Patch selection by bumble bees navigating discontinuous landscapes

Pollen and nectar resources are unevenly distributed over space and bees must make routing decisions when navigating patchy resources. Determining the patch selection process used by bees is crucial to understanding bee foraging over discontinuous landscapes. To elucidate this process, we developed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2021-04, Vol.11 (1), p.8986-8986, Article 8986
Main Authors: Fragoso, Fabiana P., Jiang, Qi, Clayton, Murray K., Brunet, Johanne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/158
631/449
631/601
Animals
Decision making
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Experiments
Feeding Behavior - physiology
Flowers & plants
Foraging behavior
Genetic engineering
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hymenoptera - physiology
Mathematical models
multidisciplinary
Nectar
Orientation - physiology
Plant nectar
Pollen
Pollination - physiology
Probability
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Travel
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Summary:Pollen and nectar resources are unevenly distributed over space and bees must make routing decisions when navigating patchy resources. Determining the patch selection process used by bees is crucial to understanding bee foraging over discontinuous landscapes. To elucidate this process, we developed four distinct probability models of bee movement where the size and the distance to the patch determined the attractiveness of a patch. A field experiment with a center patch and four peripheral patches of two distinct sizes and distances from the center was set up in two configurations. Empirical transition probabilities from the center to each peripheral patch were obtained at two sites and two years. The best model was identified by comparing observed and predicted transition probabilities, where predicted values were obtained by incorporating the spatial dimensions of the field experiment into each model’s mathematical expression. Bumble bees used both patch size and isolation distance when selecting a patch and could assess the total amount of resources available in a patch. Bumble bees prefer large, nearby patches. This information will facilitate the development of a predictive framework to the study of bee movement and of models that predict the movement of genetically engineered pollen in bee-pollinated crops.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-021-88394-2