Small forest patches as pollinator habitat: oases in an agricultural desert?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Small forest patches as pollinator habitat

T2 - oases in an agricultural desert?

AU - Proesmans, Willem

AU - Bonte, Dries

AU - Smagghe, Guy

AU - Meeus, Ivan

AU - Decocq, Guillaume

AU - Spicher, Fabien

AU - Kolb, Annette

AU - Lemke, Isgard

AU - Diekmann, Martin

AU - Bruun, Hans Henrik

AU - Wulf, Monika

AU - Van Den Berge, Sanne

AU - Verheyen, Kris

PY - 2019/3/15

Y1 - 2019/3/15

N2 - Context: Small forest fragments are often the most abundant type of semi-natural habitat in intensive agricultural landscapes. Wild pollinators can use these forest patches as nesting or foraging habitat. However, the importance of small forest fragments as pollinator habitat has been neglected so far. Objectives: We evaluated the role of these forest patches as pollinator habitat, focusing on the effect of nesting and foraging resources, both at a local and at a landscape scale. Methods: Pollinators were sampled with pan traps in 78 forest patches, spread over five study regions in Northwestern Europe. We evaluated effect of forest and landscape characteristics on bee and hoverfly species richness, diversity and activity-abundance. Results: We showed that the bee community is influenced by both microsite conditions and landscape characteristics. Species richness and activity-abundance were higher when suitable nesting resources, such as sloped terrain and bare soil were available. This suggests that forest edges are important in providing nesting sites, but that most species forage in different habitats. Hoverfly species richness was higher in old forest fragments. This relation was mainly caused by the presence of forest specialist hoverflies in old forest fragments. Conclusions: Small forest fragments in agricultural landscapes can harbour a diverse pollinator community. Increasing the amount of nesting habitat, such as bare soil and sloped terrains is expected to have beneficial effects on the bee community, whereas older forest fragments should be conserved to sustain a rich hoverfly community.

AB - Context: Small forest fragments are often the most abundant type of semi-natural habitat in intensive agricultural landscapes. Wild pollinators can use these forest patches as nesting or foraging habitat. However, the importance of small forest fragments as pollinator habitat has been neglected so far. Objectives: We evaluated the role of these forest patches as pollinator habitat, focusing on the effect of nesting and foraging resources, both at a local and at a landscape scale. Methods: Pollinators were sampled with pan traps in 78 forest patches, spread over five study regions in Northwestern Europe. We evaluated effect of forest and landscape characteristics on bee and hoverfly species richness, diversity and activity-abundance. Results: We showed that the bee community is influenced by both microsite conditions and landscape characteristics. Species richness and activity-abundance were higher when suitable nesting resources, such as sloped terrain and bare soil were available. This suggests that forest edges are important in providing nesting sites, but that most species forage in different habitats. Hoverfly species richness was higher in old forest fragments. This relation was mainly caused by the presence of forest specialist hoverflies in old forest fragments. Conclusions: Small forest fragments in agricultural landscapes can harbour a diverse pollinator community. Increasing the amount of nesting habitat, such as bare soil and sloped terrains is expected to have beneficial effects on the bee community, whereas older forest fragments should be conserved to sustain a rich hoverfly community.

KW - Agro-ecology

KW - Bees

KW - Forest fragments

KW - Forest patches

KW - Hoverflies

KW - Pollinators

U2 - 10.1007/s10980-019-00782-2

DO - 10.1007/s10980-019-00782-2

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85062793128

SN - 0921-2973

SP - 487

EP - 501

JO - Landscape Ecology

JF - Landscape Ecology

ER -