RESPONSES OF SOLITARY BEES TO FIRE: A TRAIT-BASED APPROACH

摘要

Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae s.l.). the most prominent pollinator group, are facing a worldwide decline due to a series of anthropogenic disturbances (Biesmeijer et ai, 2006; Potts et a/., 2010). In Mediterranean-type ecosystems, fire is among the most important disturbances, affecting the abundance and structure of post-fire solitary bee communities. As an immediate effect, bee diversity decreases due to direct mortality by fire, the limited food resources and the limited dispersal ability of the most bees. During the first post-fire years, bee diversity increases, as floral diversity coverage peaks, and decreases during later post-fire years (Petanidou & Ellis, 1996; Potts et ai, 2003).Species functional traits reflect species behavior, physiology and morphology and consequently shape species responses to changing environmental conditions (McGill et ai, 2006). Therefore, traits can be used to predict bee community responses to disturbance and hence to determine appropriate management practices (Williams et ai, 2010).