Dissertation
Impacts of landscape resource diversity and availability on bee foraging and fitness
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast
2017
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25907/00615
Abstract
Loss of natural and semi-natural habitat due to increasing human land use for agriculture and housing has led to widespread declines in bee pollinator diversity and abundance, which raised global concerns about the stability of pollination services. Bee population dynamics depend on floral resource diversity and availability in the surrounding landscape, and loss of plant biodiversity may thus directly impair the fitness of individual bee species. However, whether and how plant and resource diversity and availability affect foraging patterns, resource intake, resource quantity and nutrient quality and ultimately fitness of generalist social bees remains unclear. In this thesis, we placed hives of the Australian eusocial stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria (Apidae, Meliponini) in natural habitat (subtropical forests) and two landscapes differently altered by humans (suburban gardens and macadamia plantations), varying in plant species richness, resource abundance and respective habitat patch size. Foraging patterns and resource intake were compared between landscapes in different seasons and colony growth and fitness were monitored over two and a half years.
Details
- Title
- Impacts of landscape resource diversity and availability on bee foraging and fitness
- Authors
- Benjamin F Kaluza
- Contributors
- Helen M Wallace (Supervisor)
- Awarding institution
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Degree awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- DOI
- 10.25907/00615
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; GeneCology Research Centre - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450310902621
- Output Type
- Dissertation
Metrics
97 File views/ downloads
543 Record Views