Elevated atmospheric CO₂ alters the multi-element stoichiometry of pollen-bearing oak flowers, with possible negative effects on bees.

ABSTRACT: Increasing atmospheric CO₂ levels change the elemental composition in plants, altering their nutritional quality and affecting consumers and ecosystems. Ecological stoichiometry provides a framework for investigating how CO₂-driven nutrient dilution in pollen affects bees by linking changes in pollen chemical element proportions to the nutritional needs of bees. We investigated the consequences of five years of Free Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) in a mature oak-dominated temperate forest on the elemental composition of English oak (Quercus robur) pollen. We measured the concentrations and proportions of 12 elements (C, N, P, S, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn) in Q. robur pollen-bearing flowers collected from the Birmingham Institute for Forest Research (BIFo

SUBMITTER: Filipiak ZM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11489284 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature