Urban pollinators: their ecology and conservation

城市传粉媒介：它们的生态和保护

• 批准号: BB/I000208/1
• 负责人: Simon Potts
• 金额: $ 5.41万
• 依托单位: University of Reading
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2011 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FI000208%2F1
• 关键词: Urban; pollinators; their; ecology; conservation

There are two schools of thought concerning the effect of urbanization on pollinating insects. On one hand, urbanization is considered to be one of the major causes of insect decline, in particular through the alteration of ecological features important to pollinators, such as food and nesting sites. On the other hand, some urban habitats are remarkably good for pollinators: 35% of hoverfly species known from the UK were recorded in a single garden in Leicester, and urban habitats are one of the few habitats where bumblebees are not declining. Our research will start by asking where pollinators are found in the UK landscape, by comparing pollinator diversity in three habitats: cities, farmland and nature reserves. Rather than just counting species though, we will use a systems approach to study the network of interactions between plants and their pollinators, as these interactions have a profound impact on a community's response to species loss, stress and ecological restoration. In the second stage of the proposed research, we will look in detail at the pollinator fauna of four cities (Bristol, Reading, Leeds and Edinburgh), with the aim of quantifying the value for pollinators of various city habitats. While ecologists know a little about the value of urban gardens for pollinators, practically nothing is known about the value of industrial estates, school grounds, allotments, graveyards and the many other habitats found in cities. Our pilot data suggest that some habitats can be remarkably good for pollinators, or can be managed to be so. Again a network approach will be used, and the impact of change will be predicted using an entirely new mathematical tool - one which combines data on the network of interactions linking pollinators to flowers with data on meta-community ecology (how the whole system of local pollination networks responds to species loss and species dispersal). In the final stage of our proposed research, we ask whether we can improve conditions for urban pollinators. We will use a large-scale field experiment, replicated in four cities, in which we will manipulate pollinator food supplies by introducing an urban version of the field margins sown with 'nectar flower mixtures' on farmland to conserve pollinators. Our plant mixes will be chosen to provide pollinator food, be low-maintenance, and look attractive to the human eye. Working with local professional conservation practitioners in each city (seven of these are named collaborators on the proposal), treatments will be implemented in a bold experimental design in four cities. As can be seen from the letters of support, our project will provide the exact data that practitioners need for evidence-based conservation management of pollinators. Moreover, The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 states that public authorities must have regard to conserving biodiversity. Evidence-based urban planning offers considerable promise for pollinator conservation. By using our data to understand the value and spatial properties of the urban habitat mosaic, Local Authorities will be able to integrate pollinator conservation into the 9% of land that comprises urban areas in the UK. Members of the proposed research team have the skills, experience and wherewithal to improve pollinator conservation significantly in the UK. Led by Memmott, the team consists of university-based pollination ecologists, taxonomists to identify the many hundreds of species that will be found, and conservation ecologists, with long-term interests and influence in urban areas, to implement the changes needed to conserve both the pollinators and the ecosystem services they provide. Our research proposal is exciting, timely, pioneering and ambitious. It is also very feasible, as a clear management structure is in place. We will provide both scientific excellence and immediate conservation impact.

关于城市化对传粉昆虫的影响有两种观点。一方面，城市化被认为是昆虫数量减少的主要原因之一，特别是通过改变对传粉媒介重要的生态特征，例如食物和筑巢地。另一方面，一些城市栖息地对于传粉者来说非常有利：英国已知的食蚜蝇物种中有 35% 记录在莱斯特的一个花园中，而城市栖息地是熊蜂数量没有减少的少数栖息地之一。我们的研究将首先通过比较城市、农田和自然保护区这三个栖息地的传粉媒介多样性，询问英国景观中的哪些地方发现传粉媒介。不过，我们将使用系统方法来研究植物与其传粉者之间的相互作用网络，而不是仅仅计算物种，因为这些相互作用对群落对物种丧失、压力和生态恢复的反应具有深远的影响。在拟议研究的第二阶段，我们将详细研究四个城市（布里斯托尔、雷丁、利兹和爱丁堡）的传粉媒介动物群，目的是量化各个城市栖息地的传粉媒介的价值。虽然生态学家对城市花园对传粉者的价值了解甚少，但对工业区、学校操场、土地、墓地和城市中发现的许多其他栖息地的价值几乎一无所知。我们的试点数据表明，某些栖息地可能对传粉媒介非常有利，或者可以通过管理做到这一点。将再次使用网络方法，并且将使用一种全新的数学工具来预测变化的影响 - 该工具将传粉者与花朵之间的相互作用网络数据与元群落生态学数据（当地的整个系统如何结合起来）相结合。授粉网络对物种丧失和物种扩散做出反应）。在我们拟议研究的最后阶段，我们询问是否可以改善城市授粉媒介的条件。我们将进行一项大规模田间实验，在四个城市进行复制，通过引入城市版本的农田边缘播种“花蜜混合物”来控制传粉昆虫的食物供应，以保护传粉昆虫。我们将选择混合植物来提供传粉媒介食物、维护成本低且看起来对人眼有吸引力。与每个城市当地的专业保护从业者（其中七人被指定为提案中的合作者）合作，将在四个城市以大胆的实验设计实施治疗方法。从支持信中可以看出，我们的项目将为从业者提供基于证据的授粉媒介保护管理所需的准确数据。此外，2006 年《自然环境和农村社区法》规定，公共当局必须考虑保护生物多样性。基于证据的城市规划为传粉媒介保护提供了巨大的希望。通过使用我们的数据了解城市栖息地镶嵌的价值和空间特性，地方当局将能够将传粉媒介保护纳入英国城市地区 9% 的土地中。拟议研究团队的成员拥有显着改善英国传粉媒介保护的技能、经验和资金。该团队由梅莫特领导，由大学授粉生态学家、识别将要发现的数百种物种的分类学家以及对城市地区具有长期兴趣和影响力的保护生态学家组成，以实施保护两者所需的变革传粉媒介及其提供的生态系统服务。我们的研究计划令人兴奋、及时、具有开拓性且雄心勃勃。这也是非常可行的，因为有明确的管理结构。我们将提供卓越的科学成果和直接的保护影响。

项目成果

A systems approach reveals urban pollinator hotspots and conservation opportunities

• DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0769-y
• 发表时间: 2019-03-01
• 期刊: NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
• 影响因子: 16.8
• 作者: Baldock, Katherine C. R.;Goddard, Mark A.;Memmott, Jane
• 通讯作者: Memmott, Jane

Molecular taxonomic analysis of the plant associations of adult pollen beetles (Nitidulidae: Meligethinae), and the population structure of Brassicogethes aeneus.

成年花粉甲虫（Nitidulidae：Meligethinae）植物群落的分子分类学分析，以及 Brassicogethes aeneus 的种群结构。

• DOI: 10.1139/gen-2016-0020
• 发表时间: 2016
• 期刊: Genome
• 影响因子: 3.1
• 作者: Ouvrard P

UK Insect Decline and Extinctions

英国昆虫减少和灭绝

• 发表时间: 2020
• 作者: The Parliamentary Office Of Science;Technology
• 通讯作者: Technology