Grassland-to-crop conversion in agricultural landscapes has lasting impact on the trait diversity of bees.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Global pollinator decline has motivated much research to understand the underlying mechanisms. Among the multiple pressures threatening pollinators, habitat loss has been suggested as a key-contributing factor. While habitat destruction is often associated with immediate negative impacts, pollinators can also exhibit delayed responses over time.

Objectives

We used a trait-based approach to investigate how past and current land use at both local and landscape levels impact plant and wild bee communities in grasslands through a functional lens.

Methods

We measured flower and bee morphological traits that mediate plant-bee trophic linkage in 66 grasslands. Using an extensive database of 20 years of land-use records, we tested the legacy effects of the landscape-l

SUBMITTER: Le Provost G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7810634 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature