Honey bee foraging ecology: Season but not landscape diversity shapes the amount and diversity of collected pollen.

ABSTRACT: The availability of pollen in agricultural landscapes is essential for the successful growth and reproduction of honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera L.). The quantity and diversity of collected pollen can influence the growth and health of honey bee colonies, but little is known about the influence of landscape structure on pollen diet. In a field experiment, we rotated 16 honey bee colonies across 16 agricultural landscapes, used traps to collect samples of collected pollen and observed intra-colonial dance communication to gain information about foraging distances. DNA metabarcoding was applied to analyze mixed pollen samples. Neither the amount of collected pollen nor pollen diversity was related to landscape diversity. However, we found a strong seasonal variation in the amount and dive

SUBMITTER: Danner N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5576699 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature