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，有两种思想流派。一方面，城市化被认为是昆虫减少的主要原因之一，特别是通过改变对传粉者重要的生态特征，如食物和筑巢地点。另一方面，一些城市栖息地对传粉者非常有利：在英国已知的35%的飞蝇物种都是在莱斯特的一个花园里记录的，城市栖息地是少数几个大黄蜂没有减少的栖息地之一。我们的研究将从询问英国景观中的传粉者开始，通过比较三种栖息地的传粉者多样性：城市，农田和自然保护区。我们将使用系统方法来研究植物及其传粉者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损失，压力和生态恢复的反应有着深远的影响。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、阅读、利兹和爱丁堡）的传粉者动物群，目的是量化不同城市栖息地传粉者的价值。虽然生态学家对城市花园对传粉者的价值知之甚少，但对工业区、学校场地、分配地、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。我们的试验数据表明，一些栖息地对传粉者非常有利，或者可以管理。将再次使用网络方法，并使用全新的数学工具预测变化的影响-将传粉者与花朵之间的相互作用网络数据与元社区生态学数据（整个当地传粉网络系统如何应对物种损失和物种扩散）相结合。在我们拟议研究的最后阶段，我们问我们是否可以改善城市传粉者的条件。我们将使用一个大规模的现场实验，复制在四个城市，在其中我们将操纵传粉者的食物供应，通过引入一个城市版本的领域边缘播种与“花蜜花混合物”的农田，以保护传粉者。我们的植物混合物将被选择提供传粉者食物，低维护，并期待吸引人的眼睛。与每个城市的当地专业保护工作者合作（其中七人是该提案的合作者），将在四个城市以大胆的实验设计实施治疗。从支持信中可以看出，我们的项目将为实践者提供基于证据的传粉者保护管理所需的确切数据。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者保护纳入英国9%的城市地区。拟议的研究小组的成员有技能，经验和资金，以改善传粉者保护显着在英国。由Memmott领导，该团队由大学授粉生态学家，分类学家组成，以确定将发现的数百种物种，以及保护生态学家，在城市地区具有长期利益和影响力，以实施保护传粉者及其提供的生态系统服务所需的变化。我们的研究计划是令人兴奋的，及时的，开拓性的和雄心勃勃的。这也是非常可行的，因为有一个明确的管理结构。我们将提供卓越的科学和即时的保护效果。

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

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

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