and an undescribed Megachile sp.). Data collected focused on native bee fecundity and included nesting season, progeny mass, number of progeny per nest, sex ratio and parasitoids. This information provided a picture of the nesting biology of these two species and assisted in determining the design of an appropriate experiment. Chapters three and five present the results of two experiments investigating the impact of honey bees on these two species of native bees in the Northern Beekeepers Nature Reserve in Western Australia. Both experiments focused on the fecundity of these native bee species in response to honey bees and also had more replication than any other previous experiment in Australia of similar design. The first experiment (Chapter three), over two seasons, investigated the impact of commercial honey bees on Hylaeus alcyoneus, a native solitary bee. The experiment was monitored every 3-4 weeks (measurement interval). However, beekeepers did not agist hives on sites simultaneously so measurement intervals were initially treated separately using ANOVA. Results showed no impact of honey bees at any measurement interval and in some cases, poor power. Data from both seasons was combined in a Wilcoxon‘s sign test and showed that honey bees had a negative impact on the number of nests completed by H. alcyoneus. The second experiment (Chapter 5) investigated the impact of feral honey bees on an undescribed Megachile species. Hive honey bees were used to simulate feral levels of honey bees in a BACI (Before/After, Control/Impact) design experiment. There was no impact detected on any fecundity variables. The sensitivity of the experiment was calculated and in three fecundity variables (male and female progeny mass and the number of progeny per nest) the experiment was sensitive enough to detect 15-30% difference between control and impact sites. The final chapter (Chapter six) makes a number of research and management recommendations in light of the research findings.
Download or read book Bee Basics written by Stephen Buchmann and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2015-09-16 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Native bees are a hidden treasure. From alpine meadows in the national forests of the Rocky Mountains to the Sonoran Desert in the Coronado National Forest in Arizona and from the boreal forests of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to the Ocala National Forest in Florida, bees can be found anywhere in North America, where flowers bloom. From forests to farms, from cities to wildlands, there are 4,000 native bee species in the United States, from the tiny Perdita minima to large carpenter bees. This illustrated and colorful pamphlet provides valued information about native bees --over 4,000 in population --varying in a wide array of sizes, shapes, and colors. They are also different in their life styles, the places they frequent, the nests they build, the flowers they visit, and their season of activity. Yet, they all provide an invaluable ecosystem service - pollination -to 80 percent of flowering plants. Blueberry bees, bumble bees, yellow jacket bees, carpenter bees, and more are explored, including the differences in their gender, nests, and geographical regions that they visit.
Download or read book The Solitary Bees written by Bryan N. Danforth and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most up-to-date and authoritative resource on the biology and evolution of solitary bees While social bees such as honey bees and bumble bees are familiar to most people, they comprise less than 10 percent of all bee species in the world. The vast majority of bees lead solitary lives, surviving without the help of a hive and using their own resources to fend off danger and protect their offspring. This book draws on new research to provide a comprehensive and authoritative overview of solitary bee biology, offering an unparalleled look at these remarkable insects. The Solitary Bees uses a modern phylogenetic framework to shed new light on the life histories and evolution of solitary bees. It explains the foraging behavior of solitary bees, their development, and competitive mating tactics. The book describes how they construct complex nests using an amazing variety of substrates and materials, and how solitary bees have co-opted beneficial mites, nematodes, and fungi to provide safe environments for their brood. It looks at how they have evolved intimate partnerships with flowering plants and examines their associations with predators, parasites, microbes, and other bees. This up-to-date synthesis of solitary bee biology is an essential resource for students and researchers, one that paves the way for future scholarship on the subject. Beautifully illustrated throughout, The Solitary Bees also documents the critical role solitary bees play as crop pollinators, and raises awareness of the dire threats they face, from habitat loss and climate change to pesticides, pathogens, parasites, and invasive species.
Download or read book The Conservation of Bees written by Andrew Matheson and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bees form a vital part of many natural and farmed landscapes all over the world. Both as pollinators and as a part of the wider insect community, their activities not only promote healthy ecosystems, but in many cases are essential to the life cycles of particular plant species. Their complex coevolutionary relationships to their forage plants are a subject of fascination to biologists and conservationists, and of economic importance to crop managers. But everywhere bees are under pressure, from the direct impact of pesticides in the environment, as well as the indirect effects of habitat alteration and destruction. This volume focuses on a number of important topics in bee biology and conservation in the temperate regions of four continents. The varieties of habitats needed for bees to thrive, the essential links and interactions between bees and many plant species, and the current state of bee biodiversity and conservation are all dealt with by an international cast of authors. Anyone with an interest either in bees in particular, or in insect and plant conservation in general will find something of interest in this book. Stresses the importance of bees as pollinators in the health of both agriculture and natural landscapes Discusses the coevolutionary biology of bees and their forage plants Focuses on bees as a vital component of biodiversity Includes contributors from Europe, U.S.A., Canada, Panama, and Isreal
Download or read book Status of Pollinators in North America written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2007-05-13 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pollinators-insects, birds, bats, and other animals that carry pollen from the male to the female parts of flowers for plant reproduction-are an essential part of natural and agricultural ecosystems throughout North America. For example, most fruit, vegetable, and seed crops and some crops that provide fiber, drugs, and fuel depend on animals for pollination. This report provides evidence for the decline of some pollinator species in North America, including America's most important managed pollinator, the honey bee, as well as some butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds. For most managed and wild pollinator species, however, population trends have not been assessed because populations have not been monitored over time. In addition, for wild species with demonstrated declines, it is often difficult to determine the causes or consequences of their decline. This report outlines priorities for research and monitoring that are needed to improve information on the status of pollinators and establishes a framework for conservation and restoration of pollinator species and communities.
Download or read book The Humane Gardener written by Nancy Lawson and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2017-04-18 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.
Download or read book Attracting Native Pollinators written by The Xerces Society and published by Storey Publishing, LLC. This book was released on 2011-02-28 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the recent decline of the European honey bee, it is more important than ever to encourage the activity of other native pollinators to keep your flowers beautiful and your grains and produce plentiful. In Attracting Native Pollinators, you’ll find ideas for building nesting structures and creating a welcoming habitat for an array of diverse pollinators that includes not only bees, but butterflies, moths, and more. Take action and protect North America’s food supply for the future, while at the same time enjoying a happily bustling landscape.
Download or read book Community Effects of Introduced Honeybees apis Mellifera on Native Bee Fauna and Plant Pollination Australia written by Guinnevere Ellen Roberts and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Solitary Bees written by Breno M. Freitas and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Bee Pollination in Agricultural Ecosystems written by Rosalind James and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008-09-09 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For many agricultural crops, bees play a vital role as pollinators, and this book discusses the interplay among bees, agriculture, and the environment. Although honey bees are well recognized as pollinators, managed bumble bees and solitary bees are also critical for the successful pollination of certain crops, while wild bees provide a free service. As bees liberally pass pollen from one plant to the next, they also impact the broader ecosystem, and not always to the benefit of humankind. Bees can enhance the unintentional spread of genes from genetically engineered plants, and may increase the spread of invasive weeds. Conversely, genetically engineered plants can impact pollinators, and invasive weeds can supply new sources of food for these insects. Bees' flower-visiting activities also can be exploited to help spread biological control agents that control crop pests, and they are important for native plant reproduction. Managing bees for pollination is complex and the factors that must be taken into consideration are treated here, including bee natural history, physiology, pathology, and behavior. Furthermore, transporting bees from native ranges to new areas for pollination services can be controversial, and needs to be done only after assuring that it will not disrupt various ecosystems. Even though bees are small, unobtrusive creatures, they play large roles in the ecosystem. The connection between bees and humankind also is symbolic of a broader interconnection between humans and the natural world.
Download or read book Assessing the Impact of Super Abundant Non native Honey Bees Apis Mellifera on Native Plants and Pollinators written by Dillon Joseph Travis and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nestled in the California Floristic Provence, a biodiversity hotspot, San Diego County is home well over 2,500 species of plants and at least 650 bee species, many of which are endemic to the region. Despite the great diversity of pollinators like bees, non-native honey bees (Apis mellifera) make up greater than 70% of all visits to native plants in habitat. Lacking a baseline of pollinators populations and plant reproduction before the arrival of honey bees in the 1800s, the impact of this super abundant non-native species is not well known. In this dissertation, I take an applied and exploratory perspective to study and better understand the effects of honey bees on native plants and pollinators. In the first chapter, I demonstrate that honey bee pollination of native plants leads to decreased fitness of both the parent and progeny generations of three common native plants. In the second chapter, I determine if geitonogamous visitation by honey bees is a conserved behavior throughout its global range by reviewing peer reviewed manuscripts containing relevant information. In the third chapter I quantified the mass of pollen removed by honey bees daily from multiple study sites and estimated the number of native bees of average size that could have been produced with this pollen, and the mass of native bees that could be produced by directly converting observed honey bee biomass into native bees. Finally, in the fourth chapter I set out to determine if honey bees negatively impact native pollinator populations by comparing native pollinator diversity and abundance both in the presence and absence of honey bees using Santa Cruz Island where honey bees have been eradicated, and the Santa Monica Mountains where honey bees persist. Altogether, this work reveals the stunning impact honey bees have on both native plants and pollinators in San Diego County and Southern California. I hope that this dissertation can be used to inform conservationists and policy makers about the impacts of honey bees on our native plants and pollinators so that they may be preserved for generations to come.
Download or read book The Bees in Your Backyard written by Joseph S. Wilson and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2015-11-24 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An introduction to the roughly 4000 different bee species found in the United States and Canada, dispelling common myths about bees while offering essential tips for telling them apart in the field
Download or read book 100 Plants to Feed the Bees written by The Xerces Society and published by Storey Publishing. This book was released on 2016-11-29 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The international bee crisis is threatening our global food supply, but this user-friendly field guide shows what you can do to help protect our pollinators. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation offers browsable profiles of 100 common flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees that support bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. The recommendations are simple: pick the right plants for pollinators, protect them from pesticides, and provide abundant blooms throughout the growing season by mixing perennials with herbs and annuals! 100 Plants to Feed the Bees will empower homeowners, landscapers, apartment dwellers — anyone with a scrap of yard or a window box — to protect our pollinators.
Download or read book The Lives of Bees written by Thomas D. Seeley and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-28 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seeley, a world authority on honey bees, sheds light on why wild honey bees are still thriving while those living in managed colonies are in crisis. Drawing on the latest science as well as insights from his own pioneering fieldwork, he describes in extraordinary detail how honey bees live in nature and shows how this differs significantly from their lives under the management of beekeepers. Seeley presents an entirely new approach to beekeeping--Darwinian Beekeeping--which enables honey bees to use the toolkit of survival skills their species has acquired over the past thirty million years, and to evolve solutions to the new challenges they face today. He shows beekeepers how to use the principles of natural selection to guide their practices, and he offers a new vision of how beekeeping can better align with the natural habits of honey bees.
Download or read book Resource Competition written by James P. Grover and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As one of the most quantitative of ecological subdisciplines, resource competition is an important, central area of ecology. Recently research into this area has increased dramatically and resource competition models have become more complex. The characterisation of this phenomenon is therefore the aim of this book. Resource Competition seeks to identify the unifying principles emerging from experimental and theoretical approaches as well as the differences between organisms, illustrating that greater knowledge of resource competition will benefit human and environmental welfare. This book will serve as an indispensable guide to ecologists, evolutionary biologists and environmental managers, and all those interested in resource competition as an emerging discipline.
