Pollen nutrition structures bee and plant community interactions.

ABSTRACT: As bees' main source of protein and lipids, pollen is critical for their development, reproduction, and health. Plant species vary considerably in the macronutrient content of their pollen, and research in bee model systems has established that this variation both modulates performance and guides floral choice. Yet, how variation in pollen chemistry shapes interactions between plants and bees in natural communities is an open question, essential for both understanding the nutritional dynamics of plant-pollinator mutualisms and informing their conservation. To fill this gap, we asked how pollen nutrition (relative protein and lipid content) sampled from 109 co-flowering plant species structured visitation patterns observed among 75 subgenera of pollen-collecting bees in the Great Basin/East

SUBMITTER: Vaudo AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10801918 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature