243 results on '"Alexandra‐Maria Klein"'
Search Results
2. Monitoring fast‐moving animals—Building a customized camera system and evaluation toolset
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Katharina Wittmann, Mohamed Gamal Ibrahim, Andrew David Straw, Alexandra‐Maria Klein, and Michael Staab
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artificial intelligence ,convolutional neural network ,Hymenoptera ,low‐budget ,object classification ,Raspberry Pi ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 ,Evolution ,QH359-425 - Abstract
Abstract Automated cameras (including camera traps) are an established observation tool, allowing, for example the identification of behaviours and monitoring without harming organisms. However, limitations including imperfect detection, insufficient data storage and power supply restrict the use of camera traps, making inexpensive and customizable solutions desirable. We describe a camera system and evaluation toolset based on Raspberry Pi computers and YOLOv5 that can overcome those shortcomings with its modular properties. We facilitate the set‐up and modification for researchers via detailed step‐by‐step guides. A customized camera system prototype was constructed to monitor fast‐moving organisms on a continuous schedule. For testing and benchmarking, we recorded mason bees (Osmia cornuta) approaching nesting aids on 20 sites. To efficiently process the extensive video material, we developed an evaluation toolset utilizing the convolutional neural network YOLOv5 to detect bees in the videos. In the field test, the camera system performed reliably for more than a week (2 h per day) under varying weather conditions. YOLOv5 detected and classified bees with only 775 original training images. Overall detection reliability varied depending on camera perspective, site and weather conditions, but a high average detection precision (78%) was achieved, which was confirmed by a human observer (80% of algorithm‐based detections confirmed). The customized camera system mitigates several disadvantages of commercial camera traps by using interchangeable components and incorporates all major requirements a researcher has for working in the field including moderate costs, easy assembly and an external energy source. We provide detailed user guides to bridge the gap between ecology, computer science and engineering.
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- 2024
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3. Home-and-away comparisons of life history traits indicate enemy release and founder effects of the solitary bee, Megachile sculpturalis
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Felix Fornoff, Julia Lanner, Michael Christopher Orr, Tingting Xie, Shikun Guo, Elia Guariento, Tina Tuerlings, Guy Smagghe, Katherine Parys, Aleksandar Ćetković, Jovana Bila Dubaić, Benoit Geslin, Sebastian Victor Scharnhorst, Baerbel Pachinger, Alexandra-Maria Klein, and Harald Meimberg
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Intertegular distance ,Mating strategy ,Nest architecture ,Environmental filter ,Phenology ,Trap nest ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 - Abstract
Occurrences of introduced and invasive pollinators are increasing worldwide. To predict the potential impacts of exotic bees on native ecosystems we need to understand their ecological interactions. Life history traits are fundamental for understanding ecological interactions and often help to explain the spread of exotic species. We conducted home-and-away comparisons of life history traits of the first invasive bee in Europe, the sculptured resin bee Megachile sculpturalis Smith 1853. We compiled information on nest architecture, offspring, natural enemies, body size and phenology using published literature, museum specimen, data from citizen science initiatives, field observations and reared specimen. Megachile sculpturalis uses a broad variety of nesting materials for brood cell construction, including even plastic at the exotic range. Body size at warm temperate climate was similar in the native and exotic ranges, but phenology shifted forward by about one month (28.9 ± 3.3 SE days) in the exotic ranges. The abundance of natural enemies was similar between native and exotic ranges but specialist enemies were missing in the exotic ranges. These trait shifts may be explained by founder effects or ecological filtering. The comparison of life history traits in native and exotic ranges sheds light on the ecological-evolutionary process of this quickly spreading species and provides a better understanding of invasion processes in solitary bees.
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- 2024
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4. Distribution of infectious and parasitic agents among three sentinel bee species across European agricultural landscapes
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Aurélie Babin, Frank Schurr, Sabine Delannoy, Patrick Fach, Minh Huyen Ton Nu Nguyet, Stéphanie Bougeard, Joachim R. de Miranda, Maj Rundlöf, Dimitry Wintermantel, Matthias Albrecht, Eleanor Attridge, Irene Bottero, Elena Cini, Cecilia Costa, Pilar De la Rúa, Gennaro Di Prisco, Christophe Dominik, Daniel Dzul, Simon Hodge, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Jessica Knapp, Anina C. Knauer, Marika Mänd, Vicente Martínez-López, Piotr Medrzycki, Maria Helena Pereira-Peixoto, Simon G. Potts, Risto Raimets, Oliver Schweiger, Deepa Senapathi, José Serrano, Jane C. Stout, Giovanni Tamburini, Mark J. F. Brown, Marion Laurent, Marie-Pierre Rivière, Marie-Pierre Chauzat, and Eric Dubois
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract Infectious and parasitic agents (IPAs) and their associated diseases are major environmental stressors that jeopardize bee health, both alone and in interaction with other stressors. Their impact on pollinator communities can be assessed by studying multiple sentinel bee species. Here, we analysed the field exposure of three sentinel managed bee species (Apis mellifera, Bombus terrestris and Osmia bicornis) to 11 IPAs (six RNA viruses, two bacteria, three microsporidia). The sentinel bees were deployed at 128 sites in eight European countries adjacent to either oilseed rape fields or apple orchards during crop bloom. Adult bees of each species were sampled before their placement and after crop bloom. The IPAs were detected and quantified using a harmonised, high-throughput and semi-automatized qPCR workflow. We describe differences among bee species in IPA profiles (richness, diversity, detection frequencies, loads and their change upon field exposure, and exposure risk), with no clear patterns related to the country or focal crop. Our results suggest that the most frequent IPAs in adult bees are more appropriate for assessing the bees’ IPA exposure risk. We also report positive correlations of IPA loads supporting the potential IPA transmission among sentinels, suggesting careful consideration should be taken when introducing managed pollinators in ecologically sensitive environments.
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- 2024
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5. The influence of habitat properties on sex determination in cavity-nesting Hymenoptera
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Katharina Wittmann, Alexandra-Maria Klein, and Michael Staab
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Bees ,Foraging ,Generalists ,Landscape ,Population dynamics ,Resource availability ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 - Abstract
Unravelling the relationships between insect population dynamics and habitat properties is often complex. Established theoretical concepts, which predict an influence of available resources on sex determination, have often not been tested with quantitative field data. Cavity-nesting Hymenoptera are suitable to assess the influence of habitat properties on reproductive parameters, as haplodiploidy enables direct responses to local conditions. We hypothesize that with increasing resource availability, the population sex ratio (share of females per site), sex allocation preference per individual offspring (the probability of producing either a male or a female offspring per brood cell) and resource allocation per individual offspring will be favouring towards females. We sampled offspring of Osmia cornuta, Osmia caerulescens and Trypoxylon figulus and their resource provisions using trap nests on 30 study sites in an agricultural landscape in southwest Germany, from March to August 2020. The potential influence of resource availability, landscape variables, temperature, seasonal progression, and nesting opportunities on sex and resource provisions was tested. Population sex ratio was not related to habitat properties. Sex allocation preference in the three species, however, depended on several variables including cavity size and seasonal progression, with pronounced differences amongst species. Individual resource provisioning mainly differed between sexes, as male larvae received less provisions than female larvae. As there was no influence of resource availability, we conclude that the sex ratio of established populations was balanced at the selected study sites by available resources in the landscape. At the individual scale, sex and resource allocation were influenced in species-specific ways. As such, sex determination and resource allocation are essential life history properties of sexually reproducing organisms.
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- 2023
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6. Abandoning grassland management negatively influences plant but not bird or insect biodiversity in Europe
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Tessa Elliott, Amibeth Thompson, Alexandra‐Maria Klein, Christian Albert, Nico Eisenhauer, Florian Jansen, Andrea Schneider, Martin Sommer, Tanja Straka, Josef Settele, Maria Sporbert, Franziska Tanneberger, and Anne‐Christine Mupepele
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bird ,insect ,meadow ,meta‐analysis ,pasture ,plant ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 ,General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution ,QH1-199.5 - Abstract
Abstract Grasslands are globally distributed and naturally occurring; however, in Europe, most grasslands are anthropogenically created or altered by livestock grazing or mowing. Low‐intensity use and management have led to species‐rich communities in European grasslands. The intensification of crop production and livestock farming with stabling throughout the year has led to an abandonment of grasslands that are no longer economically profitable. In this study, we looked at the influence of grassland abandonment on biodiversity. We hypothesized that abandonment of grasslands decreases the overall biodiversity, but has different effects depending on the focal taxonomic group (i.e., vascular plants, insects, or birds). We also hypothesized that the type of management before abandonment, the type of grassland, and the time after abandonment would influence grassland biodiversity. We conducted a Web of Science search, with pre‐defined terms, to find articles that compared biodiversity of managed and abandoned grasslands in Europe. We screened the articles and included 39 studies in a subsequent meta‐analysis. We found that overall biodiversity was reduced after abandonment; however, the biodiversity reduction in the grasslands differed among taxonomic groups. Plant species diversity was significantly lower after abandonment (plant summary effect size: −0.25 [−0.34; −0.16]), whereas the diversity of insects and birds showed no significant trend, but a visual trend toward an increase. None of the other environmental variables (type of management, type of grassland, or the time after abandonment) had a significant influence on the biodiversity of the grasslands. We conclude that maintaining grassland management is crucial to support biodiversity conservation in European grasslands.
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- 2023
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7. Impact of landscape configuration and composition on pollinator communities across different European biogeographic regions
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Irene Bottero, Christophe Dominik, Olivier Schweiger, Matthias Albrecht, Eleanor Attridge, Mark J. F. Brown, Elena Cini, Cecilia Costa, Pilar De la Rúa, Joachim R. de Miranda, Gennaro Di Prisco, Daniel Dzul Uuh, Simon Hodge, Kjell Ivarsson, Anina C. Knauer, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Marika Mänd, Vicente Martínez-López, Piotr Medrzycki, Helena Pereira-Peixoto, Simon Potts, Risto Raimets, Maj Rundlöf, Janine M. Schwarz, Deepa Senapathi, Giovanni Tamburini, Estefanía Tobajas Talaván, and Jane C. Stout
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habitat heterogeneity ,intensity gradient of land-use ,pollinators ,standardized approach ,European biogeographic regions ,Evolution ,QH359-425 ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 - Abstract
IntroductionHeterogeneity in composition and spatial configuration of landscape elements support diversity and abundance of flower-visiting insects, but this is likely dependent on taxonomic group, spatial scale, weather and climatic conditions, and is particularly impacted by agricultural intensification. Here, we analyzed the impacts of both aspects of landscape heterogeneity and the role of climatic and weather conditions on pollinating insect communities in two economically important mass-flowering crops across Europe.MethodsUsing a standardized approach, we collected data on the abundance of five insect groups (honey bees, bumble bees, other bees, hover flies and butterflies) in eight oilseed rape and eight apple orchard sites (in crops and adjacent crop margins), across eight European countries (128 sites in total) encompassing four biogeographic regions, and quantified habitat heterogeneity by calculating relevant landscape metrics for composition (proportion and diversity of land-use types) and configuration (the aggregation and isolation of land-use patches).ResultsWe found that flower-visiting insects responded to landscape and climate parameters in taxon- and crop-specific ways. For example, landscape diversity was positively correlated with honey bee and solitary bee abundance in oilseed rape fields, and hover fly abundance in apple orchards. In apple sites, the total abundance of all pollinators, and particularly bumble bees and solitary bees, decreased with an increasing proportion of orchards in the surrounding landscape. In oilseed rape sites, less-intensively managed habitats (i.e., woodland, grassland, meadows, and hedgerows) positively influenced all pollinators, particularly bumble bees and butterflies. Additionally, our data showed that daily and annual temperature, as well as annual precipitation and precipitation seasonality, affects the abundance of flower-visiting insects, although, again, these impacts appeared to be taxon- or crop-specific.DiscussionThus, in the context of global change, our findings emphasize the importance of understanding the role of taxon-specific responses to both changes in land use and climate, to ensure continued delivery of pollination services to pollinator-dependent crops.
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- 2023
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8. Pollinator-flower interactions in gardens during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of 2020
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Jeff Ollerton, Judith Trunschke, Kayri Havens, Patricia Landaverde-González, Alexander Keller, Amy-Marie Gilpin, André Rodrigo Rech, Gudryan J. Baronio, Benjamin J. Phillips, Chris Mackin, Dara A. Stanley, Erin Treanore, Ellen Baker, Ellen L. Rotheray, Emily Erickson, Felix Fornoff, Francis Q. Brearley, Gavin Ballantyne, Graziella Iossa, Graham N. Stone, Ignasi Bartomeus, Jenni A. Stockan, Johana Leguizamón, Kit Prendergast, Lisa Rowley, Manuela Giovanetti, Raquel de Oliveira Bueno, Renate A. Wesselingh, Rachel Mallinger, Sally Edmondson, Scarlett R. Howard, Sara D. Leonhardt, Sandra V. Rojas-Nossa, Maisie Brett, Tatiana Joaqui, Reuber Antoniazzi, Victoria J. Burton, Hui-Hui Feng, Zhi-Xi Tian, Qi Xu, Chuan Zhang, Chang-Li Shi, Shuang-Quan Huang, Lorna J. Cole, Leila Bendifallah, Emilie E. Ellis, Stein Joar Hegland, Sara Straffon Díaz, Tonya Allen Lander, Antonia V. Mayr, Richard Dawson, Maxime Eeraerts, W. Scott Armbruster, Becky Walton, Noureddine Adjlane, Steven Falk, Luis Mata, Anya Goncalves Geiger, Claire Carvell, Claire Wallace, Fabrizia Ratto, Marta Barberis, Fay Kahane, Stuart Connop, Anthonie Stip, Maria Rosangela Sigrist, Nicolas J. Vereecken, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Katherine Baldock, and Sarah E. J. Arnold
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bees, flowers, gardens, hummingbirds, insects, nature in cities, pollinators, species interactions, urban ecology ,Evolution ,QH359-425 ,Plant ecology ,QK900-989 - Abstract
During the main COVID-19 global pandemic lockdown period of 2020 an impromptu set of pollination ecologists came together via social media and personal contacts to carry out standardised surveys of the flower visits and plants in gardens. The surveys involved 67 rural, suburban and urban gardens, of various sizes, ranging from 61.18° North in Norway to 37.96° South in Australia, resulting in a data set of 25,174 rows, with each row being a unique interaction record for that date/site/plant species, and comprising almost 47,000 visits to flowers, as well as records of flowers that were not visited by pollinators, for over 1,000 species and varieties belonging to more than 460 genera and 96 plant families. The more than 650 species of flower visitors belong to 12 orders of invertebrates and four of vertebrates. In this first publication from the project, we present a brief description of the data and make it freely available for any researchers to use in the future, the only restriction being that they cite this paper in the first instance. The data generated from these global surveys will provide scientific evidence to help us understand the role that private gardens (in urban, rural and suburban areas) can play in conserving insect pollinators and identify management actions to enhance their potential.
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- 2022
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9. Long-term monitoring reveals topographical features and vegetation that explain winter habitat use of an Arctic rodent
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Xaver von Beckerath, Gita Benadi, Olivier Gilg, Benoît Sittler, Glenn Yannic, Alexandra-Maria Klein, and Bernhard Eitzinger
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Arctic tundra ,climate change ,Dicrostonyx groenlandicus ,habitat use ,population dynamics ,toundra arctique ,Environmental sciences ,GE1-350 ,Environmental engineering ,TA170-171 - Abstract
The quality of wintering habitats, such as depth of snow cover, plays a key role in sustaining population dynamics of Arctic lemmings. However, few studies so far investigated habitat use during the Arctic winter. Here, we used a unique long-term time series to test whether lemmings are associated with topographical and vegetational habitat features for their wintering sites. We examined yearly numbers and distribution of 22 769 winter nests of the collared lemming Dicrostonyx groenlandicus (Traill, 1823) from an ongoing long-term research on Traill Island, Northeast Greenland, collected between 1989 and 2019, and correlated this information with data on dominant vegetation types, elevation, and slope. We found that the number of lemming nests was highest in areas with a high proportion of Dryas heath, but was also correlated with other vegetation types, suggesting some flexibility in resource use of wintering lemmings. Furthermore, lemmings showed a higher use for sloped terrain, probably as it enhances the formation of deep snow drifts, which increases the insulative characteristics of the snowpack and protection from predators. With global warming, prime lemming winter habitats may become scarce through alteration of snow physical properties, potentially resulting in negative consequence for the whole community of terrestrial vertebrates.
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- 2022
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10. Tree species and genetic diversity increase productivity via functional diversity and trophic feedbacks
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Ting Tang, Naili Zhang, Franca J Bongers, Michael Staab, Andreas Schuldt, Felix Fornoff, Hong Lin, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Andrew L Hipp, Shan Li, Yu Liang, Baocai Han, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Helge Bruelheide, Walter Durka, Bernhard Schmid, Keping Ma, and Xiaojuan Liu
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BEF ,functional diversity ,genetic diversity ,productivity ,trophic feedbacks ,Medicine ,Science ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
Addressing global biodiversity loss requires an expanded focus on multiple dimensions of biodiversity. While most studies have focused on the consequences of plant interspecific diversity, our mechanistic understanding of how genetic diversity within plant species affects plant productivity remains limited. Here, we use a tree species × genetic diversity experiment to disentangle the effects of species diversity and genetic diversity on tree productivity, and how they are related to tree functional diversity and trophic feedbacks. We found that tree species diversity increased tree productivity via increased tree functional diversity, reduced soil fungal diversity, and marginally reduced herbivory. The effects of tree genetic diversity on productivity via functional diversity and soil fungal diversity were negative in monocultures but positive in the mixture of the four tree species tested. Given the complexity of interactions between species and genetic diversity, tree functional diversity and trophic feedbacks on productivity, we suggest that both tree species and genetic diversity should be considered in afforestation.
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- 2022
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11. Monitoring bee health in European agro-ecosystems using wing morphology and fat bodies
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Maryse Vanderplanck, Denis Michez, Matthias Albrecht, Eleanor Attridge, Aurélie Babin, Irene Bottero, Tom Breeze, Mark Brown, Marie-Pierre Chauzat, Elena Cini, Cecilia Costa, Pilar De la Rua, Joachim de Miranda, Gennaro Di Prisco, Christophe Dominik, Daniel Dzul, William Fiordaliso, Sébastien Gennaux, Guillaume Ghisbain, Simon Hodge, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Jessica Knapp, Anina Knauer, Marion Laurent, Victor Lefebvre, Marika Mänd, Baptiste Martinet, Vicente Martinez-Lopez, Piotr Medrzycki, Maria Helena Pereira Peixoto, Simon Potts, Kimberly Przybyla, Risto Raimets, Maj Rundlöf, Oliver Schweiger, Deepa Senapathi, José Serrano, Jane Stout, Edward Straw, Giovanni Tamburini, Yusuf Toktas, and Maxence Gérard
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bee decline ,bumblebee ,global change ,honeybee ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 - Abstract
Current global change substantially threatens pollinators, which directly impacts the pollination services underpinning the stability, structure and functioning of ecosystems. Amongst these threats, many synergistic drivers, such as habitat destruction and fragmentation, increasing use of agrochemicals, decreasing resource diversity, as well as climate change, are known to affect wild and managed bees. Therefore, reliable indicators for pollinator sensitivity to such threats are needed. Biological traits, such as phenotype (e.g. shape, size and asymmetry) and storage reserves (e.g. fat body size), are important pollinator traits linked to reproductive success, immunity, resilience and foraging efficiency and, therefore, could serve as valuable markers of bee health and pollination service potential.This data paper contains an extensive dataset of wing morphology and fat body content for the European honeybee (Apis mellifera) and the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) sampled at 128 sites across eight European countries in landscape gradients dominated by two major bee-pollinated crops (apple and oilseed rape), before and after focal crop bloom and potential pesticide exposure. The dataset also includes environmental metrics of each sampling site, namely landscape structure and pesticide use. The data offer the opportunity to test whether variation in the phenotype and fat bodies of bees is structured by environmental factors and drivers of global change. Overall, the dataset provides valuable information to identify which environmental threats predominantly contribute to the modification of these traits.
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- 2021
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12. No evidence for impaired solitary bee fitness following pre-flowering sulfoxaflor application alone or in combination with a common fungicide in a semi-field experiment
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Janine Melanie Schwarz, Anina C. Knauer, Matthew J. Allan, Robin R. Dean, Jaboury Ghazoul, Giovanni Tamburini, Dimitry Wintermantel, Alexandra-Maria Klein, and Matthias Albrecht
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Azoxystrobin ,Osmia bicornis ,Pesticides ,Pollinators ,Sulfoxaflor ,Mitigation measures ,Environmental sciences ,GE1-350 - Abstract
Pesticide exposure is considered a major driver of pollinator decline and the use of neonicotinoid insecticides has been restricted by regulatory authorities due to their risks for pollinators. Impacts of new alternative sulfoximine-based compounds on solitary bees and their potential interactive effects with other commonly applied pesticides in agriculture remain unclear. Here, we conducted a highly replicated full-factorial semi-field experiment with the solitary bee Osmia bicornis, an important pollinator of crops and wild plants in Europe, and Phacelia tanacetifolia as a model crop. We show that spray applications of the insecticide sulfoxaflor (product Closer) and the fungicide azoxystrobin (product Amistar), both alone and combined, had no significant negative impacts on adult female survival or the production, mortality, sex ratio and body size of offspring when sulfoxaflor was applied five days before crop flowering. Our results indicate that for O. bicornis (1) the risk of adverse impacts of sulfoxaflor (Closer) on fitness is small when applied at least five days before crop flowering and (2) that azoxystrobin (Amistar) has a low potential of exacerbating sulfoxaflor effects under field-realistic conditions.
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- 2022
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13. A novel method to measure hairiness in bees and other insect pollinators
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Laura Roquer‐Beni, Anselm Rodrigo, Xavier Arnan, Alexandra‐Maria Klein, Felix Fornoff, Virginie Boreux, and Jordi Bosch
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functional diversity ,functional trait ,pilosity ,pollinating efficiency ,protocol ,thermoregulation ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 - Abstract
Abstract Hairiness is a salient trait of insect pollinators that has been linked to thermoregulation, pollen uptake and transportation, and pollination success. Despite its potential importance in pollination ecology, hairiness is rarely included in pollinator trait analyses. This is likely due to the lack of standardized and efficient methods to measure hairiness. We describe a novel methodology that uses a stereomicroscope equipped with a live measurement module software to quantitatively measure two components of hairiness: hair density and hair length. We took measures of the two hairiness components in 109 insect pollinator species (including 52 bee species). We analyzed the relationship between hair density and length and between these two components and body size. We combined hair density and length measures to calculate a hairiness index and tested whether hairiness differed between major pollinator groups and bee genera. Body size was strongly and positively correlated to hair length and weakly and negatively correlated to hair density. The correlation between the two hairiness components was weak and negative. According to our hairiness index, butterflies and moths were the hairiest pollinator group, followed by bees, hoverflies, beetles, and other flies. Among bees, bumblebees (Bombus) and mason bees (Osmia) were the hairiest taxa, followed by digger bees (Anthophorinae), sand bees (Andrena), and sweat bees (Halictini). Our methodology provides an effective and standardized measure of the two components of hairiness (hair density and length), thus allowing for a meaningful interpretation of hairiness. We provide a detailed protocol of our methodology, which we hope will contribute to improve our understanding of pollination effectiveness, thermal biology, and responses to climate change in insects.
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- 2020
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14. Evaluating the effectiveness of retention forestry to enhance biodiversity in production forests of Central Europe using an interdisciplinary, multi‐scale approach
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Ilse Storch, Johannes Penner, Thomas Asbeck, Marco Basile, Jürgen Bauhus, Veronika Braunisch, Carsten F. Dormann, Julian Frey, Stefanie Gärtner, Marc Hanewinkel, Barbara Koch, Alexandra‐Maria Klein, Thomas Kuss, Michael Pregernig, Patrick Pyttel, Albert Reif, Michael Scherer‐Lorenzen, Gernot Segelbacher, Ulrich Schraml, Michael Staab, Georg Winkel, and Rasoul Yousefpour
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Black Forest ,ConFoBi ,deadwood ,forest ownership ,habitat tree ,landscape ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 - Abstract
Abstract Retention forestry, which retains a portion of the original stand at the time of harvesting to maintain continuity of structural and compositional diversity, has been originally developed to mitigate the impacts of clear‐cutting. Retention of habitat trees and deadwood has since become common practice also in continuous‐cover forests of Central Europe. While the use of retention in these forests is plausible, the evidence base for its application is lacking, trade‐offs have not been quantified, it is not clear what support it receives from forest owners and other stakeholders and how it is best integrated into forest management practices. The Research Training Group ConFoBi (Conservation of Forest Biodiversity in Multiple‐use Landscapes of Central Europe) focusses on the effectiveness of retention forestry, combining ecological studies on forest biodiversity with social and economic studies of biodiversity conservation across multiple spatial scales. The aim of ConFoBi is to assess whether and how structural retention measures are appropriate for the conservation of forest biodiversity in uneven‐aged and selectively harvested continuous‐cover forests of temperate Europe. The study design is based on a pool of 135 plots (1 ha) distributed along gradients of forest connectivity and structure. The main objectives are (a) to investigate the effects of structural elements and landscape context on multiple taxa, including different trophic and functional groups, to evaluate the effectiveness of retention practices for biodiversity conservation; (b) to analyze how forest biodiversity conservation is perceived and practiced, and what costs and benefits it creates; and (c) to identify how biodiversity conservation can be effectively integrated in multi‐functional forest management. ConFoBi will quantify retention levels required across the landscape, as well as the socio‐economic prerequisites for their implementation by forest owners and managers. ConFoBi's research results will provide an evidence base for integrating biodiversity conservation into forest management in temperate forests.
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- 2020
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15. Linking farmer and beekeeper preferences with ecological knowledge to improve crop pollination
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Tom D. Breeze, Virginie Boreux, Lorna Cole, Lynn Dicks, Alexandra‐Maria Klein, Gesine Pufal, Mario V. Balzan, Danilo Bevk, Laura Bortolotti, Theodora Petanidou, Marika Mand, M. Alice Pinto, Jeroen Scheper, Ljubiša Stanisavljević, Menelaos C. Stavrinides, Thomas Tscheulin, Androulla Varnava, and David Kleijn
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beekeeping ,ecosystem services ,pollination services ,rural sociology ,Human ecology. Anthropogeography ,GF1-900 ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 - Abstract
Abstract Pollination by insects is a key input into many crops, with managed honeybees often being hired to support pollination services. Despite substantial research into pollination management, no European studies have yet explored how and why farmers managed pollination services and few have explored why beekeepers use certain crops. Using paired surveys of beekeepers and farmers in 10 European countries, this study examines beekeeper and farmer perceptions and motivations surrounding crop pollination. Almost half of the farmers surveyed believed they had pollination service deficits in one or more of their crops. Less than a third of farmers hired managed pollinators; however, most undertook at least one form of agri‐environment management known to benefit pollinators, although few did so to promote pollinators. Beekeepers were ambivalent towards many mass‐flowering crops, with some beekeepers using crops for their honey that other beekeepers avoid because of perceived pesticide risks. The findings highlight a number of largely overlooked knowledge gaps that will affect knowledge exchange and co‐operation between the two groups. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
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- 2019
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16. Fungicide and insecticide exposure adversely impacts bumblebees and pollination services under semi-field conditions
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Giovanni Tamburini, Maria-Helena Pereira-Peixoto, Jonas Borth, Simon Lotz, Dimitry Wintermantel, Matthew J. Allan, Robin Dean, Janine Melanie Schwarz, Anina Knauer, Matthias Albrecht, and Alexandra‑Maria Klein
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Azoxystrobin ,Bombus terrestris ,Pollinators ,Pesticides ,Sulfoxaflor ,Sulfoximines ,Environmental sciences ,GE1-350 - Abstract
Sulfoximines, the next generation systemic insecticides developed to replace neonicotinoids, have been shown to negatively impact pollinator development and reproduction. However, field-realistic studies on sulfoximines are few and consequences on pollination services unexplored. Moreover, the impacts of other agrochemicals such as fungicides, and their combined effects with insecticides remain poorly investigated. Here, we show in a full factorial semi-field experiment that spray applications of both the product Closer containing the insecticide sulfoxaflor and the product Amistar containing the fungicide azoxystrobin, negatively affected the individual foraging performance of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). Insecticide exposure further reduced colony growth and size whereas fungicide exposure decreased pollen deposition. We found indications for resource limitation that might have exacerbated pesticide effects on bumblebee colonies. Our work demonstrates that field-realistic exposure to sulfoxaflor can adversely impact bumblebees and that applications before bloom may be insufficient as a mitigation measure to prevent its negative impacts on pollinators. Moreover, fungicide use during bloom could reduce bumblebee foraging performance and pollination services.
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- 2021
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17. Multiple plant diversity components drive consumer communities across ecosystems
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Andreas Schuldt, Anne Ebeling, Matthias Kunz, Michael Staab, Claudia Guimarães-Steinicke, Dörte Bachmann, Nina Buchmann, Walter Durka, Andreas Fichtner, Felix Fornoff, Werner Härdtle, Lionel R. Hertzog, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Christiane Roscher, Jörg Schaller, Goddert von Oheimb, Alexandra Weigelt, Wolfgang Weisser, Christian Wirth, Jiayong Zhang, Helge Bruelheide, and Nico Eisenhauer
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Science - Abstract
Here, Schuldt et al. collate data from two long-term grassland and forest biodiversity experiments to ask how plant diversity facets affect the diversity of higher trophic levels. The results show that positive effects of plant diversity on consumer diversity are mediated by plant structural and functional diversity, and vary across ecosystems and trophic levels.
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- 2019
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18. Biodiversity across trophic levels drives multifunctionality in highly diverse forests
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Andreas Schuldt, Thorsten Assmann, Matteo Brezzi, François Buscot, David Eichenberg, Jessica Gutknecht, Werner Härdtle, Jin-Sheng He, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Peter Kühn, Xiaojuan Liu, Keping Ma, Pascal A. Niklaus, Katherina A. Pietsch, Witoon Purahong, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Bernhard Schmid, Thomas Scholten, Michael Staab, Zhiyao Tang, Stefan Trogisch, Goddert von Oheimb, Christian Wirth, Tesfaye Wubet, Chao-Dong Zhu, and Helge Bruelheide
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Science - Abstract
Biodiversity change can impact ecosystem functioning, though this is primarily studied at lower trophic levels. Here, Schuldt et al. find that biodiversity components other than tree species richness are particularly important, and higher trophic level diversity plays a role in multifunctionality.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Predicting the effect of habitat modification on networks of interacting species
- Author
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Phillip P. A. Staniczenko, Owen T. Lewis, Jason M. Tylianakis, Matthias Albrecht, Valérie Coudrain, Alexandra-Maria Klein, and Felix Reed-Tsochas
- Subjects
Science - Abstract
In a changing world, the ability to predict the impact of environmental change on ecological communities is essential. Here, the authors show that by separating species abundances from interaction preferences, they can predict the effects of habitat modification on the structure of weighted species interaction networks, even with limited data.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Belowground top-down and aboveground bottom-up effects structure multitrophic community relationships in a biodiverse forest
- Author
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Andreas Schuldt, Helge Bruelheide, François Buscot, Thorsten Assmann, Alexandra Erfmeier, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Keping Ma, Thomas Scholten, Michael Staab, Christian Wirth, Jiayong Zhang, and Tesfaye Wubet
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract Ecosystem functioning and human well-being critically depend on numerous species interactions above- and belowground. However, unraveling the structure of multitrophic interaction webs at the ecosystem level is challenging for biodiverse ecosystems. Attempts to identify major relationships between trophic levels usually rely on simplified proxies, such as species diversity. Here, we propose to consider the full information on species composition across trophic levels, using Procrustes correlation and structural equation models. We show that species composition data of a highly diverse subtropical forest―with 5,716 taxa across 25 trophic groups― reveal strong interrelationships among plants, arthropods, and microorganisms, indicating complex multitrophic interactions. We found substantial support for top-down effects of microorganisms belowground, indicating important feedbacks of microbial symbionts, pathogens, and decomposers on plant communities. In contrast, aboveground pathways were characterized by bottom-up control of plants on arthropods, including many non-trophic links. Additional analyses based on diversity patterns revealed much weaker interrelationships. Our study suggests that multitrophic communities in our forest system are structured via top-down effects of belowground biota on plants, which in turn affect aboveground arthropod communities across trophic levels. Moreover, the study shows that the consequences of species loss will be more complex than indicated by studies based solely on diversity.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. A clue on bee glue: New insight into the sources and factors driving resin intake in honeybees (Apis mellifera).
- Author
-
Nora Drescher, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Thomas Schmitt, and Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are threatened by numerous pathogens and parasites. To prevent infections they apply cooperative behavioral defenses, such as allo-grooming and hygiene, or they use antimicrobial plant resin. Resin is a chemically complex and highly variable mixture of many bioactive compounds. Bees collect the sticky material from different plant species and use it for nest construction and protection. Despite its importance for colony health, comparatively little is known about the precise origins and variability in resin spectra collected by honeybees. To identify the botanical resin sources of A. mellifera in Western Europe we chemically compared resin loads of individual foragers and tree resins. We further examined the resin intake of 25 colonies from five different apiaries to assess the effect of location on variation in the spectra of collected resin. Across all colonies and apiaries, seven distinct resin types were categorized according to their color and chemical composition. Matches between bee-collected resin and tree resin indicated that bees used poplar (Populus balsamifera, P. x canadensis), birch (Betula alba), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and coniferous trees (either Picea abies or Pinus sylvestris) as resin sources. Our data reveal that honeybees collect a comparatively broad and variable spectrum of resin sources, thus assuring protection against a variety of antagonists sensitive to different resins and/or compounds. We further unravel distinct preferences for specific resins and resin chemotypes, indicating that honeybees selectively search for bioactive resin compounds.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Inter-Individual Nectar Chemistry Changes of Field Scabious, Knautia arvensis
- Author
-
Christine Venjakob, Sara Leonhardt, and Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Subjects
amino acids ,carbohydrates ,flower-visiting insects ,insect nutrition ,jena experiment ,Science - Abstract
Nectar is crucial to maintain plant-pollinator mutualism. Nectar quality (nutritional composition) can vary strongly between individuals of the same plant species. The factors driving such inter-individual variation have however not been investigated closer. We investigated nectar quality of field scabious, Knautia arvensis in different grassland plant communities varying in species composition and richness to assess whether nectar quality can be affected by the surrounding plant community. We analyzed (with high performance liquid chromatography) the content of carbohydrates, overall amino acids, and essential amino acids. Amino acid and carbohydrate concentrations and proportions varied among plant individuals and with the surrounding plant community but were not related to the surrounding plant species richness. Total and individual carbohydrate concentrations were lowest, while proportions of the essential amino acids, valine, isoleucine, leucine (all phagostimulatory), and lysine were highest in plant species communities of the highest diversity. Our results show that K. arvensis nectar chemistry varies with the composition of the surrounding plant community, which may alter the taste and nutritional value and thus affect the plant’s visitor spectrum and visitation rate. However, the strong inter-individual variation in nectar quality requires additional studies (e.g., in semi-field studies) to disentangle different biotic and abiotic factors contributing to inter-individual nectar chemistry in a plant-community context.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Climate-induced phenological shift of apple trees has diverse effects on pollinators, herbivores and natural enemies
- Author
-
Ádám Kőrösi, Viktor Markó, Anikó Kovács-Hostyánszki, László Somay, Ákos Varga, Zoltán Elek, Virginie Boreux, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Rita Földesi, and András Báldi
- Subjects
Climate change ,Ecosystem services ,Pest control ,Phenological mismatch ,Pollination ,Trophic interactions ,Medicine ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
Climate change is altering the phenology of trophically linked organisms, leading to increased asynchrony between species with unknown consequences for ecosystem services. Although phenological mismatches are reported from several ecosystems, experimental evidence for altering multiple ecosystem services is hardly available. We examined how the phenological shift of apple trees affected the abundance and diversity of pollinators, generalist and specialist herbivores and predatory arthropods. We stored potted apple trees in the greenhouse or cold store in early spring before transferring them into orchards to cause mismatches and sampled arthropods on the trees repeatedly. Assemblages of pollinators on the manipulated and control trees differed markedly, but their overall abundance was similar indicating a potential insurance effect of wild bee diversity to ensure fruit set in flower-pollinator mismatch conditions. Specialized herbivores were almost absent from manipulated trees, while less-specialized ones showed diverse responses, confirming the expectation that more specialized interactions are more vulnerable to phenological mismatch. Natural enemies also responded to shifted apple tree phenology and the abundance of their prey. While arthropod abundances either declined or increased, species diversity tended to be lower on apple trees with shifted phenology. Our study indicates novel results on the role of biodiversity and specialization in plant-insect mismatch situations.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Effects of biodiversity strengthen over time as ecosystem functioning declines at low and increases at high biodiversity
- Author
-
Sebastian T. Meyer, Anne Ebeling, Nico Eisenhauer, Lionel Hertzog, Helmut Hillebrand, Alexandru Milcu, Sven Pompe, Maike Abbas, Holger Bessler, Nina Buchmann, Enrica De Luca, Christof Engels, Markus Fischer, Gerd Gleixner, Anika Hudewenz, Alexandra‐Maria Klein, Hans deKroon, Sophia Leimer, Hannah Loranger, Liesje Mommer, Yvonne Oelmann, Janneke M. Ravenek, Christiane Roscher, Tanja Rottstock, Christoph Scherber, Michael Scherer‐Lorenzen, Stefan Scheu, Bernhard Schmid, Ernst‐Detlef Schulze, Andrea Staudler, Tanja Strecker, Vicky Temperton, Teja Tscharntke, Anja Vogel, Winfried Voigt, Alexandra Weigelt, Wolfgang Wilcke, and Wolfgang W. Weisser
- Subjects
biodiversity ecosystem functioning (BEF) ,ecosystem processes ,grassland ,mechanism ,plant productivity ,plant species richness ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 - Abstract
Abstract Human‐caused declines in biodiversity have stimulated intensive research on the consequences of biodiversity loss for ecosystem services and policy initiatives to preserve the functioning of ecosystems. Short‐term biodiversity experiments have documented positive effects of plant species richness on many ecosystem functions, and longer‐term studies indicate, for some ecosystem functions, that biodiversity effects can become stronger over time. Theoretically, a biodiversity effect can strengthen over time by an increasing performance of high‐diversity communities, by a decreasing performance of low‐diversity communities, or a combination of both processes. Which of these two mechanisms prevail, and whether the increase in the biodiversity effect over time is a general property of many functions remains currently unclear. These questions are an important knowledge gap as a continuing decline in the performance of low‐diversity communities would indicate an ecosystem‐service debt resulting from delayed effects of species loss on ecosystem functioning. Conversely, an increased performance of high‐diversity communities over time would indicate that the benefits of biodiversity are generally underestimated in short‐term studies. Analyzing 50 ecosystem variables over 11 years in the world's largest grassland biodiversity experiment, we show that overall plant diversity effects strengthened over time. Strengthening biodiversity effects were independent of the considered compartment (above‐ or belowground), organizational level (ecosystem variables associated with the abiotic habitat, primary producers, or higher trophic levels such as herbivores and pollinators), and variable type (measurements of pools or rates). We found evidence that biodiversity effects strengthened because of both a progressive decrease in functioning in species‐poor and a progressive increase in functioning in species‐rich communities. Our findings provide evidence that negative feedback effects at low biodiversity are as important for biodiversity effects as complementarity among species at high biodiversity. Finally, our results indicate that a current loss of species will result in a future impairment of ecosystem functioning, potentially decades beyond the moment of species extinction.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Elementary School Children Contribute to Environmental Research as Citizen Scientists.
- Author
-
Victoria L Miczajka, Alexandra-Maria Klein, and Gesine Pufal
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Research benefits increasingly from valuable contributions by citizen scientists. Mostly, participating adults investigate specific species, ecosystems or phenology to address conservation issues, but ecosystem functions supporting ecosystem health are rarely addressed and other demographic groups rarely involved. As part of a project investigating seed predation and dispersal as ecosystem functions along an urban-rural gradient, we tested whether elementary school children can contribute to the project as citizen scientists. Specifically, we compared data estimating vegetation cover, measuring vegetation height and counting seeds from a seed removal experiment, that were collected by children and scientists in schoolyards. Children counted seeds similarly to scientists but under- or overestimated vegetation cover and measured different heights. We conclude that children can be involved as citizen scientists in research projects according to their skill level. However, more sophisticated tasks require specific training to become familiarized with scientific experiments and the development of needed skills and methods.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Inside Honeybee Hives: Impact of Natural Propolis on the Ectoparasitic Mite Varroa destructor and Viruses
- Author
-
Nora Drescher, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Peter Neumann, Orlando Yañez, and Sara D. Leonhardt
- Subjects
Apis mellifera ,deformed wing virus ,plant-insect interactions ,resin ,sacbrood virus ,social immunity ,Science - Abstract
Social immunity is a key factor for honeybee health, including behavioral defense strategies such as the collective use of antimicrobial plant resins (propolis). While laboratory data repeatedly show significant propolis effects, field data are scarce, especially at the colony level. Here, we investigated whether propolis, as naturally deposited in the nests, can protect honeybees against ectoparasitic mites Varroa destructor and associated viruses, which are currently considered the most serious biological threat to European honeybee subspecies, Apis mellifera, globally. Propolis intake of 10 field colonies was manipulated by either reducing or adding freshly collected propolis. Mite infestations, titers of deformed wing virus (DWV) and sacbrood virus (SBV), resin intake, as well as colony strength were recorded monthly from July to September 2013. We additionally examined the effect of raw propolis volatiles on mite survival in laboratory assays. Our results showed no significant effects of adding or removing propolis on mite survival and infestation levels. However, in relation to V. destructor, DWV titers increased significantly less in colonies with added propolis than in propolis-removed colonies, whereas SBV titers were similar. Colonies with added propolis were also significantly stronger than propolis-removed colonies. These findings indicate that propolis may interfere with the dynamics of V. destructor-transmitted viruses, thereby further emphasizing the importance of propolis for honeybee health.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Pollination and plant resources change the nutritional quality of almonds for human health.
- Author
-
Claire Brittain, Claire Kremen, Andrea Garber, and Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Insect-pollinated crops provide important nutrients for human health. Pollination, water and nutrients available to crops can influence yield, but it is not known if the nutritional value of the crop is also influenced. Almonds are an important source of critical nutrients for human health such as unsaturated fat and vitamin E. We manipulated the pollination of almond trees and the resources available to the trees, to investigate the impact on the nutritional composition of the crop. The pollination treatments were: (a) exclusion of pollinators to initiate self-pollination and (b) hand cross-pollination; the plant resource treatments were: (c) reduced water and (d) no fertilizer. In an orchard in northern California, trees were exposed to a single treatment or a combination of two (one pollination and one resource). Both the fat and vitamin E composition of the nuts were highly influenced by pollination. Lower proportions of oleic to linoleic acid, which are less desirable from both a health and commercial perspective, were produced by the self-pollinated trees. However, higher levels of vitamin E were found in the self-pollinated nuts. In some cases, combined changes in pollination and plant resources sharpened the pollination effects, even when plant resources were not influencing the nutrients as an individual treatment. This study highlights the importance of insects as providers of cross-pollination for fruit quality that can affect human health, and, for the first time, shows that other environmental factors can sharpen the effect of pollination. This contributes to an emerging field of research investigating the complexity of interactions of ecosystem services affecting the nutritional value and commercial quality of crops.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. A unique nest-protection strategy in a new species of spider wasp.
- Author
-
Michael Staab, Michael Ohl, Chao-Dong Zhu, and Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Hymenoptera show a great variation in reproductive potential and nesting behavior, from thousands of eggs in sawflies to just a dozen in nest-provisioning wasps. Reduction in reproductive potential in evolutionary derived Hymenoptera is often facilitated by advanced behavioral mechanisms and nesting strategies. Here we describe a surprising nesting behavior that was previously unknown in the entire animal kingdom: the use of a vestibular cell filled with dead ants in a new spider wasp (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) species collected with trap nests in South-East China. We scientifically describe the 'Bone-house Wasp' as Deuteragenia ossarium sp. nov., named after graveyard bone-houses or ossuaries. We show that D. ossarium nests are less vulnerable to natural enemies than nests of other sympatric trap-nesting wasps, suggesting an effective nest protection strategy, most likely by utilizing chemical cues emanating from the dead ants.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Correction: Corrigendum: Delivery of crop pollination services is an insufficient argument for wild pollinator conservation
- Author
-
David Kleijn, Rachael Winfree, Ignasi Bartomeus, Luísa G Carvalheiro, Mickaël Henry, Rufus Isaacs, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Claire Kremen, Leithen K. M’Gonigle, Romina Rader, Taylor H. Ricketts, Neal M. Williams, Nancy Lee Adamson, John S. Ascher, András Báldi, Péter Batáry, Faye Benjamin, Jacobus C. Biesmeijer, Eleanor J. Blitzer, Riccardo Bommarco, Mariëtte R. Brand, Vincent Bretagnolle, Lindsey Button, Daniel P. Cariveau, Rémy Chifflet, Jonathan F. Colville, Bryan N. Danforth, Elizabeth Elle, Michael P. D. Garratt, Felix Herzog, Andrea Holzschuh, Brad G. Howlett, Frank Jauker, Shalene Jha, Eva Knop, Kristin M. Krewenka, Violette Le Féon, Yael Mandelik, Emily A. May, Mia G. Park, Gideon Pisanty, Menno Reemer, Verena Riedinger, Orianne Rollin, Maj Rundlöf, Hillary S. Sardiñas, Jeroen Scheper, Amber R. Sciligo, Henrik G. Smith, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Robbin Thorp, Teja Tscharntke, Jort Verhulst, Blandina F. Viana, Bernard E. Vaissiére, Ruan Veldtman, Kimiora L. Ward, Catrin Westphal, and Simon G. Potts
- Subjects
Science - Abstract
Nature Communications 6: Article number: 7414 (2015); Published: 16 June 2015; Updated: 18 February 2016. The authors inadvertently omitted Kimiora L. Ward, who managed and contributed data, from the author list. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Contribution of pollinator-mediated crops to nutrients in the human food supply.
- Author
-
Elisabeth J Eilers, Claire Kremen, Sarah Smith Greenleaf, Andrea K Garber, and Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
The contribution of nutrients from animal pollinated world crops has not previously been evaluated as a biophysical measure for the value of pollination services. This study evaluates the nutritional composition of animal-pollinated world crops. We calculated pollinator dependent and independent proportions of different nutrients of world crops, employing FAO data for crop production, USDA data for nutritional composition, and pollinator dependency data according to Klein et al. (2007). Crop plants that depend fully or partially on animal pollinators contain more than 90% of vitamin C, the whole quantity of Lycopene and almost the full quantity of the antioxidants β-cryptoxanthin and β-tocopherol, the majority of the lipid, vitamin A and related carotenoids, calcium and fluoride, and a large portion of folic acid. Ongoing pollinator decline may thus exacerbate current difficulties of providing a nutritionally adequate diet for the global human population.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Resource Heterogeneity Moderates the Biodiversity-Function Relationship in Real World Ecosystems.
- Author
-
Jason M Tylianakis, Tatyana A Rand, Ansgar Kahmen, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Nina Buchmann, Jörg Perner, and Teja Tscharntke
- Subjects
Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
In heterogeneous natural habitats, diverse plant, pollinator, and parasitoid communities can better partition resources and grow, pollinate, and consume at the highest rate.
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Some thoughts on transparency of the data and analysis behind the Highly Cited Researchers list.
- Author
-
Alexandra-Maria Klein and Nina Kranke
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Economic Evaluation of Pollination Services Comparing Coffee Landscapes in Ecuador and Indonesia
- Author
-
Roland Olschewski, Teja Tscharntke, Pablo C. Benítez, Stefan Schwarze, and Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Subjects
biodiversity conservation ,certified shaded coffee ,environmental services ,pest management ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Ecology ,QH540-549.5 - Abstract
Biodiversity conservation through land-use systems on private land is becoming a pressing environmental policy issue. Agroforestry, such as shade-coffee production, contributes to biodiversity conservation. However, falling coffee prices force many coffee growers to convert their sites into economically more attractive land uses. We performed an economic evaluation of coffee pollination by bees in two distinct tropical regions: an area of low human impact with forests neighboring agroforestry in Indonesia and an area of high human impact with little remaining forest in Ecuador. We evaluated bee pollination for different forest-destruction scenarios, where coffee yields depend on forests to provide nesting sites for bees. We used two novel approaches. First, we examined how coffee net revenues depend on the pollination services of adjacent forests by considering berry weight in addition to fruit set, thereby providing a comprehensive evaluation. Second, we determined the net welfare effects of land-use changes, including the fact that former forestland is normally used for alternative crops. In both regions, crop revenues exceeded coffee pollination values, generating incentives to convert forests, even if owners would be compensated for pollination services. The promotion of certified "biodiversity-friendly" coffee is a feasible option to maintain shade-coffee systems. This is of special importance in high-impact areas where only small forest fragments remain. We conclude that a comprehensive economic analysis is necessary to adequately evaluate rainforest preservation for the enhancement of ecosystem services, such as pollination.
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Mulching time of forest meadows influences insect diversity
- Author
-
Maria M. Georgi, Stefanie M. Gärtner, Marc I. Förschler, Jörn Buse, Felix Fornoff, Axel Ssymank, Yvonne Oelmann, and Alexandra‐Maria Klein
- Subjects
Insect Science ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Published
- 2023
35. Verges Along Forest Roads Promote Wild Bees
- Author
-
Tristan Eckerter, Jörn Erbacher, Wanja Wolf, Veronika Braunisch, and Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Subjects
Ecology ,Ecological Modeling ,Forestry - Abstract
Forests in Germany are occupied with roads, paths, and trails with a density of 5.03 km/km². Their construction and maintenance create a network of verges promoting flowering plants. Whether these verges are visited by bees, which factors are determining their abundance, diversity, and composition, and which flowering resources are used is unknown. We selected 13 verges in the Black Forest (Germany), sweep-netted wild bees along transects, calculated the flowering area of all herbs, and measured the area (hectares) of grassland within 1 km around the transects. To evaluate the resource use of a common bumblebee species, we analyzed the pollen load of common carder bees (Bombus pascuorum) using microscopes. The abundance and diversity of wild bees was positively related to flowering area. With an increasing area of grassland, the abundance of ubiquitous species increased. Wild bee community composition was driven by flowering area. Common carder bees collected pollen from several flower resources but mainly used few species, such as the common hemp nettle (Galeopsis tetrahit L.). As the flowering area influenced wild bee abundance, diversity, and composition, we suggest creating road verges that favor the occurrence of native flowering plants to support wild bees in forest ecosystems. Study Implications: Forest road verges generally have higher light availability than the forest interior and therefore have higher availability of flowering plants. Although the importance of verges for wild bee conservation in agricultural landscapes is known, forest road verges are understudied. Our study demonstrates that forest road verges are important habitats for many ubiquitous bees and that the flowering area on these verges is the key determinant for the abundance and diversity of wild bees. Therefore, creating road verges that favor the occurrence of native flowering plants is key to support bees on these verges.
- Published
- 2022
36. Wild bee communities benefit from temporal complementarity of hedges and flower strips in apple orchards
- Author
-
Vivien von Königslöw, Felix Fornoff, and Alexandra‐Maria Klein
- Subjects
Ecology - Published
- 2022
37. Machine learning algorithms to infer trait matching and predict species interactions in ecological networks.
- Author
-
Maximilian Pichler, Virginie Boreux, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Matthias Schleuning, and Florian Hartig
- Published
- 2019
38. Carbon–biodiversity relationships in a highly diverse subtropical forest
- Author
-
Andreas Schuldt, Xiaojuan Liu, François Buscot, Helge Bruelheide, Alexandra Erfmeier, Jin‐Sheng He, Alexandra‐Maria Klein, Keping Ma, Michael Scherer‐Lorenzen, Bernhard Schmid, Thomas Scholten, Zhiyao Tang, Stefan Trogisch, Christian Wirth, Tesfaye Wubet, and Michael Staab
- Subjects
Global and Planetary Change ,Ecology ,Environmental Chemistry ,General Environmental Science - Published
- 2023
39. How to do biodiversity-related science communication
- Author
-
Jonas Geschke, Matthias Rillig, Katrin Böhning-Gaese, Thomas Potthast, Adina Arth, Lynn Dicks, Fritz Habekuss, Daniela Kleinschmit, Harald Lesch, Eva Spehn, Silvio Wenzel, Markus Fischer, and Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Abstract
Biodiversity is the foundation of our lives. Yet we destroy ecosystems and drive species to extinction. Human-induced biodiversity loss does not yet receive sufficient public attention, although biodiversity is fundamental for dealing with global environmental crises. Effective communication of biodiversity-related knowledge is challenging but crucial and should contribute to evidence-based decision-making transparent to the public. It is essential to promote science communication on biodiversity, and to stimulate dialogue between science, policy, and society. We emphasize the role of science journalism in critically mediating the complexity of scientific knowledge and suggest Dos and Don'ts for scientists to guide biodiversity-related science communication.
- Published
- 2023
40. Milestone 15 Protocols for semi-field and field experiments
- Author
-
Matthew J Allan, Robin Dean, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Dimitry Wintermantel, Matthias Albrecht, Janine Schwarz, and Anina Knauer
- Abstract
Under the terms of the PoshBee agreement, the members tasked with delivering Work Package 7 carried out semi-field and field studies on honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees. These studies involved the exposure of the bees to more than one stressor, for example a fungicide and an insecticide or a fungicide and a nutritional deficiency. This is in contrast to the conventional study design where one stressor or product alone is assessed.These studies built upon recommendations by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Prevention of Honeybee Colony Losses (COLOSS), and the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The team of researchers incorporated several innovative approaches in designing and carrying out the studies. In the authors’ view both the quality and quantity of data required for ecotoxicology studies can be improved by adoption of novel methods, including electronic means and artificial intelligence, and the design, manufacture and use of equipment specifically for such studies. Several examples are described.It is the intention of the team to include in this document practical advice for workers who are not familiar with such studies.
