Experimental set-up: two bumblebee colonies each were placed in the centre of the study landscapes and the reproductive success as well as the pollen input were investigated. Photo: S Schweiger
Experimental set-up: two bumblebee colonies each were placed in the centre of the study landscapes and the reproductive success as well as the pollen input were investigated. Photo: S Schweiger Research team at Göttingen University investigates effects on reproductive success in agricultural landscapes Bumblebees are important pollinators because they pollinate many different plant species and are extremely resilient. They can still manage to fly at temperatures that are too cold for other pollinators. Like many other insects, they are in sharp decline. This makes it even more important to find out what bumblebees need to reproduce successfully. A team from the University of Göttingen has shown that a diverse landscape and a diverse pollen diet, which the bumblebees collect as a protein source to nourish their offspring, play a significant role in this. A more diverse diet could even mitigate negative effects of infestation with parasitic wax moth larvae.
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