Oilseed Rape Shares Abundant and Generalized Pollinators with Its Co-Flowering Plant Species.

Amibeth Thompson,Tiffany M. Knight,Valentin Ștefan

doi:10.3390/insects12121096

Abstract

Simple SummaryPlants in semi-natural areas provide food resources for pollinators that visit pollinator-dependent crop species, such as Oilseed Rape (OSR). Here, we study the patterns of pollinator visitation on OSR and its co-flowering plants in adjacent semi-natural areas. We find that OSR is visited by pollinators that are abundant in the community and that these pollinators also visit co-flowering plant species in semi-natural areas. OSR primarily influences the pollination of plant species which have similar floral traits (i.e., other disc flowers). Plant species that attract a high abundances of bumblebees, wild bees, flies, and beetles influence the pollination of OSR the most. Our results suggest that plant species in semi-natural areas that support the high abundances of common pollinators which are generalized in their visitation are most important to the pollination of OSR, and that such plant species do not necessarily have similar floral traits to OSR.Mass-flowering crops, such as Oilseed Rape (OSR), provide resources for pollinators and benefit from pollination services. Studies that observe the community of interactions between plants and pollinators are critical to understanding the resource needs of pollinators. We observed pollinators on OSR and wild plants in adjacent semi-natural areas in Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany to quantify (1) the co-flowering plants that share pollinators with OSR, (2) the identity and functional traits of plants and pollinators in the network module of OSR, and (3) the identity of the plants and pollinators that act as network connectors and hubs. We found that four common plants share a high percentage of their pollinators with OSR. OSR and these plants all attract abundant pollinators in the community, and the patterns of sharing were not more than would be expected by chance sampling. OSR acts as a module hub, and primarily influences the other plants in its module that have similar functional traits. However, the plants that most influence the pollination of OSR have different functional traits and are part of different modules. Our study demonstrates that supporting the pollination of OSR requires the presence of semi-natural areas with plants that can support a high abundances of generalist pollinators.

Highlights

Pollinators underpin food production, since they provide services for approximately 35% of global crop production [1]
We find that Oilseed Rape (OSR) is visited by pollinators that are abundant in the community and that these pollinators visit co-flowering plant species in semi-natural areas
Our results suggest that plant species in semi-natural areas that support the high abundances of common pollinators which are generalized in their visitation are most important to the pollination of OSR, and that such plant species do not necessarily have similar floral traits to OSR

Summary

Introduction

Pollinators underpin food production, since they provide services for approximately 35% of global crop production [1]. Non-bee insects contribute a substantial amount to global crop pollination [7]. Wild pollinators’ economical contribution towards crop production is similar to that of honeybees [8]. The abundance and diversity of these wild pollinators, and the quality of the services they provide to crops within agricultural landscapes, is influenced by the composition and quality of the surrounding landscape [3,9]. In order to continue meeting the agricultural demands that come with a growing human population, it is increasingly essential to investigate the factors that may influence pollinator abundance and diversity, and subsequently impact their service to crops [1,10]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion