Effects of three flower field types on bumblebees and their pollen diets |
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| Institution: | 1. Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;2. Functional Agrobiodiversity, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;3. Department of Bioinformatics & Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, University of Würzburg, Campus Hubland Nord, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, 97074 Würzburg, Germany;4. DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell''Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy;5. “Lendület” Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Alkotmány u. 2-4, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary;1. Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plant and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, Belgium;2. Laboratory of Crop Protection Chemistry, Department of Plant and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, Belgium;1. Department of Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Giessen D-35392, Germany;2. Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Entomology III, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt D-60325, Germany;3. Department of Landscape Ecology, Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, Kiel University, Olshausenstrasse 75, Kiel D-24118, Germany;1. Agroecology, Department of Crop Science, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;2. Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;3. Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstr. 2, 48149 Münster, Germany;1. Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen 6700 AA, Netherlands;2. Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen 6700 AA, Netherlands;3. National Reference Centre of plant health, Dutch National Plant Protection Organization, Wageningen, Netherlands;4. De Vlinderstichting (Dutch Butterfly Conservation), P.O. Box 506, Wageningen 6700 AM, Netherlands;5. Education & Student Affairs, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 59, Wageningen 6700 AB, Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | Agri-environment schemes, like flower fields, have been implemented in the EU to counteract the dramatic decline of farmland biodiversity. Farmers in Lower Saxony, Germany, may receive payments for three flower field types: annual, perennial (five years old), and mixed flower fields composed of yearly alternating annual and biannual parts. We assessed the effectiveness of these flower field types in providing bumblebee foraging habitat compared to control cereal fields. We sampled bumblebees with transect walks and assessed the richness of exploited pollen plants using DNA meta-barcoding and direct observations.All flower field types enhanced bumblebee abundance and species richness compared to control fields but attracted mostly three generalist species. Although we expected highest benefits from the more heterogeneous mixed flower fields, abundance was highest in annual, only intermediate in mixed, and lowest in perennial flower fields. Bumblebee species richness did not differ between flower field types.Overall, the proportion of sown plants in pollen loads was surprisingly low (< 50%). Bombus pascuorum, but not B. terrestris agg., exploited 10% of the sown plant species in perennial, 36% in annual and 45% in mixed flower fields, respectively. Compared to direct observations, pollen samples revealed 4.5 times more visited plant species and thus assessed floral resource use more reliably. Plant species richness in pollen loads decreased with local flowering plant species richness and increased with proportion of annual crops in the landscape, potentially due to the exploitation of more diverse and scattered resources, including flowering crops, in homogenized landscapes to fulfil dietary requirements.Our results indicate that under the current management, both annual and mixed flower fields provide the most attractive food resources, while perennial flower fields offered the poorest foraging habitats. Conclusively, flower fields seem important but resources from the surrounding landscape are still needed to sustain bumblebees in agricultural landscapes. |
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