Lowe Abigail, Jones Laura, Brennan Georgina, Creer Simon, Christie Lynda, de Vere Natasha
National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, UK.
Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
Mol Ecol. 2023 Dec;32(23):6363-6376. doi: 10.1111/mec.16719. Epub 2022 Oct 24.
Generalist species are core components of ecological networks and crucial for the maintenance of biodiversity. Generalist species and networks are expected to be more resilient, and therefore understanding the dynamics of specialization and generalization in ecological networks is a key focus in a time of rapid global change. Whilst diet generalization is frequently studied, our understanding of how it changes over time is limited. Here we explore temporal variation in diet specificity in the honeybee (Apis mellifera), using pollen DNA metabarcoding of honey samples, through the foraging season, over two years. We find that, overall, honeybees are generalists that visit a wide range of plants, but there is temporal variation in the degree of specialization. Temporal specialization of honeybee colonies corresponds to periods of resource limitation, identified as a lack of honey stores. Honeybees experience a lack of preferred resources in June when switching from flowering trees in spring to shrubs and herbs in summer. Investigating temporal patterns in specialization can identify periods of resource limitation that may lead to species and network vulnerability. Diet specificity must therefore be explored at different temporal scales in order to fully understand species and network stability in the face of ecological change.
广适性物种是生态网络的核心组成部分，对生物多样性的维持至关重要。广适性物种和生态网络预计具有更强的恢复力，因此在全球快速变化的时代，了解生态网络中特化和泛化的动态是一个关键重点。虽然饮食泛化经常被研究，但我们对其随时间变化的了解有限。在这里，我们通过对蜂蜜样本进行花粉DNA代谢条码分析，研究了两年内整个觅食季节蜜蜂（西方蜜蜂）饮食特异性的时间变化。我们发现，总体而言，蜜蜂是访问多种植物的广适性物种，但特化程度存在时间变化。蜂群的时间特化与资源限制期相对应，资源限制表现为蜂蜜储备不足。蜜蜂在6月从春季开花树木过渡到夏季灌木和草本植物时会经历首选资源短缺。研究特化的时间模式可以识别可能导致物种和网络脆弱性的资源限制期。因此，必须在不同的时间尺度上探索饮食特异性，以便在面对生态变化时全面了解物种和网络的稳定性。
