Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg

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Pollination

That bees are major pollinators of Angiosperms is well recognised. However, the extent to which a flower visitor effects pollination is unclear. We are interested in quantifying the role of different flower visitors in pollination, particularly focusing on the rural to urban transition and, in terms of applied interest, on apple (Malus domestica), an important crop plant. On-going field research is located in and around Halle, as part of an ESCALATE    funded project and part of an iDiv    funded project. We place strong emphasis on an experimental approach to quantify the role of different flower visitors in pollination of specific crops or wild plants.

In its native Brazil, flowers of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) are visited and pollinated by indigenous bees (Centris tarsata, left) and the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera, right)

In its native Brazil, flowers of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) are visited and pollinated by indigenous bees (Centris tarsata, left) and the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera, right)

In its native Brazil, flowers of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) are visited and pollinated by indigenous bees (Centris tarsata, left) and the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera, right)

Key references

Osterman, J., Theodorou, P., Radzevičiūtė, R., Schnitker, P., & Paxton, R. J. (2021). Apple pollination is ensured by wild bees when honey bees are   drawn away from orchards by a mass co-flowering crop, oilseed rape. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 315, 107383. doi:10.1016/J.AGEE.2021.107383    

Radzevičiūtė, R.    , Theodorou, P., Schlegel, M., & Paxton, R. J. (2021).  A two-part modelling approach reveals a positive effect of pollinator  biodiversity in boosting the pollination of apple flowers. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 306, 107197. doi:10.1016/J.AGEE.2020.107197    

Landaverde-González, P., Quezada-Euán, J.J.G., Theodorou, P., Murray,  T.E., Husemann, M., Ayala, R., Moo-Valle, H., Vandame, R. & Paxton,  R.J. 2017. Sweat bees on hot chillies: provision of pollination services  by native bees in traditional slash-and-burn agriculture in the Yucatán  Peninsula of tropical Mexico. Journal of Applied Ecology 54, 1814-1824. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12860

Theodorou, P., Albig, K., Radzevičiūtė, R., Settele, J., Schweiger, O.,  Murray, T.E. & Paxton, R.J. 2017. The structure of flower visitor  networks in relation to pollination across an agricultural to urban  gradient. Functional Ecology 31, 838-847. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12803

Theodorou, P., Radzevičiūtė, R., Settele, J., Schweiger, O., Murray, T.E. & Paxton, R.J. 2016. Pollination services enhanced with urbanization despite increasing pollinator parasitism. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences 283: 20160561. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0561

Freitas, B.M. & Paxton, R.J. 1998. A comparison of two pollinators: the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera) and an indigenous bee (Centris tarsata) on cashew (Anacardium occidentale) in its native range of NE Brazil. Journal of Applied Ecology 35, 109-121. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2664.1998.00278.x

Our principal overseas collaborators

Prof. Dr. Josef Settele   , UFZ

Dr. Oliver Schweiger   , UFZ

Prof. Javier Quezada   , Autonomous University of Yucatan

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