Temporal change in floral availability leads to periods of resource limitation and affects diet specificity in a generalist pollinator
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Temporal change in floral availability leads to periods of resource limitation and affects diet specificity in a generalist pollinator. / Lowe, Abigail; Jones, Laura; Brennan, Georgina; Creer, Simon; Christie, Lynda; de Vere, Natasha.
In: Molecular Ecology, Vol. 32, No. 23, 2023, p. 6363-6376.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Temporal change in floral availability leads to periods of resource limitation and affects diet specificity in a generalist pollinator
AU - Lowe, Abigail
AU - Jones, Laura
AU - Brennan, Georgina
AU - Creer, Simon
AU - Christie, Lynda
AU - de Vere, Natasha
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Generalist species are core components of ecological networks and crucial for the maintenance of biodiversity. Generalist species and networks are expected to be more resilient, and therefore understanding the dynamics of specialization and generalization in ecological networks is a key focus in a time of rapid global change. Whilst diet generalization is frequently studied, our understanding of how it changes over time is limited. Here we explore temporal variation in diet specificity in the honeybee (Apis mellifera), using pollen DNA metabarcoding of honey samples, through the foraging season, over two years. We find that, overall, honeybees are generalists that visit a wide range of plants, but there is temporal variation in the degree of specialization. Temporal specialization of honeybee colonies corresponds to periods of resource limitation, identified as a lack of honey stores. Honeybees experience a lack of preferred resources in June when switching from flowering trees in spring to shrubs and herbs in summer. Investigating temporal patterns in specialization can identify periods of resource limitation that may lead to species and network vulnerability. Diet specificity must therefore be explored at different temporal scales in order to fully understand species and network stability in the face of ecological change.
AB - Generalist species are core components of ecological networks and crucial for the maintenance of biodiversity. Generalist species and networks are expected to be more resilient, and therefore understanding the dynamics of specialization and generalization in ecological networks is a key focus in a time of rapid global change. Whilst diet generalization is frequently studied, our understanding of how it changes over time is limited. Here we explore temporal variation in diet specificity in the honeybee (Apis mellifera), using pollen DNA metabarcoding of honey samples, through the foraging season, over two years. We find that, overall, honeybees are generalists that visit a wide range of plants, but there is temporal variation in the degree of specialization. Temporal specialization of honeybee colonies corresponds to periods of resource limitation, identified as a lack of honey stores. Honeybees experience a lack of preferred resources in June when switching from flowering trees in spring to shrubs and herbs in summer. Investigating temporal patterns in specialization can identify periods of resource limitation that may lead to species and network vulnerability. Diet specificity must therefore be explored at different temporal scales in order to fully understand species and network stability in the face of ecological change.
KW - Apis mellifera
KW - eDNA
KW - global change
KW - optimal foraging theory
KW - plant-pollinator interactions
KW - pollen DNA metabarcoding
KW - INDIVIDUAL SPECIALIZATION
KW - ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS
KW - R PACKAGE
KW - DIVERSITY
U2 - 10.1111/mec.16719
DO - 10.1111/mec.16719
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 36200580
VL - 32
SP - 6363
EP - 6376
JO - Molecular Ecology
JF - Molecular Ecology
SN - 0962-1083
IS - 23
ER -
ID: 325714568