How Bees Respond Differently to Field Margins of Shrubby and Herbaceous Plants in Intensive Agricultural Crops of the Mediterranean Area
(1) Intensive agriculture has a high impact on pollinating insects, and conservation strategies targeting agricultural landscapes may greatly contribute to their maintenance. The aim of this work was to quantify the effect that the vegetation of crop margins, with either herbaceous or shrubby plants...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/1/26 |
| _version_ | 1819173009332633600 |
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| author | Juan Antonio Sanchez Aline Carrasco Michelangelo La Spina María Pérez-Marcos F. Javier Ortiz-Sánchez |
| author_facet | Juan Antonio Sanchez Aline Carrasco Michelangelo La Spina María Pérez-Marcos F. Javier Ortiz-Sánchez |
| author_sort | Juan Antonio Sanchez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | (1) Intensive agriculture has a high impact on pollinating insects, and conservation strategies targeting agricultural landscapes may greatly contribute to their maintenance. The aim of this work was to quantify the effect that the vegetation of crop margins, with either herbaceous or shrubby plants, had on the abundance and diversity of bees in comparison to non-restored margins. (2) The work was carried out in an area of intensive agriculture in southern Spain. Bees were monitored visually and using pan traps, and floral resources were quantified in crop margins for two years. (3) An increase in the abundance and diversity of wild bees in restored margins was registered, compared to non-restored margins. Significant differences in the structure of bee communities were found between shrubby and herbaceous margins. <i>Apis mellifera</i> and mining bees were found to be more polylectic than wild Apidae and Megachilidae. The abundance of <i>A. mellifera</i> and mining bees was correlated to the total floral resources, in particular, to those offered by the Boraginaceae and Brassicaceae; wild Apidae and Megachilidae were associated with the Lamiaceae. (4) This work emphasises the importance of floral diversity and shrubby plants for the maintenance of rich bee communities in Mediterranean agricultural landscapes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T20:16:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5384159c3c5447cf8fef91f1f7ffa541 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T20:16:16Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-5384159c3c5447cf8fef91f1f7ffa5412022-12-21T18:13:57ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502019-12-011112610.3390/insects11010026insects11010026How Bees Respond Differently to Field Margins of Shrubby and Herbaceous Plants in Intensive Agricultural Crops of the Mediterranean AreaJuan Antonio Sanchez0Aline Carrasco1Michelangelo La Spina2María Pérez-Marcos3F. Javier Ortiz-Sánchez4Biological Control & Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), C/Mayor s/n, E-30150 La Alberca, SpainBiological Control & Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), C/Mayor s/n, E-30150 La Alberca, SpainBiological Control & Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), C/Mayor s/n, E-30150 La Alberca, SpainBiological Control & Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), C/Mayor s/n, E-30150 La Alberca, SpainGrupo de Investigación “Transferencia de I+D en el Área de Recursos Naturales”, Universidad de Almería, Ctra, de Sacramento s/n, E-04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Spain(1) Intensive agriculture has a high impact on pollinating insects, and conservation strategies targeting agricultural landscapes may greatly contribute to their maintenance. The aim of this work was to quantify the effect that the vegetation of crop margins, with either herbaceous or shrubby plants, had on the abundance and diversity of bees in comparison to non-restored margins. (2) The work was carried out in an area of intensive agriculture in southern Spain. Bees were monitored visually and using pan traps, and floral resources were quantified in crop margins for two years. (3) An increase in the abundance and diversity of wild bees in restored margins was registered, compared to non-restored margins. Significant differences in the structure of bee communities were found between shrubby and herbaceous margins. <i>Apis mellifera</i> and mining bees were found to be more polylectic than wild Apidae and Megachilidae. The abundance of <i>A. mellifera</i> and mining bees was correlated to the total floral resources, in particular, to those offered by the Boraginaceae and Brassicaceae; wild Apidae and Megachilidae were associated with the Lamiaceae. (4) This work emphasises the importance of floral diversity and shrubby plants for the maintenance of rich bee communities in Mediterranean agricultural landscapes.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/1/26pollinating insectsbeesfloral edgesbiodiversityagroecosystemsconservation |
| spellingShingle | Juan Antonio Sanchez Aline Carrasco Michelangelo La Spina María Pérez-Marcos F. Javier Ortiz-Sánchez How Bees Respond Differently to Field Margins of Shrubby and Herbaceous Plants in Intensive Agricultural Crops of the Mediterranean Area Insects pollinating insects bees floral edges biodiversity agroecosystems conservation |
| title | How Bees Respond Differently to Field Margins of Shrubby and Herbaceous Plants in Intensive Agricultural Crops of the Mediterranean Area |
| title_full | How Bees Respond Differently to Field Margins of Shrubby and Herbaceous Plants in Intensive Agricultural Crops of the Mediterranean Area |
| title_fullStr | How Bees Respond Differently to Field Margins of Shrubby and Herbaceous Plants in Intensive Agricultural Crops of the Mediterranean Area |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Bees Respond Differently to Field Margins of Shrubby and Herbaceous Plants in Intensive Agricultural Crops of the Mediterranean Area |
| title_short | How Bees Respond Differently to Field Margins of Shrubby and Herbaceous Plants in Intensive Agricultural Crops of the Mediterranean Area |
| title_sort | how bees respond differently to field margins of shrubby and herbaceous plants in intensive agricultural crops of the mediterranean area |
| topic | pollinating insects bees floral edges biodiversity agroecosystems conservation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/1/26 |
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