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Effects of flowering plant's patch size on species composition of pollinator communities, foraging strategies, and resource partitioning in bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Effects of flowering plant's patch size on species composition of pollinator communities,... In 4 common Middle-European mainly bumblebee-pollinated plant species ( Impatiens glandulifera, Echium vulgare, Aconitum napellus, Symphytum officinale ) the influence of patch size on species composition of the pollinator community was studied. Short-tongued species were most dominant in large patches, while small patches were frequented by middle- and long-tongued bumblebees. This phenomenon was extremely obvious in Symphytum officinale and Aconitum napellus , where short-tongued species had bitten a hole in nearly every flower of large patches. Long-tongued species were forced to small patches, where nectarrobbing occurred only exceptionally. In small patches visitationrate (Number of visits per flower per hour) was not lower but either equal or even higher then in large patches. Nectar measurements in Echium vulgare showed, that not only the mean quantity of nectar but also the variance was lower in small patches. As a result, the possible gain can be predicted much more precisely in a small patch than in a large one, and bumblebees have less difficulties in making the right foraging decisions. According to this, foraging strategies depend on patch size. This was confirmed by a computer simulation. The conclusion can be drawn, that many bumblebee species are able to share the same resource by using different patch sizes. Since large flower patches occur mainly in man-made habitats, the dominance of short-tongued species in many bumblebee communities studied by other authors may be unnatural. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Oecologia Springer Journals

Effects of flowering plant's patch size on species composition of pollinator communities, foraging strategies, and resource partitioning in bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Sowig, Peter
Oecologia , Volume 78 (4) – Mar 1, 1989
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9 pages

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References (29)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 1989 by Springer-Verlag
Subject
Life Sciences; Ecology; Plant Sciences
ISSN
0029-8549
eISSN
1432-1939
DOI
10.1007/BF00378747
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

In 4 common Middle-European mainly bumblebee-pollinated plant species ( Impatiens glandulifera, Echium vulgare, Aconitum napellus, Symphytum officinale ) the influence of patch size on species composition of the pollinator community was studied. Short-tongued species were most dominant in large patches, while small patches were frequented by middle- and long-tongued bumblebees. This phenomenon was extremely obvious in Symphytum officinale and Aconitum napellus , where short-tongued species had bitten a hole in nearly every flower of large patches. Long-tongued species were forced to small patches, where nectarrobbing occurred only exceptionally. In small patches visitationrate (Number of visits per flower per hour) was not lower but either equal or even higher then in large patches. Nectar measurements in Echium vulgare showed, that not only the mean quantity of nectar but also the variance was lower in small patches. As a result, the possible gain can be predicted much more precisely in a small patch than in a large one, and bumblebees have less difficulties in making the right foraging decisions. According to this, foraging strategies depend on patch size. This was confirmed by a computer simulation. The conclusion can be drawn, that many bumblebee species are able to share the same resource by using different patch sizes. Since large flower patches occur mainly in man-made habitats, the dominance of short-tongued species in many bumblebee communities studied by other authors may be unnatural.

Journal

Oecologia – Springer Journals

Published: Mar 1, 1989

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