Does Habitat Fragmentation impact the species assemblage of pollinators in relict Heathlands across a UK city?

栖息地破碎化是否会影响英国城市废弃荒地中授粉媒介的物种组合？

• 批准号: 2592133
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Birmingham
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2592133
• 关键词: Does; Habitat; Fragmentation; impact; species

Lowland Heath is a form of ancient landscape characterised by dwarf shrub heather communities. These important ecosystems create complex mosaic habitats that support valuable assemblages of insects. Heathland is on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) list of priority habitats (JNCC, 2007). Agricultural intensification and urbanisation have reduced this once prolific landscape to 16% of the total area of England which it occupied in 1800 (English Nature, 2002). Despite substantial urbanisation within the West Midlands, fragmented patches of heathland totaling 500 ha still remain in Birmingham and the Black Country (Trueman et al., 2013).Researchers agree that the decline of pollinators is a cause for global concern that warrants further research (Winfree et al., 2009; Bates et al. 2011). The UK has lost 14 bee species since 1900 with a further 35 species at risk of extinction (Goulson, 2019). Although several studies have highlighted the value of urban areas to support insect populations (e.g., Bates et al. 2011; Baldock et al., 2015; Hall et al, 2016), and the importance of relict heathlands for sustaining diverse metapopulations of rare pollinators in the region (Falk, 1996; Falk and Lane, 1999; Falk, 2010), no study (to date) has focused on the impacts of urbanisation on pollinator assemblages in relict heathlands.This research is valuable, as the regeneration of fragmented heathlands could support urban pollinators. This will inform management recommendations for connecting isolated areas of lowland heath across the region. We hope to demonstrate the need to regenerate and expand areas of relict heathland across the West Midlands, as a viable solution to insect decline. This project will examine (i) the impact of urbanisation on pollinator diversity in relic heathlands and test whether (ii) species diversity is lower in fragmented areas of heathland, compared to connected areas. It will assess (iii) the impact of geographical expansion of heathland on pollinator diversity and (iv) quantify the habitat conditions for nesting aggregates for solitary aculeates (bees & wasps).This project provides opportunities to inform local stakeholders in the fields of landscape management and nature conservation how to regenerate areas of lowland heath for vulnerable insect species, while providing outreach opportunities for the research partnership to work with local residents. The DR will work with a multidisciplinary team of academics (landscape ecologists, insect biologists and conservationists), as well as an experienced drone operator to capture high resolution aerial images of heathland sites across the target area. The drone will produce 20 megapixel images at 300 dpi, showing the extent of vegetation coverage and bare earth in urban heathlands. This project will provide training in a range of skills to develop a pollinator database for the region, updating and refreshing current knowledge of species in the target area. This will involve utilizing citizen science to accumulate data on the geographical locations and species assemblages of important nesting aggregations throughout the West Midlands conurbation.

Lowland Heath是矮小的Heather社区的一种古老景观形式。这些重要的生态系统创造了复杂的镶嵌栖息地，以支持昆虫的宝贵组合。 Heathland列入了英国生物多样性行动计划（BAP）优先栖息地清单（JNCC，2007年）。农业强化和城市化已将这一多产的景观降低到1800年占领的英格兰总面积的16％（英国自然，2002年）。尽管西米德兰兹郡内部的大量城市化，但在伯明翰和黑国仍然存在500公顷的荒地斑块（Trueman等，2013）。研究人员同意，授粉媒介的下降是全球关注的原因，使人们担心要进一步的研究（Winfree等，2009年； Bates等； Bates等； 2011年）。自1900年以来，英国损失了14种蜜蜂，另外35种有灭绝风险（Goulson，2019年）。尽管几项研究强调了城市地区支持昆虫人群的价值（例如，Bates等人，2011; Baldock等，2015; Hall等，2016），以及遗heathlands对维持该地区罕见授粉剂多样化的多样化的重要性的重要性（Falk和Lane，1999年； Falk和Lane，2010年），迄今为止，尚无研究（迄今为止），2010年，纽约市（Falk），2010年，纽约市（Falk），2010年，纽约市（Falk），2010年，频繁的范围（及其范围），及其频繁的范围（及其范围），既定的，又是频繁的频道。遗物荒地的授粉媒介组合。这项研究很有价值，因为碎片荒地的再生可以支持城市传粉媒介。这将为管理层提供有关连接该地区低地荒地孤立区域的建议。我们希望证明有必要再生和扩大西米德兰兹郡的荒地荒地的地区，这是昆虫下降的可行解决方案。该项目将研究（i）城市化对遗物荒地中授粉媒介多样性的影响，并测试（ii）与互联区相比，荒地碎片区域的物种多样性在碎片的碎片区域中是否较低。它将评估（iii）荒地地理扩展对传施剂媒介多样性的影响，并（iv）量化单独辅导（蜜蜂和黄蜂）的筑巢聚集体的栖息地条件（蜜蜂和黄蜂）。该项目为当地利益相关者提供了为景观管理和自然养育群体提供竞选活动的地方，以告知景观管理和自然的领域，并为如何竞选昆虫的派遣活动，并为如何为群体提供派遣的派遣，如何为派遣派遣派遣的昆虫群体提供服务。居民。 DR将与一个多学科的学者团队（景观生态学家，昆虫生物学家和保护主义者）以及经验丰富的无人机操作员合作，以捕获整个目标区域中荒地地点的高分辨率空中图像。该无人机将在300 dpi下产生20兆像素的图像，显​​示城市荒地中的植被覆盖范围和裸露地球的程度。该项目将提供一系列技能的培训，以开发该地区的传粉媒介数据库，更新和刷新目标区域中物种的当前知识。这将涉及利用公民科学在整个西米德兰兹郡的地理位置和物种组合上积累数据。