Specific alien plant species predominantly deliver nectar sugar and pollen but are not preferentially visited by wild pollinating insects in suburban riparian ecosystems

ABSTRACT: Abstract The invasion of alien plants has been rapidly proceeding worldwide due to urbanisation. This might be beneficial to wild pollinating insects, since some alien plant species have large flowers and/or long flowering periods, which can increase nectar sugar and pollen availability. To determine the relative contribution of alien plants to floral resource supply and whether resource‐rich alien plants, if any, serve as an important food source of pollinating insects, we performed year‐round field observations in suburban riverbanks. We quantified the per‐unit‐area availability of nectar sugar and pollen delivered by alien and native flowering species and counted wild flower visitors (bees and wasps, hoverflies and butterflies) per plant species. The available nectar sugar and pollen pe

SUBMITTER: Egawa C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10444986 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature