Abstract
Urban wastelands are important substitute habitats for many insect species, but their value for the protection of wild bees is still poorly studied. We assessed species richness, abundance, and the diversity of wild bees in wastelands that differed in area (2–35 ha), stage of ecological succession, location (suburbs or closer to the city centre), and history of land use. In the investigated plots, we recorded 42% of all bee species reported from Poland. The attractiveness of wastelands was positively correlated with the coverage of blooming herbs, coverage of shrubs and low trees, and the area of the wasteland. An increase in isolation of the habitat patches, the percentage contribution of alien species, annuals, and low grasses (< 25 cm) negatively affected the diversity of Apiformes. Considering the history of land use, we found that the bees were most attracted to wastelands resulting from extractive industry (sand and clay pits), and grassy habitats located in the suburbs, e.g. at sites grazed earlier by sheep. Wastelands in areas directly influenced by the chemical industry were the least attractive to bees. Analyses of quantitative and qualitative similarity of bees in various habitat types showed that three habitat types were the most similar to grasslands in the suburbs (the least disturbed habitats): degraded grasslands located closer to the city centre, extraction pits, and old fields. The presented results indicate that urban wastelands, including some post-industrial sites, can be important secondary habitats for wild bees. Thus, proper management of urban natural resources should cover both the formally managed areas and the so-called unproductive spaces, which have been undervalued so far.
Highlights
The growth of urban areas is observed worldwide, and the expanding cities cause significant changes in the environment (Aronson et al 2014; Shochat et al 2010; McDonnell and Hahs 2008; McKinney 2002)
We recorded 201 species of wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of 32 genera, in total 5915 individuals. They account for 42% of all bee species reported from Poland
Using redundancy analysis (RDA), we identified which features of the wastelands influence most strongly their attractiveness to wild bees
Summary
The growth of urban areas is observed worldwide, and the expanding cities cause significant changes in the environment (Aronson et al 2014; Shochat et al 2010; McDonnell and Hahs 2008; McKinney 2002). Apart from native species, urban wastelands often harbour exotic plants (Godefroid et al 2007; Muratet et al 2007). Wastelands are very dynamic in space and time They appear and disappear as a result of demolition or construction of residential buildings and changes in infrastructure and green areas. Wastelands of different ages include different stages of vegetation, ranging from pioneer to pre-forest stages, and harbour different communities of plants and animals. Other important factors are the distance between different wasteland areas and their isolation. Higher isolation and distance between convenient habitats act as a factor limiting the occurrence of some species, especially small bees whose foraging range is approx. Connectivity between wastelands influences the biodiversity of wastelands, to a lesser extent than the local features (Bonthoux et al 2014)
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