Spatio-temporal dynamics of landscape use by the bumblebee Bombus pauloensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and its relationship with pollen provisioning

Understanding how bees use resources at a landscape scale is essential for developing meaningful management plans that sustain populations and the pollination services they provide. Bumblebees are important pollinators for many wild and cultivated plants, and have experienced steep population declines worldwide. Bee foraging behavior can be influenced by resource availability and bees’ lifecycle stage. To better understand these relationships, we studied the habitat selection of Bombus pauloensis by tracking 17 queen bumblebees with radio telemetry in blueberry fields in Entre Ríos province, Argentina. To evaluate land use and floral resources used by bumblebees, we tracked bees before and after nest establishment and estimated home ranges using minimum convex polygons and kernel density methods. We also classified the pollen on their bodies to identify the floral resources they used from the floral species available at that time. We characterized land use for each bee as the relative proportion of GPS points inside of each land use. Bumblebees differed markedly in their movement behavior in relation to pre and post nest establishment. Bees moved over larger areas, and mostly within blueberry fields, before nest establishment. In contrast, after establishing the nest, the bees preferred the edges near forest plantations and they changed the nutritional resources to prefer wild floral species. Our study is the first to track queen bumblebee movements in an agricultural setting and relate movement changes across time and space with pollen resource availability. This study provides insight into the way bumblebee queens use different habitat elements at crucial periods in their lifecycle, showing the importance of mass flowering crops like blueberry in the first stages of queen’s lifecycle, and how diversified landscapes help support bee populations as their needs changes during different phases of their lifecycle.EEA ConcordiaFil: Cavigliasso, Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Concordia; ArgentinaFil: Phifer, Colin C. Michigan Technological University. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; Estados UnidosFil: Adams, Erika M. Michigan Technological University. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; Estados UnidosFil: Flaspohler, David J. Michigan Technological University. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; EstadosFil: Gennari, Gerardo Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; ArgentinaFil: Licata, Julián Andrés. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Concordia; ArgentinaFil: Chacoff, Natacha Paola. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentin

Birds and bioenergy within the americas: A cross‐national, social–ecological study of ecosystem service tradeoffs

Although renewable energy holds great promise in mitigating climate change, there are socioeconomic and ecological tradeoffs related to each form of renewable energy. Forest‐related bioenergy is especially controversial, because tree plantations often replace land that could be used to grow food crops and can have negative impacts on biodiversity. In this study, we examined public perceptions and ecosystem service tradeoffs between the provisioning services associated with cover types associated with bioenergy crop (feedstock) production and forest habitat‐related supporting services for birds, which themselves provide cultural and regulating services. We combined a social survey‐based assessment of local values and perceptions with measures of bioenergy feedstock production impacts on bird habitat in four countries: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and the USA. Respondents in all countries rated birds as important or very important (83–99% of respondents) and showed lower enthusiasm for, but still supported, the expansion of bioenergy feedstocks (48–60% of respondents). Bioenergy feedstock cover types in Brazil and Argentina had the greatest negative impact on birds but had a positive impact on birds in the USA. In Brazil and Mexico, public perceptions aligned fairly well with the realities of the impacts of potential bioenergy feedstocks on bird communities. However, in Argentina and the USA, perceptions of bioenergy impacts on birds did not match well with the data. Understanding people’s values and perceptions can help inform better policy and management decisions regarding land use changes

Transatlantic wood pellet trade demonstrates telecoupled benefits

European demand for renewable energy resources has led to rapidly increasing transatlantic exports of wood pellets from the southeastern United States (SE US) since 2009. Disagreements have arisen over the global greenhouse gas reductions associated with replacing coal with wood, and groups on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean have raised concerns that increasing biomass exports might negatively affect SE US forests and the ecosystem services they provide. We use the telecoupling framework to test assertions that the intended benefits of the wood pellet trade for Europe might be offset by negative consequences in the SE US. Through a review of current literature and available data sets, we characterize the observed and potential changes in the environmental, social, and economic components of the sending and receiving regions to assess the overall sustainability of this renewable energy system. We conclude that the observed transatlantic wood pellet trade is an example of a mutually beneficial telecoupled system with the potential to provide environmental and socioeconomic benefits in both the SE US and Europe despite some negative effects on the coal industry. We recommend continued monitoring of this telecoupled system to quantify the environmental, social, and economic interactions and effects in the sending, receiving, and spillover systems over time so that evidence-based policy decisions can be made with regard to the sustainability of this renewable energy pathway

Bird community responses to afforested eucalyptus plantations in the Argentine pampas

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. Land-use change driven by human population growth and economic activity will continue to impact both natural habitats and land currently being used for food, fiber, and fuel production. The effects of this conversion on economically important ecological services will in large part depend on how native biodiversity responds to these changes. We investigated how agriculture-related land use change influences the avian community in northeastern Argentina by examining common agricultural land uses (pasture/annual crops, young and mature large-scale eucalyptus plantations, mixed-use farms with citrus, blueberry and small stands of eucalyptus) and remnant native espinal savannas. In this region, afforested eucalyptus plantations represent a new land-use change from the land cover of pasture with intermixed annual crops that has dominated the region. In this mosaic, we used point counts to assess how avian diversity and community structure differed between land uses. Bird species richness was lowest in older plantations and highest in the espinal savanna, with the other land uses having intermediate richness. Abundance trends followed the same pattern, with low overall abundance in the plantations, intermediate levels for pasture/annual crops, and highest abundance in the espinal. Distinct bird community assemblages were strongly associated with each land use, and between young and mature eucalyptus stands. Birds can be useful indicators for biodiversity as a whole, and the depopulated and depauperate avian community within the eucalyptus plantations will likely lead to reduced provision of many ecosystem services in this region if the spatial extent of plantations continues to expand

Bombus pauloensis telemetry: Spatio-temporal use of the environment and floral resources [Conjunto de datos]

These data includes the GPS points collected from the tracked bees (Bombus pauloensis queens) that were used in the analysis of the home ranges and kernal density, data were usesd in the the MCP and the LUC analysis and pollen collected from the queens.EEA ConcordiaFil: Cavigliasso, Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Concordia; ArgentinaFil: Phifer, Colin C. Michigan Technological University. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; Estados UnidosFil: Adams, Erika M. Michigan Technological University. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; Estados UnidosFil: Flaspohler, David. Michigan Technological University. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; Estados UnidosFil: Gennari, Gerardo Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; ArgentinaFil: Licata, Julián Andrés. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Concordia; ArgentinaFil: Chacoff, Natacha Paola. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Chacoff, Natacha Paola. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán; Argentin

Influence of landscape composition on wild bee communities: Effects of functional landscape heterogeneity

Landscapes dominated by conventional agriculture reduce and simplify natural habitats, with negative consequences for ecosystem regulating services. We examined differences in structure and composition of bee communities across biotic and abiotic gradients to investigate how these communities respond to land-use changes associated with agriculture. Studies like ours which evaluates the relative effect of different components of spatial heterogeneity remain uncommon and are important to conserve pollinator fauna. The diversity of floral resources and habitat richness including the configuration and composition of landscape heterogeneity have been shown to influence the diversity of wild bees on a landscape scale. In this study, we examined how wild bee communities respond to landscape heterogeneity in a semi-arid productive region of Entre Ríos Argentina. We modeled the effect of landscape heterogeneity on wild bee community abundance, species richness, and Chao-1 diversity. We sampled bees using pan traps in four common land-uses in the region (forest plantations, pasture/croplands, mixed use areas and native espinal savanna) for five months in the spring-summer of 2014–2015. We identified 96 bee species among 3407 bees collected in the four habitat types. Pasture/croplands along with native espinal savanna supported the highest abundance, richness, and diversity of bees. Species composition of wild bee communities differed between land uses, with numerous species unique to each land use. Across all land use types, diversity of flower resources consistently supported more abundant and diverse wild bee communities. The richness of habitats along with the diversity of floral resources acted synergistically over wild bee communities. Our findings further clarify the relationship between land-use and wild bee communities, which provide valuable pollination services to crops and native plants. Continued expansion of large-scale monoculture forest plantations will likely come at the expense of the native floral resources, which are a key component to support regional bee species richness. Promoting landscapes with a diversity of crops and flower resources are important for the conservation of pollinators that are key for the functioning of ecosystems.EEA ConcordiaFil: Cavigliasso, Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Concordia; ArgentinaFil: Phifer, Colin C. Michigan Technological University. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; Estados UnidosFil: Knowlton, Jessie L. Michigan Technological University. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; Estados UnidosFil: Knowlton, Jessie L. Wheaton College. Department of Biology; Estados UnidosFil: Licata, Julián Andrés. Bemidji State University. Institutional Research Department; Estados UnidosFil: Flaspohler, David J. Michigan Technological University. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; EstadosFil: Webster, Christopher R. Michigan Technological University. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; EstadosFil: Chacoff, Natacha Paola. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Chacoff, Natacha Paola. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Chacoff, Natacha Paola. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentin

Oil palm plantations affect movement behavior of a key member of mixed-species flocks of forest birds in Amazonia, Brazil

© The Author(s) 2017. Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a rapidly expanding crop in the Amazonian region of Brazil. Brazilian law requires all landowners, including oil palm plantations, to maintain forest reserves and forested riparian corridors as a way to limit biodiversity losses. Because of these laws and the forest-like structure of oil palm, these plantations may function as habitat for some native species in the region. We tested this assumption by experimentally translocating Cinereous Antshrikes (Thamnomanes caesius), a forest understory insectivorous bird and nuclear member of mixed-species flocks, from forest reserves to riparian corridors within a large oil palm plantation landscape and tracked their movements back to their home ranges. In total, we recorded the movements of 18 individuals, 8 of which were translocated. The other 10 individuals were tracked within their home ranges in the forest reserves. Six of the eight translocated birds successfully returned to their forest home range, but only one bird flew through the more direct route back through the oil palm matrix while the rest took longer routes through adjoining riparian corridors. Homing time for translocated birds averaged 9.57 (±2.23 SE) days. The home range of birds within the forest reserves averaged 2.39 (±0.69 SE) ha, and, with the exception of the single returning bird, Cinereous Antshrikes were never detected in oil palm. Our results suggest that oil palm plantations are a barrier to movements of our study species, and that riparian corridors connecting forest fragments may be effective routes for dispersal

Barriers and solutions to conducting large international, interdisciplinary research projects

Global environmental problems such as climate change are not bounded by national borders or scientific disciplines, and therefore require international, interdisciplinary teamwork to develop understandings of their causes and solutions. Interdisciplinary scientific work is difficult enough, but these challenges are often magnified when teams also work across national boundaries. The literature on the challenges of interdisciplinary research is extensive. However, research on international, interdisciplinary teams is nearly non-existent. Our objective is to fill this gap by reporting on results from a study of a large interdisciplinary, international National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (NSF-PIRE) research project across the Americas. We administered a structured questionnaire to team members about challenges they faced while working together across disciplines and outside of their home countries in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Analysis of the responses indicated five major types of barriers to conducting interdisciplinary, international research: integration, language, fieldwork logistics, personnel and relationships, and time commitment. We discuss the causes and recommended solutions to the most common barriers. Our findings can help other interdisciplinary, international research teams anticipate challenges, and develop effective solutions to minimize the negative impacts of these barriers to their research.Instituto de Clima y AguaFil: Pischke, Erin C. Michigan Technological University; Estados UnidosFil: Knowlton, Jessie L. Michigan Technological University; Estados Unidos. Wheaton College; Estados UnidosFil: Phifer, Colin C. Michigan Technological University; Estados UnidosFil: Gutierrez Lopez, José. University of New Hampshire; Estados UnidosFil: Propato, Tamara Sofía. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Clima y Agua; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Eastmond, Amarella. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Yucatán; MéxicoFil: Martins de Souza, Tatiana. Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil. Conservation International; BrasilFil: Kuhlberg, Mark. Laurentian University; CanadáFil: Picasso Risso, Valentin. Universidad de la República; Uruguay. University of Wisconsin–Madison; Estados UnidosFil: Verón, Santiago Ramón. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Clima y Agua; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Carlos. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia; MéxicoFil: Chiappe, Marta. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Halvorsen, Kathleen E. Michigan Technological University; Estados Unido