Landscape simplification shapes pathogen prevalence in plant‐pollinator networks

Abstract

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The frugivory network properties of a simplified ecosystem: Birds and plants in a Neotropical periurban park

“…Species richness aside, our investigation is motivated by a different issue-how are Neotropical frugivory networks structured in places significantly altered by human activity? Many investigations on the role of anthropogenic factors have examined the detrimental effects of human activities on different elements of biodiversity (Figueroa et al, 2020;Moreira, Ferreira, Lopes, Gomes, & Boscolo, 2018), and the role of habitat loss and fragmentation in frugivory networks (Gonzalez & Loiselle, 2016;Memmott, Waser, & Price, 2004; Ramos-Robles, Andresen, & Díaz-Castelazo, 2018). Nonetheless, our understanding of frugivory networks in these anthropogenically simplified ecosystems is comparatively less of what we know about the ones in a more pristine condition.…”

“…We chose a Neotropical, periurban park (a "simplified ecosystem") to conduct our research. Simplified ecosystems, according to Western (2001), Fortuna & Bascompte (2006), and Figueroa et al (2020), share a common set of traits that include simple food webs, homogenous landscapes, and require high nutrient and energy inputs in order to be maintained. Some elements, in turn, are gained, such as exotic species (Costa Cruz et al, 2013).…”

Metatranscriptome Analysis of Sympatric Bee Species Identifies Bee Virus Variants and a New Virus, Andrena-Associated Bee Virus-1

“…Indeed, AnBV-1 infections in honey bees were detected in sites with low floral diversity and were absent in honey bees in high floral diversity sites ( Figure 6C and Supplementary Table S6). These results suggest a strong effect of epidemiological dilution by flower species diversity [161,162,163,164]; in sites with high floral diversity, the generalist honey bees can forage on a wide range of floral species, and therefore their exposure to flowers that are visited by mining bees, which primarily forage on yellow mustard plants, is reduced. The correlation between low flower diversity and AnBV-1 infection in honey bees can also be explained by other, non-mutually-exclusive mechanisms.…”

Crithidia bombican infect two solitary bee species while host survivorship depends on diet

“…Recent advances in molecular surveillance have revealed widespread pathogen prevalence across solitary bee taxa from most bee families (Andrenidae, Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae). This includes pathogens known to infect honey bees and bumble bees (Apidae), including Apicystis bombi , Ascosphaera spp., C. bombi , C. mellificae , N. ceranae and numerous viruses (Singh et al ., 2010; Evison et al ., 2012; Ravoet et al ., 2014; Schoonvaere et al ., 2018; Figueroa et al ., 2020). However, except for single-stranded RNA viruses which allow for strand-specific PCR assays to detect viral replication, we currently cannot distinguish between transient passage through the bee gut and active infections, nor do we know if there are negative consequences for the host based solely on molecular screenings (Bramke et al ., 2019).…”

“…Pathogens are spread between bee species via shared use of floral resources (Graystock et al ., 2015). Despite ample possible routes of indirect transmission via flowers at the community level (Figueroa et al ., 2020), the host range of many bee pathogens remains currently unknown. Infection with the trypanosomatid C. bombi can affect bumble bee foraging behaviour, cognitive function (Gegear et al ., 2005, 2006) and reproduction (Goulson et al ., 2018).…”