Bee-diverse habitats positively affect seed set in wild plant species
IntroductionInteractions between flowering plants and visiting wild bees are crucial for ensuring pollination and subsequent plant reproductive success. However, bee diversity in an area has rarely been recorded in relation to seed set in native plants. In this project, we investigated the effect of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1343885/full |
| _version_ | 1797321656010539008 |
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| author | Kim C. Heuel Manfred Ayasse Hannah Burger |
| author_facet | Kim C. Heuel Manfred Ayasse Hannah Burger |
| author_sort | Kim C. Heuel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionInteractions between flowering plants and visiting wild bees are crucial for ensuring pollination and subsequent plant reproductive success. However, bee diversity in an area has rarely been recorded in relation to seed set in native plants. In this project, we investigated the effect of local wild bee communities on seed set in four common wild plant species.MethodsPotted plants of Centaurea jacea, Cichorium intybus, Sinapis arvensis, and Salvia pratensis were placed for pollination experiments, in two distinct habitat types that we expected to show distinct bee communities, namely near-natural grassland and perennial wild flower strips, in Germany.ResultsOur results showed that near-natural grassland had a higher bee species richness and an increased seed set compared with flower strips that displayed a higher bee abundance in most study locations. Although we found effects of bee diversity on seed set, we did not detect a significant effect of bee abundance. Furthermore, the seed set in response to wild bee diversity differed across the plant species.DiscussionWe conclude that bee-friendly habitats ensure a high seed set in wild plants, but that the impact varies between different plant species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T05:02:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bb7349a6b6ea4edfaf02345d02e35edd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T05:02:43Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-bb7349a6b6ea4edfaf02345d02e35edd2024-02-07T11:09:32ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2024-02-011210.3389/fevo.2024.13438851343885Bee-diverse habitats positively affect seed set in wild plant speciesKim C. HeuelManfred AyasseHannah BurgerIntroductionInteractions between flowering plants and visiting wild bees are crucial for ensuring pollination and subsequent plant reproductive success. However, bee diversity in an area has rarely been recorded in relation to seed set in native plants. In this project, we investigated the effect of local wild bee communities on seed set in four common wild plant species.MethodsPotted plants of Centaurea jacea, Cichorium intybus, Sinapis arvensis, and Salvia pratensis were placed for pollination experiments, in two distinct habitat types that we expected to show distinct bee communities, namely near-natural grassland and perennial wild flower strips, in Germany.ResultsOur results showed that near-natural grassland had a higher bee species richness and an increased seed set compared with flower strips that displayed a higher bee abundance in most study locations. Although we found effects of bee diversity on seed set, we did not detect a significant effect of bee abundance. Furthermore, the seed set in response to wild bee diversity differed across the plant species.DiscussionWe conclude that bee-friendly habitats ensure a high seed set in wild plants, but that the impact varies between different plant species.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1343885/fullpollinationnear-natural grasslandwild flower stripplant reproductionwild bee |
| spellingShingle | Kim C. Heuel Manfred Ayasse Hannah Burger Bee-diverse habitats positively affect seed set in wild plant species Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution pollination near-natural grassland wild flower strip plant reproduction wild bee |
| title | Bee-diverse habitats positively affect seed set in wild plant species |
| title_full | Bee-diverse habitats positively affect seed set in wild plant species |
| title_fullStr | Bee-diverse habitats positively affect seed set in wild plant species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bee-diverse habitats positively affect seed set in wild plant species |
| title_short | Bee-diverse habitats positively affect seed set in wild plant species |
| title_sort | bee diverse habitats positively affect seed set in wild plant species |
| topic | pollination near-natural grassland wild flower strip plant reproduction wild bee |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1343885/full |
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