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Small-scale habitat fragmentation effects on pollinator behaviour : experimental evidence from the bumblebee 'Bombus veteranus' on calcarous grasslands
JournalArticle (Originalarbeit in einer wissenschaftlichen Zeitschrift)
 
ID 102864
Author(s) Goverde, M; Schweizer, K; Baur, B; Erhardt, A
Author(s) at UniBasel Erhardt, Andreas
Baur, Bruno
Year 2002
Title Small-scale habitat fragmentation effects on pollinator behaviour : experimental evidence from the bumblebee 'Bombus veteranus' on calcarous grasslands
Journal Biological conservation
Volume 104
Number 3
Pages / Article-Number 293-299
Keywords Betonica officinalis, Bombus veteranus, bumblebee, gene flow, plant-pollination interaction
Abstract

We examined visiting patterns of pollinators of Betonica officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) in experimentally fragmented calcareous grasslands and corresponding control plots at two study sites (Movelier and Nenzlingen) in the north-western Swiss Jura mountains. Fragments (1.5x1.5 m) were isolated by a 5-m wide strip of frequently mown vegetation while the control plots were situated in the adjacent undisturbed vegetation. The most common pollinator, the bumblebee Bombus veteranus (Apidae), visited fragments 53.7% less frequently than control plots. Furthermore, a change in foraging behaviour of Bombus veteranus was observed. In fragments the bumblebees visited more inflorescences, flew longer total visiting distances and the visiting time per patch tended to be higher than in control plots. The distribution of angles between arrival and departure direction (turning angles) differed from a uniform distribution in fragments but not in control plots. The increased directionality of bumblebee flight might be due to a decrease in floral rewards. Our results show that small-scale habitat fragmentation can affect plant pollination at two levels both relevant for plant fitness. First, lower visitation rates indicate a limitation of pollinators which might result in reduced seed set of the pollinated plant. Second, changes in pollinator behaviour might reduce pollen dispersal among flowers, increase inbreeding and hence reduce genetic variability in populations of this bumblebee pollinated plant.

Publisher Elsevier
ISSN/ISBN 0006-3207
edoc-URL http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A3231153
Full Text on edoc No
Digital Object Identifier DOI doi> 10.1016/S0006-3207(01)00194-X
ISI-Number WOS:000174559200004
Document type (ISI) Article
 
   

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