Shifts in honeybee foraging reveal historical changes in floral resources

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Electronic versions

Documents

DOI

Decreasing floral resources as a result of habitat loss is one of the key factors in the decline of pollinating insects worldwide. Understanding which plants pollinators use is vital to inform the provision of appropriate floral resources to help prevent pollinator loss. Using a globally important pollinator, the honeybee, we show how changes in agricultural intensification, crop use and the spread of invasive species, have altered the nectar and pollen sources available in the UK. Using DNA metabarcoding, we analysed 441 honey samples from 2017 and compared these to a nationwide survey of honey samples from 1952. We reveal that shifts in major plants foraged by honeybees are driven by changes in the availability of these plants within the landscape. Improved grasslands are the most widespread habitat type in the UK, and management changes within this habitat have the greatest potential to increase floral resource availability.
Original languageEnglish
Article number37
JournalCommunications Biology
Volume4
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 14 Jan 2021

Total downloads

No data available
View graph of relations