Phenology of reproduction in bumble bee colonies

熊蜂群繁殖的物候学

• 批准号: 2203158
• 负责人: Colin Orians
• 金额: $ 30.06万
• 依托单位: Tufts University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-08-01 至 2026-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2203158&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Phenology; reproduction; bumble; bee; colonies

In recent years, many plant and animal populations have changed the timing of life cycle events. Early season events, like flowering of fruit trees and emergence of butterflies, are occurring earlier than they did in the past, and late season events, like fall migration of birds and changing leaf colors, are happening later than they did in the past. These changes in phenology (the timing of life cycle events) are considered one of the most conspicuous effects of climate change on plant and animal populations. This research project will investigate the ways in which the phenology of bumble bee colonies is changing through time. Although we tend to treat bumble bees as a single species, there are actually more than 40 species of bumble bees in the United States, and these species might respond in different ways to climate change. Understanding these changes is especially important because bumble bees are one of the most important groups of pollinators of wild and crop plants. If bumble bee life cycles change, or if bumble bee species decline, there are likely to be negative consequences for food security, as well as cascading declines in wild plant communities. The researchers will organize workshops for scientists and conservation specialists and share the methods they will develop for studying bumble bees. The project will engage the general public with activities for pollinator gardening and pollinator conservation.This project will compare the phenology of two bumble bee species. Bombus impatiens, the common eastern bumble bee, has a long-life cycle that lasts from early spring to late fall. Bombus griseocollis, the brown-belted bumble bee, has a short life cycle ending in mid-summer. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, theoretical ecologists developed models about why bumble bees switch to reproduction when they do. This research will test these models by monitoring the phenology of both species in relation to among-year variation in temperature and the availability and timing of flowers that bumble bees can forage on (which is likely to depend on temperature and drought). The researchers will also use citizen scientist data to evaluate latitudinal and temporal changes in phenology of different bumble bee species in geographic regions and time periods with different growing season lengths. The project will test predictions of the classical theories of bumble bee colony reproduction, including the prediction that species with longer life cycles during the year are more sensitive to variation among years. This project will provide new knowledge about nesting and hibernation habitat needs of bumble bees as an important contribution to conservation efforts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

近年来，许多植物和动物种群已经改变了生命周期事件的时间。 早季事件，如果树开花和蝴蝶出现，比过去发生得更早，晚季事件，如秋季鸟类迁徙和树叶颜色变化，比过去发生得更晚。 这些物候变化（生命周期事件的时间）被认为是气候变化对动植物种群最显著的影响之一。 这项研究项目将调查大黄蜂蜂群的物候随着时间的推移而变化的方式。 虽然我们倾向于将大黄蜂视为单一物种，但实际上美国有40多种大黄蜂，这些物种可能以不同的方式应对气候变化。 了解这些变化尤其重要，因为熊蜂是野生植物和农作物最重要的传粉者之一。 如果大黄蜂的生命周期发生变化，或者大黄蜂的种类减少，很可能会对粮食安全产生负面影响，野生植物群落也会随之减少。研究人员将为科学家和保护专家组织研讨会，并分享他们为研究熊蜂而开发的方法。该项目将让公众参与授粉者园艺和授粉者保护活动。该项目将比较两种熊蜂的物候。熊蜂凤仙花，常见的东部熊蜂，有一个长的生命周期，从早春持续到深秋。 熊蜂griseocollis，棕色腰带的大黄蜂，生命周期很短，在仲夏结束。 在20世纪70年代和80年代，理论生态学家开发了一个模型，解释为什么大黄蜂在繁殖时会转向繁殖。 这项研究将通过监测两个物种的物候与年内温度变化以及熊蜂可以觅食的花朵的可用性和时间（这可能取决于温度和干旱）的关系来测试这些模型。 研究人员还将使用公民科学家数据来评估地理区域和不同生长季节长度的时间段内不同熊蜂物种物候的纬度和时间变化。 该项目将测试大黄蜂蜂群繁殖的经典理论的预测，包括一年中生命周期较长的物种对年份之间的变化更敏感的预测。该项目将提供有关熊蜂筑巢和冬眠栖息地需求的新知识，作为对保护工作的重要贡献。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。