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.

关于城市化对授粉昆虫的影响，有两种思想流派。一方面，城市化被认为是昆虫下降的主要原因之一，尤其是通过改变对传粉媒介（例如食物和筑巢地点）的生态特征的改变。另一方面，一些城市栖息地对传粉媒介非常有利：在莱斯特的一个花园中记录了35％的霍夫蝇物种，而城市栖息地是bumblebees少数几个没有下降的栖息地之一。我们的研究将首先询问在英国景观中发现传粉媒介的位置，通过比较三个栖息地的传粉媒介多样性：城市，农田和自然储量。不过，我们将使用系统方法研究植物及其传粉媒介之间的相互作用网络，而不仅仅是计算物种，因为这些相互作用对社区对物种丧失，压力和生态恢复的反应产生了深远的影响。在拟议的研究的第二阶段，我们将详细介绍四个城市（布里斯托尔，雷丁，利兹和爱丁堡）的传粉媒介动物群，以量化各个城市栖息地的授粉媒介的价值。尽管生态学家对城市花园对传粉媒介的价值有所了解，但实际上对工业遗产，学校场地，分配，墓地以及城市中许多其他栖息地的价值一无所知。我们的试点数据表明，某些栖息地对传粉媒介可能非常有益，或者可以设法如此。再次将使用网络方法，并将使用全新的数学工具预测变化的影响 - 该工具结合了将传粉媒介与鲜花与元社区生态学的数据（局部授粉网络的整个系统响应物种损失和物种散布的响应）相结合的数据。在提议的研究的最后阶段，我们询问我们是否可以改善城市传粉媒介的条件。我们将使用在四个城市中复制的大规模现场实验，在该实验中，我们将通过在农田上引入带有“花蜜花朵混合物”的田野边缘来操纵传粉媒介食品供应，以保护授粉者。我们的植物混合物将被选择以提供传粉媒介食物，低维护性，并且对人眼看起来很有吸引力。与每个城市的当地专业保护从业人员合作（其中七个是该提案中的合作者），将在四个城市的大胆实验设计中实施治疗。从支持信中可以看出，我们的项目将提供从业人员对传粉媒介进行基于证据的保护管理所需的确切数据。此外，《 2006年自然环境与农村社区法》指出，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来了解城市栖息地马赛克的价值和空间特性，地方当局将能够将传粉媒介保护纳入包括英国城市地区的9％的土地。拟议的研究团队的成员具有在英国大大改善传粉媒介保护的技能，经验和努力。在梅莫特（Memmott）的带领下，该团队由基于大学的授粉生态学家，分类学家，分类学家确定将发现的数百种物种，以及在城市地区具有长期利益和影响力的保护生态学家，以实施保存授粉者和所提供的生态系统服务所需的变化。我们的研究建议令人兴奋，及时，开创性和雄心勃勃。这也是非常可行的，因为已经存在清晰的管理结构。我们将提供卓越的科学效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