- Published
- 2023
41. Logging effects on parasitic infections in a swamp rat (Malacomys edwardsi) in West Africa
- Author
-
Eric Adjei Lawer, Anne-Christine Mupepele, Esther Love Darkoh, Nina Farwig, Seth Oware, John Asiedu Larbi, Godwin Essiaw-Quayson, and Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Subjects
Ecology ,Genetics ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Nature and Landscape Conservation - Abstract
Habitat disturbance can have negative impacts on biodiversity, such as reducing species richness. The effects of habitat disturbances on parasite infections of host species, potentially altering their survival rate and thus abundance, are less well known. We examined the influence of forest logging in combination with seasonality, host abundance, host body condition, and host sex, on the community composition of gastrointestinal parasites infecting Edward’s swamp rat, Malacomys edwardsi. Community composition of parasites did not differ between logged and undisturbed sites, but the abundance of some nematodes (i.e., Ascaris and hookworm) was higher in undisturbed than logged sites. The higher abundance of these nematode species implies a changed host-parasite relationship, thus potentially influencing host persistence.
- Published
- 2021
42. Pollinator enhancement in agriculture: comparing sown flower strips, hedges and sown hedge herb layers in apple orchards
- Author
-
Vivien Von Königslöw, Alexandra-Maria Klein, and Felix Fornoff
- Subjects
Ecology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Nature and Landscape Conservation - Abstract
In intensive agricultural landscapes semi-natural habitats for pollinators are often limited, although willingness to establish pollinator habitat is increasing among farmers. A common pollinator enhancement measure is to provide flower strips, but existent or improved hedgerows might be more effective. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of three pollinator enhancement measures at edges of conventional apple orchards: (i) perennial flower strips, (ii) existent hedgerows, and (iii) existent hedgerows complemented with a sown herb layer. We used orchard edges without any enhancement as control. The study took place over three consecutive years in Southern Germany. Wild bee abundance and species richness were highest in flower strips followed by improved hedges. Hoverflies were also most abundant in flower strips, but not more species rich than at control sites. Wild bee but not hoverfly community composition differed between control and enhancement sites. The overall pollinator community included only few threatened or specialized species. Flower abundance was the main driver for wild bee diversity, whereas hoverflies were largely unaffected by floral resources. Pollinator enhancement had neither an effect on the abundance or species richness within the orchards nor on apple flower visitation. Perennial flower strips seem most effective to enhance wild bees in intensive agricultural landscapes. Additionally, flower-rich hedgerows should be promoted to complement flower strips by extending the flowering period and to increase connectivity of pollinator habitat in agricultural landscapes.
- Published
- 2021
43. Biodiversity in European agricultural landscapes: transformative societal changes needed
- Author
-
Alexandra-Maria Klein, Carsten A. Brühl, Annette Freibauer, Anne-Christine Mupepele, Wolfgang Wägele, Michaela Fenske, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Sebastian Lakner, Andreas Krüß, Bärbel Gerowitt, Thomas Potthast, Sabine Schlacke, Katrin Böhning-Gaese, Hartmut Stützel, Helge Bruelheide, Ralf Seppelt, Jens Dauber, and Tobias Plieninger
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,2. Zero hunger ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,0303 health sciences ,Civil society ,business.industry ,Natural resource economics ,Social change ,Biodiversity ,Agriculture ,15. Life on land ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,Politics ,Transformative learning ,13. Climate action ,Political science ,Sustainable agriculture ,Food processing ,business ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Agricultural landscapes ,030304 developmental biology - Abstract
Reversing the decline of biodiversity in European agricultural landscapes is urgent. We suggest eight measures addressing politics, economics, and civil society to instigate transformative changes in agricultural landscapes. We emphasize the need for a well-informed society and political measures promoting sustainable farming by combining food production and biodiversity conservation.
- Published
- 2021
44. Nutritional stress exacerbates impact of a novel insecticide on solitary bees' behaviour, reproduction and survival
- Author
-
Anina C. Knauer, Cedric Alaux, Matthew J. Allan, Robin R. Dean, Virginie Dievart, Gaétan Glauser, Tomasz Kiljanek, Denis Michez, Janine M. Schwarz, Giovanni Tamburini, Dimitry Wintermantel, Alexandra-Maria Klein, and Matthias Albrecht
- Subjects
Insecticides ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,Animals ,General Medicine ,Bees ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,General Environmental Science ,Environmental Policy - Abstract
Pesticide exposure and food stress are major threats to bees, but their potential synergistic impacts under field-realistic conditions remain poorly understood and are not considered in current pesticide risk assessments. We conducted a semi-field experiment to examine the single and interactive effects of the novel insecticide flupyradifurone (FPF) and nutritional stress on fitness proxies in the solitary bee Osmia bicornis . Individually marked bees were released into flight cages with monocultures of buckwheat, wild mustard or purple tansy, which were assigned to an insecticide treatment (FPF or control) in a crossed design. Nutritional stress, which was high in bees foraging on buckwheat, intermediate on wild mustard and low on purple tansy, modulated the impact of insecticide exposure. Within the first day after application of FPF, mortality of bees feeding on buckwheat was 29 times higher compared with control treatments, while mortality of FPF exposed and control bees was similar in the other two plant species. Moreover, we found negative synergistic impacts of FPF and nutritional stress on offspring production, flight activity, flight duration and flower visitation frequency. These results reveal that environmental policies and risk assessment schemes that ignore interactions among anthropogenic stressors will fail to adequately protect bees and the pollination services they provide.
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- 2022
45. Tree species and genetic diversity increase productivity via functional diversity and trophic feedbacks
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Naili Zhang, Ting Tang, Franca J Bongers, Michael Staab, Andreas Schuldt, Felix Fornoff, Hong Lin, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Andrew L Hipp, Shan Li, Yu Liang, Baocai Han, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Helge Bruelheide, Walter Durka, Bernhard Schmid, Keping Ma, Xiaojuan Liu, and University of Zurich
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General Immunology and Microbiology ,General Neuroscience ,Genetic Variation ,Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Biodiversity ,General Medicine ,respiratory system ,Forests ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Trees ,Feedback ,Soil ,10122 Institute of Geography ,General Biochemistry ,910 Geography & travel ,human activities ,Ecosystem - Abstract
Addressing global biodiversity loss requires an expanded focus on multiple dimensions of biodiversity. While most studies have focused on the consequences of plant interspecific diversity, our mechanistic understanding of how genetic diversity within plant species affects plant productivity remains limited. Here, we use a tree species × genetic diversity experiment to disentangle the effects of species diversity and genetic diversity on tree productivity, and how they are related to tree functional diversity and trophic feedbacks. We found that tree species diversity increased tree productivity via increased tree functional diversity, reduced soil fungal diversity, and marginally reduced herbivory. The effects of tree genetic diversity on productivity via functional diversity and soil fungal diversity were negative in monocultures but positive in the mixture of the four tree species tested. Given the complexity of interactions between species and genetic diversity, tree functional diversity and trophic feedbacks on productivity, we suggest that both tree species and genetic diversity should be considered in afforestation.Biodiversity, the richness of species in a given ecosystem, is essential for maintaining ecological functions. This is supported by many long-term biodiversity experiments where researchers manipulated the numbers of tree species they planted in a forest and then evaluated both its productivity (how much biological material the forest produced in a given timeframe) and the health of its trees. This work contributed to our understanding of forest ecology and paved the way for better reforestation approaches. The most important observation was that diverse forests, which contain several tree species, are more productive and healthier than monocultures where a single tree species dominates. However, it remained unclear what the role of genetic diversity within individual tree species is in determining productivity and health of forests. Tang, Zhang et al. set out to improve on previous studies on tree genetic diversity and community productivity by looking at two possible mechanisms that might affect the productivity of a forest ecosystem using publicly available data. First, they looked at the diversity of traits found within a tree population, which determines what resources in the ecosystem the trees can exploit; for example, trees with varied specific leaf areas (that is the ratio between a leaf’s area and its dry mass) have more access to different intensities of sunlight for photosynthesis, allowing the whole forest to gain more biomass. Second, they considered interactions with other organisms such as herbivore animals and soil fungi that affect tree growth by either consuming their leaves or competing for the same resources. Tang, Zhang et al. used a mathematical model to interpret a complex dataset that includes multiple parameters for each of four types of forest: a forest with a single tree species seeded from a single parent tree (which will have low species and genetic diversity), a forest with a single tree species seeded from several parent trees (low species diversity and high genetic diversity, due to the diversity of parents), a forest with four tree species each seeded from a single parent tree (high species diversity and low genetic diversity), and a forest with four tree species each seeded from several parent trees (high species and genetic diversity). Using their model, Tang, Zhang et al. determined that species diversity promotes productivity because the increased diversity of traits allows trees to exploit more of the surrounding resources. Genetic diversity, on the other hand, did not seem to have a direct effect on overall productivity. However, greater genetic diversity did coincide with an increase in the diversity of traits in forests with a single tree species, which led to a decrease in damage to tree leaves by herbivores. This suggests that high genetic diversity in species-rich forests is likely also beneficial as herbivores are less able to damage tree foliage. As expected, in single-species forests with both low and high genetic diversity, higher soil fungi diversity was associated with a loss in productivity. Interestingly, in forests that had high species and genetic diversity, this effect was reversed, and higher genetic diversity reduced the loss of productivity caused by soil fungi, resulting in higher productivity overall. These results should be considered in reforestation projects to promote genetic diversity of trees on top of species diversity when replanting. How genetic diversity leads to downstream mechanisms that benefit community productivity is not fully understood and future research could look at what specific genetic features matter most to help select the ideal mixture of trees to maximize productivity and increase the land’s ecological and economic value.
- Published
- 2022
46. Reprint of: Tree diversity promotes predatory wasps and parasitoids but not pollinator bees in a subtropical experimental forest
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Peng-Fei Guo, Ming-Qiang Wang, Michael Orr, Yi Li, Jing-Ting Chen, Qing-Song Zhou, Michael Staab, Felix Fornoff, Guo-Hua Chen, Nai-Li Zhang, Alexandra-Maria Klein, and Chao-Dong Zhu
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Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Published
- 2021
47. Design and Planning of a Transdisciplinary Investigation into Farmland Pollinators: Rationale, Co-Design, and Lessons Learned
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Simon Hodge, Oliver Schweiger, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Simon G. Potts, Cecilia Costa, Matthias Albrecht, Joachim R. de Miranda, Marika Mand, Pilar De la Rúa, Maj Rundlöf, Eleanor Attridge, Robin Dean, Philippe Bulet, Denis Michez, Robert J. Paxton, Aurélie Babin, Nicolas Cougoule, Marion Laurent, Anne-Claire Martel, Laurianne Paris, Marie-Pierre Rivière, Eric Dubois, Marie-Pierre Chauzat, Karim Arafah, Dalel Askri, Sebastien N. Voisin, Tomasz Kiljanek, Irene Bottero, Christophe Dominik, Giovanni Tamburini, Maria Helena Pereira-Peixoto, Dimitry Wintermantel, Tom D. Breeze, Elena Cini, Deepa Senapathi, Gennaro Di Prisco, Piotr Medrzycki, Steffen Hagenbucher, Anina Knauer, Janine M. Schwarz, Risto Raimets, Vicente Martínez-López, Kjell Ivarsson, Chris Hartfield, Pamela Hunter, Mark J. F. Brown, Jane C. Stout, Trinity College Dublin, Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung = Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), University of Freiburg [Freiburg], University of Reading (UOR), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche [Bologna] (CNR), Agroscope, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMU), Universidad de Murcia, Lund University [Lund], The Red Beehive Co. Ltd, Partenaires INRAE, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Mons [Belgium] (UMONS), Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Unité Pathologie de l'abeille (UPA), Laboratoire de Sophia Antipolis, Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES)-Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES), Laboratoire de santé animale, sites de Maisons-Alfort et de Normandie, Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES), BioPark Archamps (BioPark), National Veterinary Research Institute [Pulawy, Pologne] (NVRI), Swedish Farmers' Foundation for Agricultural Research, National Farmers' Union, British Beekeepers Association, Royal Holloway [University of London] (RHUL), and European Project: 773921,Horizon 2020,PoshBee(2018)
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landscape ecology ,[SDV.BA.MVSA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Veterinary medicine and animal Health ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,pan-European ,Geography, Planning and Development ,Building and Construction ,pesticides ,Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law ,bees ,bee pathogens ,insect declines ,pollinators ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology - Abstract
International audience; To provide a complete portrayal of the multiple factors negatively impacting insects in agricultural landscapes it is necessary to assess the concurrent incidence, magnitude, and interactions among multiple stressors over substantial biogeographical scales. Trans-national ecological field investigations with wide-ranging stakeholders typically encounter numerous challenges during the design planning stages, not least that the scientific soundness of a spatially replicated study design must account for the substantial geographic and climatic variation among distant sites. ‘PoshBee’ (Pan-European assessment, monitoring, and mitigation of Stressors on the Health of Bees) is a multi-partner transdisciplinary agroecological project established to investigate the suite of stressors typically encountered by pollinating insects in European agricultural landscapes. To do this, PoshBee established a network of 128 study sites across eight European countries and collected over 50 measurements and samples relating to the nutritional, toxicological, pathogenic, and landscape components of the bees’ environment. This paper describes the development process, rationale, and end-result of each aspect of the of the PoshBee field investigation. We describe the main issues and challenges encountered during the design stages and highlight a number of actions or processes that may benefit other multi-partner research consortia planning similar large-scale studies. It was soon identified that in a multi-component study design process, the development of interaction and communication networks involving all collaborators and stakeholders requires considerable time and resources. It was also necessary at each planning stage to be mindful of the needs and objectives of all stakeholders and partners, and further challenges inevitably arose when practical limitations, such as time restrictions and labour constraints, were superimposed upon prototype study designs. To promote clarity for all stakeholders, for each sub-component of the study, there should be a clear record of the rationale and reasoning that outlines how the final design transpired, what compromises were made, and how the requirements of different stakeholders were accomplished. Ultimately, multi-national agroecological field studies such as PoshBee benefit greatly from the involvement of diverse stakeholders and partners, ranging from field ecologists, project managers, policy legislators, mathematical modelers, and farmer organisations. While the execution of the study highlighted the advantages and benefits of large-scale transdisciplinary projects, the long planning period emphasized the need to formally describe a design framework that could facilitate the design process of future multi-partner collaborations.
- Published
- 2022
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- View/download PDF
48. Author response: Tree species and genetic diversity increase productivity via functional diversity and trophic feedbacks
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Naili Zhang, Ting Tang, Franca J Bongers, Michael Staab, Andreas Schuldt, Felix Fornoff, Hong Lin, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Andrew L Hipp, Shan Li, Yu Liang, Baocai Han, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Helge Bruelheide, Walter Durka, Bernhard Schmid, Keping Ma, and Xiaojuan Liu
- Published
- 2022
49. Environmentally-friendly and organic management practices enable complementary diversification of plant–bumblebee food webs
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Riho Marja, Eneli Viik, Alexandra-Maria Klein, and Péter Batáry
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0106 biological sciences ,Resource (biology) ,biology ,Intensive farming ,Agroforestry ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Food web ,Diversity index ,Geography ,Habitat ,Organic farming ,Arable land ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Bumblebee ,010606 plant biology & botany - Abstract
Plant and pollinator diversity have declined concurrently in Europe in the last half century. We studied plant–bumblebee food webs to understand the effects of two agri-environmental schemes (AES, organic farming and environmentally-friendly management practice) vs. conventional farming as control group, landscape structure (heterogeneous vs. homogeneous landscapes) and seasonality (June, July, and August) interactions using Estonian AES monitoring data. In the summer of 2014, we observed foraging bumblebees (20 species) on 64 farms that varied in agricultural management and landscape structure, yielding a total of 2303 flower visits on 76 plant species. We found that both management practice and landscape structure influenced the generality (redundancy in the use of flower resources) of food webs. In homogeneous landscapes, environmentally-friendly management practices, including restrictions on the application of glyphosates, enhancement of bumblebee habitats, such as permanent grassland field margins, the allocation of a minimum of 15% of arable land (including rotational grasslands) to legumes, contributed to a higher number of visited plant species (generality) in July, whereas organic farming did so in August. Therefore, both environmentally-friendly and organic management practices are needed to support plant–bumblebee food webs in agricultural landscapes. Food web generality and diversity (Shannon index) are affected by a significant interaction between landscape structure and seasonality: food web diversity varied in homogeneous landscapes between the three different survey months, whereas food webs were more diverse in heterogeneous landscapes. We did not find any significant interaction effect of management, landscape structure and seasonality on linkage density and vulnerability. A full list of the most visited plant species by bumblebees based on species-specific flower visitation was also assembled. In homogeneous landscapes, resource limitation is an issue for bumblebees in certain time periods. For supporting bumblebees in the agricultural landscapes, avoiding resource limitation is important and this can be secured with a combination of AES management practices.
- Published
- 2021
50. Tree diversity promotes predatory wasps and parasitoids but not pollinator bees in a subtropical experimental forest
- Author
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Yi Li, Felix Fornoff, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Michael C. Orr, Peng-Fei Guo, Naili Zhang, Jing-Ting Chen, Guo-Hua Chen, Qing-Song Zhou, Ming-Qiang Wang, Michael Staab, and Chao-Dong Zhu
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0106 biological sciences ,Ecology ,fungi ,Biodiversity ,Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ,Hymenoptera ,Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,Pollinator ,Abundance (ecology) ,Temperate climate ,Species richness ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,010606 plant biology & botany - Abstract
From regional to global scales, anthropogenic environmental change is causing biodiversity loss and reducing ecosystem functionality. Previous studies have investigated the relationship between plant diversity and functional insect communities in temperate and also in tropical grasslands and forests. However, few studies have explored these dynamics in subtropical forests. Here, cavity-nesting Hymenoptera and associated parasitoids were collected across a controlled tree diversity experiment in subtropical China to test how predatory wasps, bees and parasitoids respond to tree species richness. Abundance and species richness of predatory wasps and parasitoids were positively correlated with tree species richness, while bee abundance and bee species richness were unrelated to tree species richness. Our results indicate that tree species richness increases the abundance and species richness of important communities such as predators and parasitoids. Moreover, the results highlight the importance of subtropical forests in maintaining abundance and species richness of key functional insect groups.
- Published
- 2021
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