Long-term studies of bee social behaviour, ecology, and evolution

蜜蜂社会行为、生态和进化的长期研究

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-04078
• 负责人: Richards, Miriam
• 金额: $ 3.42万
• 依托单位: Brock University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=744820
• 关键词: Long; term; studies; bee; social

Bees are fascinating animals whose life styles have important consequences for humans. In our lab, we study several aspects of bee behaviour and ecology. Since 2003, our research has focussed on the more than 150 bee species found in the Niagara region of southern Ontario. A few of these bees are well known to residents of southern Ontario, but most of them are part of Niagara's “hidden bee fauna”, living unnoticed right under people's noses. The first part of our research focusses on the social behaviour of bees of different kinds, in particular the carpenter bees and sweat bees. We study these types of bees, because females can breed solitarily or socially. Solitary females raise their offspring by themselves, and most bees are of this type. Social bees sometimes or always live in groups, with some females helping others to raise their offspring. We are studying the processes that influence whether females become queen-like, dominant individuals that exploit their helpers, or worker-like, subordinates that help others instead of raising their own offspring. Our studies are based on behavioural observations of individually marked females and males and on genetic analyses for understanding which individuals breed and which do not. We are also using genetic methods to understand the genetic changes that take place within the brains of female bees, as they become queens or workers. The second part of our research focusses on monitoring bee communities in three former landfill sites across Niagara since 2003. The closure of landfill sites and their subsequent restoration as parks is an open invitation to plants and wildlife to move back into habitat from which they had been eradicated. Our studies demonstrate that bees quickly recolonize restored landfills, and this is good news. However, our studies also suggest that after the initial recovery, bee populations in our sites are declining. We think this is due to a combination of periodic droughts and increasing urbanization of meadows near our sites. Drought limits bee reproduction because drought-stricken plants do not produce much pollen or nectar. Urbanization limits bee reproduction when "empty” fields full of wildflowers are bulldozed and replaced with housing developments. However, the declines in bee abundance at our research sites could be temporary effects. For instance, if gardens are planted in new suburbs, these will help to replace the food resources lost when meadows were replaced. Our research is important to all Canadians, because the more we understand about bees, the better we will be able to conserve them and their critical roles in natural, agricultural, and urban settings. On the practical side, the research skills that students learn in our lab are applicable to many types of work in and out of universities. And as much as we can, we share our knowledge and skills with the wider community who share our enthusiasm and interest in bees.

蜜蜂是迷人的动物，其生活方式对人类有重要影响。在我们的实验室中，我们研究了蜜蜂行为和生态学的几个方面。自2003年以来，我们的研究集中在安大略省南部尼亚加拉地区发现的150多种蜜蜂物种。这些蜜蜂中有几种是安大略省南部居民众所周知的，但其中大多数是尼亚加拉的“隐藏的蜜蜂动物”的一部分，在人们的鼻子下生活在不被忽视的地方。我们研究的第一部分重点是不同种类的蜜蜂的社会行为，尤其是木匠蜜蜂和汗蜜蜂。我们研究这些类型的蜜蜂，因为女性可以牢固地或社会形成。孤独的女性自己提高了后代，大多数蜜蜂都是这种类型的。社会蜜蜂有时会或总是生活在小组中，有些女性帮助其他人提高后代。我们正在研究影响女性是否成为女王般的，占主导地位的人的占主导地位的人，还是像工人一样的下属，可以帮助他人，而不是提高自己的后代。我们的研究基于对标志着女性和男性的个体的行为观察，以及遗传分析，以了解哪些个体繁殖，哪些繁殖。我们还使用遗传学方法来了解雌性蜜蜂大脑中发生的遗传变化，因为它们成为皇后或工人。我们的研究的第二部分重点是监测尼亚加拉以来三个以前的垃圾填埋场的蜜蜂群落。自2003年以来，垃圾填埋场的关闭及其随后的修复是公园的开放邀请，是向植物和野生动植物的开放邀请，以返回栖息地，从而从中放射了它们。我们的研究表明，蜜蜂很快认识到恢复的垃圾填埋场，这是个好消息。但是，我们的研究还表明，在初步恢复后，我们站点中的蜜蜂种群正在下降。我们认为这是由于定期干旱和我们遗址附近的草地城市化的结合。干旱限制蜜蜂的繁殖是因为干旱的植物不会产生太多的花粉或花蜜。当充满野花的“空”田地被推销并用住房发展取代时，城市化限制了蜜蜂的繁殖。但是，在我们的研究地点的蜜蜂抽象下降可能是暂时的影响。例如，如果将花园种植在新郊区，则这些将有助于替代替换草地时损失的食物资源。我们的研究对所有加拿大人都很重要，因为我们对蜜蜂的了解越多，我们就越能保护它们及其在自然，农业和城市环境中的关键作用。从实际方面来说，学生在我们实验室中学到的研究技能适用于大学内外的许多类型的工作。尽我们所能，我们与更广泛的社区分享我们的知识和技能，他们对蜜蜂的热情和兴趣。