Barefoot Trees for Bees: Nesting Site Characteristics of the Ground-Nesting Bee <i>Andrena vaga</i> in an Urban Environment.

ABSTRACT: Ground-nesting bees constitute the majority of all wild bee species, but are critically endangered. Despite their crucial role in pollination and soil health, knowledge about the nesting requirements of ground-nesting bees is lacking, with most nesting site descriptions being vague and unsupported by empirical data. In our study, we conducted extensive measurements of relevant soil parameters at 27 nesting sites of the oligolectic mining bee species Andrena vaga within the city of Braunschweig, Germany, and compared them to uncolonized control areas, where no bee nests were found. Andrena vaga nested in (loamy) sand and sandy loam, and nesting sites were preferably located near trees under canopy cover. We identified the proportion of bare ground, soil temperature, and soil h

SUBMITTER: Gardein H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12535216 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature