城市园林对本土传粉者中华蜜蜂的保护作用

【目的】蜜蜂等传粉昆虫是生态系统的关键种,其种群下降趋势是目前全球关注的热点问题,探讨传粉昆虫现状和保护途径具有重要实践意义。【方法】对四川地区城市园林里中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana进行调查,记录其拜访行为、蜜粉源植物和营巢生境特征,并观察主要植物的其他访花昆虫。【结果】城市园林中有大量开花植物,花期持续时间长,是蜜蜂可利用的食物资源;中华蜜蜂在城市中广泛活动,所调查城市都观测到采集蜂进行有效采集,在冬季中华蜜蜂蜂群也能正常活动;城市中其他访花昆虫以鳞翅目和双翅目为主,蝴蝶等会竞争食物资源,行为分析认为蜜蜂具有竞争优势;部分人工绿地和半自然生境可成为中华蜜蜂的营巢地。【结论】城市园林可为中华蜜蜂提供适宜的生存环境,建议改善城市景观和园林管理以更好地发挥园林生境的保护作用。     

野生蜜蜂及其传粉作用的研究现状

传粉是维持与提升生物多样性的重要生态过程。膜翅目蜜蜂总科昆虫是自然界中最重要的传粉者, 但对野生蜜蜂的研究一直以来非常薄弱, 如野生蜜蜂类群的资源调查、种类的准确鉴别、营巢生物学与传粉生物学研究等方面。目前, 生物多样性与保护生物学方面的工作越来越多地涉及野生蜜蜂与植物的相互关系, 地方植物区系与农林作物的传粉生物学基础研究与应用项目也引起重视。本文综述了国内外野生蜜蜂的研究现状, 期望从分类学、营巢生物学与传粉生物学等方面推动野生蜜蜂传粉在农林业生产实践中的应用。     

环境变化对中国野生蜜蜂多样性的影响

蜜蜂尤其是野生蜜蜂对维持生态系统功能、保证粮食安全等方面具有重要的作用。近年来, 野生蜜蜂的栖息地由于天然林减少, 而现营造的又多为纯林, 以及大面积种植单一经济林而遭到了严重破坏和片断化。已有研究表明纯林、油茶(Camellia oleifera)和橡胶树(Hevea brasiliensis)经济林中的野生蜜蜂多样性较低。现代农业中新烟碱类杀虫剂、除草剂的大规模使用, 会对蜜蜂个体发育和行为产生不利影响。城市化进程潜在影响了蜜蜂的群落, 如郊区的蜜蜂平均物种丰富度要明显高于中心商业区; 废水、废气和粉尘对蜜蜂的觅食、生长发育等都具有不利影响; CO₂等温室气体导致的气候变暖影响了传粉蜜蜂与植物之间的互利共生关系, 造成时间或功能上的不匹配。综上所述, 我国的环境变化可能已导致中国野生传粉蜜蜂多样性的下降和种群的衰退。我国虽是传粉蜜蜂种质资源大国, 但缺乏种类和分布本底以及长期而有效的监测数据, 缺乏对蜜蜂多样性和种群下降机制的研究。因此亟待开展传粉蜜蜂调查、实施长期监测项目, 为之建立研究网络。并通过积累丰富的相关数据, 开展风险预测和评估, 用于管理和缓解传粉蜜蜂下降所带来的经济及非经济影响。     

传粉动物多样性的保护与农业景观传粉服务的提升

传粉动物为许多植物尤其是作物提供了重要的传粉服务, 在保障全球粮食安全和人类福祉、缓冲气候变化对作物产量的影响等方面都发挥着重要的作用。然而来自全球土地利用变化、化学农药使用、外来物种入侵及气候变化等的威胁, 导致传粉动物的多样性下降并造成了依赖动物传粉的作物产量和品质的下降。针对这一情况, 作者提出了农业景观传粉动物多样性保护和利用的3种主要途径: (1)改善生产管理, 例如减少化学农药的使用、适当地采取有机种植; (2)促进景观多样性, 包括创建适宜野生传粉者的半自然生境、保护高价值的自然生境、作物多样化、合理配置资源和生境的空间分布; (3)加强对本土传粉动物的保护和开发利用。文章最后提出, 为进一步提升传粉服务, 还需加强对传粉者的生物学特征、传粉服务的需求与供给现状、影响传粉动物多样性和传粉服务的农作措施和景观因素等方面的研究。     

气候变化对植物-传粉昆虫的分布区和物候及其互作关系的影响

全球气候变化对生态系统的影响是人类社会面临的紧迫而又严峻的挑战。气候变化带来的极端气候事件的增多, 直接影响到生态系统生产力和服务功能。本文总结了气候变化对植物-传粉昆虫互作的研究进展, 强调植物-传粉昆虫互作网络结构和其时空演变的解析, 以及互作关系和功能性状重组研究的重要性。近年来在气温持续上升背景下对植物-传粉昆虫互作关系影响的研究也受到了更多关注, 这些研究主要集中在两方面: 一是植物和传粉昆虫分布区的变化, 包括部分种群可能灭绝; 二是物候的变化, 即植物花期和传粉昆虫活动期的改变。植物与传粉昆虫任何一方在空间或时间上的改变, 都会导致传粉关系的错配或丢失。此外, 也可能导致植物-传粉昆虫双方的功能性状及其耦合的改变, 从而影响其互作关系的稳定。建议在今后的研究中关注: (1)覆盖生物多样性的多个尺度的研究; (2)对植物-传粉者互作网络的长期监测; (3)重要指示物种繁殖适合度评价; (4)植物-传粉昆虫互作双方功能性状在时间和空间尺度上的变化, 及其互作关系的重组; (5)关键植物和传粉昆虫类群的评估和保护。     

基于服务功能的昆虫生态调控理论

鉴于昆虫在植物传粉授精、害虫生物控制、土壤有机物分解中提供多种生态系统服务功能,本文在害虫生态调控、区域性害虫生态调控与生境管理的基础上,进一步提出基于多种生态服务功能的农田景观昆虫生态调控理论、方法与实践。认为:昆虫管理不仅仅是害虫的管理,还应包括有益昆虫(如传粉昆虫、天敌昆虫、分解昆虫)的管理,这种管理应从单一农田生态系统扩展到农田景观生态系统,充分考虑农田景观中昆虫的传粉功能、生物控害功能和分解功能,通过对功能植物、作物与非作物生境的空间布局以及时间序列上的生态设计,从空间上明确昆虫(包括害虫、天敌、传粉昆虫、分解昆虫)在不同生境中的转移扩散动态,从时间上掌握昆虫在不同寄主植物与非作物生境上的演替过程,从技术上着重发挥有利于昆虫的传粉功能、生物控害功能和分解功能的综合措施,在研究方法上突出使用稳定同位素、生态能量学、化学生态学等定量分析手段,研究景观区域内中"植物-昆虫"互作过程及其生态调控措施的作用,寻求不同时空条件下控害保益的关键措施,设计和组装出维持多功能的农田景观昆虫生态调控技术体系,创造有利于天敌控害、蜜蜂传粉、土壤分解的环境条件,以发挥昆虫类群在农田景观中最大的生态服务功能。     

传粉蜂在设施农业中的应用及挑战

昆虫为植物传粉是自然生态系统中的重要环节,在农业和自然生态系统的平衡与调控方面发挥着重要作用。以蜜蜂、熊蜂为代表的传粉蜂因其高效传粉及可人工饲养的特点,已成为设施农业中的优势传粉昆虫。本文总结了传粉蜂在设施农业中的应用现状,并从温湿度、农药、重金属等非生物因素和蜂种、病原生物、天敌、蜜源植物等生物因素两大方面讨论了传粉蜂在应用中面临的诸多挑战。此外,本文初步探讨了植物病虫害对传粉昆虫传粉效率的影响,并对传粉蜂未来的研究和应用方向进行了展望,旨在推动实现传粉蜂在农业中的高效授粉功能,为农产品增产增效服务。     

油茶传粉昆虫研究现状与方向的探讨

油茶是典型的异花授粉植物,其中虫媒是主要形式,所以利用野生传粉性昆虫来提高油茶授粉效率,解除花粉限制,是解决我国油茶产业"瓶颈"的有效方法之一。目前,关于油茶传粉昆虫的研究比较匮乏,仅限于传粉昆虫的种类调查和部分野生蜜蜂传粉生物学和营巢生物学特性研究,不能满足油茶产业发展的需要。在现有研究基础上,结合传粉昆虫研究发展趋势,本文将提出以下几个重要研究内容:油茶访花昆虫种类的调查和鉴定;主要传粉昆虫传粉生物学研究;优势传粉昆虫的筛选;野生传粉蜜蜂与油茶授粉间的关系;利用传粉昆虫与油茶的协同进化进行油茶品种选育。以期为油茶传粉昆虫的后续研究提供参考。     

农作物授粉生态系统服务评估——以丽江老君山地区为例

为科学评估野生传粉昆虫对农作物授粉生态系统服务能力以及空间格局,基于不同土地利用/覆被类型上各种野生传粉蜂的蜜粉源植物和其巢穴资源的可得性,并结合其传粉的飞行行为及对其传粉有一定依赖性的作物,以ArcGIS9.2为平台构建了针对每个农作物像元的生态系统传粉授粉服务能力评估模型。并在云南丽江老君山地区,以当地野生东方蜜蜂(Apiscerana Fabricius)为例进行了模型的应用。结果表明:当地野生东方蜜蜂在森林的平均生境质量指数最高,达到2.24×10-2;而在栽培植被最低,为0.37×10-2。由于研究区西部农作物区分布零散,周边天然林可提供丰富的蜜粉源和栖息地;而东部农作区集中连片,作物相单一,传粉有较大的空间障碍,且周边多为次生林,研究区农田范围内授粉服务能力空间分布呈现"西高东低"格局。     

云南澜沧江流域传粉昆虫——熊蜂多样性现状与保护对策

本文对澜沧江流域内热带地区的勐腊县、亚热带地区的南涧县和寒温带地区的德钦县3个低、中、高海拔地带的重要传粉昆虫——熊蜂属(Bombus)的多样性现状进行了观察研究,并与20年前的资料进行了比较分析。结果得出：20多年以来,由于植被人为的破坏严重,传粉昆虫的自然生存环境发生了较大的改变,致使3个不同地带的传粉昆虫一部分物种消失,一部分物种的群体减少,而少数原来极少采到或者未采到的物种和种群则成为优势群体。从而得出：在云南省澜沧江流域人为的生境改变,对传粉昆虫的物种多样性影响极大,要保护或者恢复传粉昆虫的种群,首要任务是保护和恢复生态系统。     

Farming practices influence wild pollinator populations on squash and pumpkin

Recent declines in managed honey bee, Apis mellifera L., colonies have increased interest in the current and potential contribution of wild bee populations to the pollination of agricultural crops. Because wild bees often live in agricultural fields, their population density and contribution to crop pollination may be influenced by farming practices, especially those used to reduce the populations of other insects. We took a census of pollinators of squash and pumpkin at 25 farms in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland to see whether pollinator abundance was related to farming practices. The main pollinators were Peponapis pruinosa Say; honey bees, and bumble bees (Bombus spp.). The squash bee was the most abundant pollinator on squash and pumpkin, occurring at 23 of 25 farms in population densities that were commonly several times higher than that of other pollinators. Squash bee density was related to tillage practices: no-tillage farms hosted three times as great a density of squash bees as tilled farms. Pollinator density was not related to pesticide use. Honey bee density on squash and pumpkin was not related to the presence of managed honey bee colonies on farms. Farms with colonies did not have more honey bees per flower than farms that did not keep honey bees, probably reflecting the lack of affinity of honey bees for these crops. Future research should examine the economic impacts of managing farms in ways that promote pollinators, particularly pollinators of crops that are not well served by managed honey bee colonies.     

Honey bee pathology: current threats to honey bees and beekeeping

Managed honey bees are the most important commercial pollinators of those crops which depend on animal pollination for reproduction and which account for 35% of the global food production. Hence, they are vital for an economic, sustainable agriculture and for food security. In addition, honey bees also pollinate a variety of wild flowers and, therefore, contribute to the biodiversity of many ecosystems. Honey and other hive products are, at least economically and ecologically rather, by-products of beekeeping. Due to this outstanding role of honey bees, severe and inexplicable honey bee colony losses, which have been reported recently to be steadily increasing, have attracted much attention and stimulated many research activities. Although the phenomenon “decline of honey bees” is far from being finally solved, consensus exists that pests and pathogens are the single most important cause of otherwise inexplicable colony losses. This review will focus on selected bee pathogens and parasites which have been demonstrated to be involved in colony losses in different regions of the world and which, therefore, are considered current threats to honey bees and beekeeping.     

Honey bees and wild pollinators differ in their preference for and use of introduced floral resources

Introduced plants may be important foraging resources for honey bees and wild pollinators, but how often and why pollinators visit introduced plants across an entire plant community is not well understood. Understanding the importance of introduced plants for pollinators could help guide management of these plants and conservation of pollinator habitat. We assessed how floral abundance and pollinator preference influence pollinator visitation rate and diversity on 30 introduced versus 24 native plants in central New York. Honey bees visited introduced and native plants at similar rates regardless of floral abundance. In contrast, as floral abundance increased, wild pollinator visitation rate decreased more strongly for introduced plants than native plants. Introduced plants as a group and native plants as a group did not differ in bee diversity or preference, but honey bees and wild pollinators preferred different plant species. As a case study, we then focused on knapweed (Centaurea spp.), an introduced plant that was the most preferred plant by honey bees, and that beekeepers value as a late‐summer foraging resource. We compared the extent to which honey bees versus wild pollinators visited knapweed relative to coflowering plants, and we quantified knapweed pollen and nectar collection by honey bees across 22 New York apiaries. Honey bees visited knapweed more frequently than coflowering plants and at a similar rate as all wild pollinators combined. All apiaries contained knapweed pollen in nectar, 86% of apiaries contained knapweed pollen in bee bread, and knapweed was sometimes a main pollen or nectar source for honey bees in late summer. Our results suggest that because of diverging responses to floral abundance and preferences for different plants, honey bees and wild pollinators differ in their use of introduced plants. Depending on the plant and its abundance, removing an introduced plant may impact honey bees more than wild pollinators.     

Managed bumble bees increase flower visitation but not fruit weight in polytunnel strawberry crops

Animal-mediated pollination is essential for the production and quality of fruits and seeds of many crops consumed by humans. However, crop pollination services might be compromised when wild pollinators are scarce. Managed pollinators are commonly used in crops to supplement such services with the assumption that they will enhance crop yield. However, information on the spatiotemporal pollinator-dependence of crops is still limited. We assessed the contribution of commercial bumble bee colonies compared to the available pollinator community on strawberry (‘Fortuna’ variety) flower visitation and strawberry quality across a landscape gradient of agricultural intensification (i.e. polytunnel berry crop cover). We used colonies of bumble bees in winter and in spring, i.e. when few and most wild pollinators are in their flight period, respectively. The placement of colonies increased visits of bumble bees to strawberry flowers, especially in winter. The use of bumble bee colonies did not affect flower visitation by other insects, mainly honey bees, hoverflies and other Diptera. Flower visitation by both honey bees and wild insects did not vary between seasons and was unrelated to the landscape gradient of berry crop cover. Strawberries were of the highest quality (i.e. weight) when insect-mediated pollination was allowed, and their quality was positively related to wild flower visitors in winter but not in spring. However, increased visits to strawberry flowers by managed bumble bees and honey bees had no effect on strawberry weight. Our results suggest that the pollination services producing high quality strawberry fruits are provided by the flower visitor community present in the study region without the need to use managed bumble bees.     

基于COⅠ基因序列的蜜蜂属系统发育分析及其舞蹈和筑巢行为进化分析

【目的】分析蜜蜂属Apis的系统发育关系,并在此基础上探讨蜜蜂属舞蹈方向、舞蹈声音、营巢环境、巢脾结构的祖先状态和演变过程。【方法】PCR扩增并测定中国分布的蜜蜂属内东方蜜蜂A. cerana、西方蜜蜂A. mellifera、大蜜蜂A. dorsata、黑大蜜蜂A. laboriosa、小蜜蜂A. florea和黑小蜜蜂A. andreniformis的线粒体COⅠ基因序列,并从NCBI数据库中下载分布于其他国家或地区的上述6种蜜蜂以及绿努蜂A. nulunsis、苏拉威西蜂A. nigrocinta、沙巴蜂A. koschevnikovi、炳式大蜜蜂A. dorsata binghami的COⅠ同源序列。分别利用最大简约法(MP)、最大似然法(ML)和贝叶斯分析(BI)依据这些序列数据构建蜜蜂属系统发育关系。对蜜蜂属上述种的舞蹈语言和筑巢行为进行编码并作为性状特征标记到系统发育树中,利用简约法对祖先状态进行追溯。【结果】系统发育分析结果表明,蜜蜂属可划分为3大类群,即穴居蜜蜂类群(东方蜜蜂、西方蜜蜂、苏拉威西蜂、绿努蜂、沙巴蜂)、大蜜蜂类群(大蜜蜂、黑大蜜蜂)和小蜜蜂类群(小蜜蜂、黑小蜜蜂);小蜜蜂类群更加接近于祖型,大蜜蜂类群和穴居蜜蜂类群是两支单系;炳式大蜜蜂是独立于大蜜蜂和黑大蜜蜂的蜂种,且与黑大蜜蜂的亲缘关系更近。祖先状态重建结果显示：蜜蜂属祖先在露天环境下筑造垂直的单脾,且在传播食物或巢址信息时跳水平方向的无声摆尾舞,有嗡嗡声的舞蹈及筑造复脾是后来形成的。【结论】COⅠ基因可作为分子标记用于分析蜜蜂属的舞蹈和筑巢行为的祖先状态及进化过程;蜜蜂筑造复脾、跳有嗡嗡声的舞蹈是后期的适应性进化行为。     

Plant evolution can mediate negative effects from honey bees on wild pollinators

1. Pollinators are introduced to agroecosystems to provide pollination services. Introductions of managed pollinators often promote ecosystem services, but it remains largely unknown whether they also affect evolutionary mutualisms between wild pollinators and plants.
2. Here, we developed a model to assess effects of managed honey bees on mutualisms between plants and wild pollinators. Our model tracked how interactions among wild pollinators and honey bees affected pollinator and plant populations.
3. We show that when managed honey bees have a competitive advantage over wild pollinators, or a greater carrying capacity, the honey bees displace the wild pollinator. This leads to reduced plant density because plants benefit less by visits from honey bees than wild pollinators that coevolved with the plants.
4. As wild pollinators are displaced, plants evolve by increasing investment in traits that are attractive for honey bees but not wild pollinators. This evolutionary switch promotes wild pollinator displacement. However, higher mutualism investment costs by the plant to the honey bee can promote pollinator coexistence.
5. Our results show plant evolution can promote displacement of wild pollinators by managed honey bees, while limited plant evolution may lead to pollinator coexistence. More broadly, effects of honey bees on wild pollinators in agroecosystems, and effects on ecosystem services, may depend on the capacity of plant populations to evolve.

     

Higher immunocompetence is associated with higher genetic diversity in feral honey bee colonies (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera</Emphasis>)

Honey bees are the most important managed pollinators as they provide key ecosystem services for crop production worldwide. Recent losses of honey bee colonies in North America and Europe have demonstrated a need to develop strategies to improve their health and conserve their populations. Previously, we showed that feral honey bees—colonies that live in the wild without human assistance—exhibit higher levels of immunocompetence than managed colonies in North Carolina (USA). In a first attempt to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this difference in immune response, here we characterize the genetic composition of feral and managed honey bees using microsatellite markers. Our results reveal significant but small genetic differentiation between feral and managed honey bee colonies (?_CT = 0.047, P?=?0.03) indicating admixture between these two groups. Higher genetic diversity was correlated with higher immune response in feral (P _MANOVA = 0.011) but not managed bees, despite the fact that the latter group showed significantly higher average genetic diversity (P _ANCOVA < 0.001). These findings suggest that genetic diversity is positively associated with immunocompetence in feral honey bee colonies, and that the benefits of genetic diversity are obscured in managed bees, perhaps as a result of artificial selection. We hypothesize that high genetic variability provides the raw material upon which natural selection acts and generates adaptive genotypes in unmanaged populations. Feral populations could be useful sources of genetic variation to use in breeding programs that aim to improve honey bee health.     

北京昌平区景观复杂度和局地管理对苹果园传粉蜂多样性的影响

传粉蜂为作物生产和粮食安全提供重要的生态系统服务。随着农业经济的不断发展,土地利用强度加剧,大量自然或半自然生境已经转变为农业用地。景观均质化和集约化管理导致野生蜂多样性下降,从而威胁到农业可持续生产。本研究以北京市昌平区苹果园为对象,探究景观复杂度(半自然生境比例)、局地管理强度(地表开花植物多样性和土壤全氮)及其交互作用对传粉蜂多样性的影响。结果表明: 共捕获传粉蜂8642头,其中人工蜂5125头,野生蜂分属5科14属49种3517头。传粉蜂多样性对景观复杂度和局地管理强度响应的最优尺度在500 m。样点半径500 m范围内,总传粉蜂和野生蜂多度随周围半自然生境增加均呈显著上升趋势。景观复杂度与开花植物多样性的交互作用对总传粉蜂和野生蜂物种丰富度有显著影响。当景观复杂度较低时(≤29.9%),总传粉蜂和野生蜂物种丰富度与开花植物多样性呈显著正相关;而当景观复杂度较高时(>29.9%),总传粉蜂和野生蜂物种丰富度与开花植物多样性呈显著负相关。此外,人工蜂多度随果园内局地开花植物多样性和土壤全氮增加呈显著升高趋势。土壤全氮与开花植物多样性的交互作用对人工蜂多度有显著影响。当土壤全氮含量较低时(≤1.9 g·kg^-1),人工蜂多度与开花植物多样性呈显著正相关;而当土壤全氮含量较高时(>1.9 g·kg^-1),人工蜂多度与开花植物多样性呈显著负相关。农业景观中半自然生境比例的增加有利于提高野生蜂多度,而地表开花植物多样性可以促进传粉蜂多样性,但是受到景观尺度(半自然生境比例)和局地尺度(氮肥施用)的影响。因此,农业景观中野生蜂多样性的维持需要综合考虑多尺度因素来制定保护策略。尽可能保留更高比例的耕地仍然是生产的长期需求,而保持中等景观复杂度,增加地表开花植物多样性,减少氮肥施用量将是促进苹果园传粉蜂多样性的有效方式。     

栽培植物野生近缘种的保护与利用

栽培植物是人类赖以生存和发展的重要物质基础。全球人口与人均需求量的持续增长导致对植物资源的需求与日俱增。栽培植物较低的遗传多样性是限制其产量增长和质量提高的主要因素。栽培植物野生近缘种在自然环境中积累了丰富的遗传变异, 并在应对环境变化的过程中产生了很多新的适应性状, 是栽培植物种质创新和品种改良的重要遗传资源。然而, 栽培植物野生近缘种的存续和自然进化因生境破坏以及全球气候变化等正面临严重威胁, 需要采取有效的措施进行保护。本文总结了国内外对栽培植物野生近缘种进行原生境保护与迁地保护所取得的进展, 并基于我国实际情况提出了栽培植物野生近缘种的保护建议。此外, 本文还对栽培植物野生近缘种利用技术进行了梳理, 探讨了栽培植物野生近缘种遗传资源可持续利用的新思路。最后, 我们以长江流域几种代表性栽培植物为例, 对主要作物类型的保护与利用情况进行了讨论。     

Bumble bee abundance and richness improves honey bee pollination behaviour in sweet cherry

Pollination service in agricultural crops increases significantly with pollinator diversity and wild pollinator abundance. Differences in the foraging behaviour of pollinating insects are one of the reasons why pollinator diversity and abundance enhances crop pollination. Here, we focused on the foraging behaviour of honey bees and bumble bees in sweet cherry orchards. In addition, we studied the influence of bee diversity and abundance on the foraging behaviour of honey bees and bumble bees. Honey bees were found to visit fewer flowers than bumble bees. Bumble bees also showed a higher probability of changing trees between rows than honey bees. Both visitation rate and probability of row changes of honey bees increased with bumble bee diversity and with bumble bee abundance. We also found that the probability of row changes of honey bees increased with increasing bumble bee abundance. These effects of bumble bee richness and abundance on the pollination behaviour of honey bees can improve the pollination performance of honey bees in crops that depend on cross pollination. Our results highlight the higher pollination performance of bumble bees and the facilitative effect of wild pollinators to crop pollination.