Contrasting effects of natural shrubland and plantation forests on bee assemblages at neighboring apple orchards in Beijing, China. (September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, Panlong; Axmacher, Jan C.; Li, Xuedong; Song, Xiao; Yu, Zhenrong; Xu, Huanli; Tscharntke, Teja; Westphal, Catrin; Liu, Yunhui
• Is Part Of: Biological conservation. Volume 237(2019)
• Page Start: 456
• Page End: 462
• Publication Date: 2019-09
• Subjects: Dispersal ability -- Flowering ground-cover -- Habitat restoration -- Landscape composition -- Pollinator; Conservation of natural resources -- Periodicals; Nature conservation -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Periodicals; Environment -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 333.9516
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.07.029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0006-3207

Abstract

Abstract: Wild bees provide important pollination services for crops and wild plants. While land use intensification has resulted in steep declines of wild bee diversity across agricultural landscapes, the creation of semi-natural habitats has been proposed as a counter-measure. However, the relative value of semi-natural and natural habitats in promoting wild bees has rarely been studied, especially for China that harbors the world's largest plantation forest area, characterized by intensively managed, mono-dominant stands of wind-pollinated tree species. We sampled wild bees in apple orchards to assess how their assemblages were influenced by semi-natural habitats in the surrounding landscape and the local flowering ground-cover. Bee abundance declined with increasing isolation from natural shrubland. In contrast, wild bee diversity and abundance were negatively linked to plantation forests. For the abundance of large bees, this effect was partly ameliorated by local flowering ground-cover. Maintaining or restoring wild bee assemblages in agricultural landscapes therefore requires careful evaluations of restoration measures such as forest planting. Availability of local flower resources and nearby natural shrubland appeared particularly important to enhance wild bees and their potential services in apple orchards.