Phd-Willem-Proesmans.Pdf
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Dutch translation of the title: “Het belang van kleine bosfragmenten voor bestuivingsdiensten in landbouwlandschappen” Illustration on the cover: Front: Andrena haemorrhoa (Sara Beernaert) Back: Volucella bombylans (Sara Beernaert) ISBN: 978-94-6357-178-4 Institution: Ghent University Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Ir. Kris Verheyen Prof. Dr. Dries Bonte Prof. Dr. Ir. Guy Smagghe Dr. Ivan Meeus Dean: Prof. Dr. Ir. Marc Van Meirvenne Rector: Prof. Dr. Ir. Rik Van de Walle 2 The importance of small forest fragments for pollination services in agricultural landscapes Willem Proesmans Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor (PhD) in Applied Biological Sciences: Forest and Nature management 3 4 Table of Contents Dankwoord .................................................................................................................................... 7 Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Samenvatting ................................................................................................................................ 9 Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 11 1. Biodiversity loss ..................................................................................................................... 11 2. Importance of pollinators ....................................................................................................... 11 3. Ecology of pollinators ............................................................................................................ 12 4. Evolution of agricultural landscapes in North-Western Europe ............................................... 14 5. Agricultural landscapes as habitat for pollinators ................................................................... 14 6. Goals & Research questions ................................................................................................. 18 7. Thesis outline ........................................................................................................................ 19 Ch. 2: Forest patches as pollinator habitat in agricultural landscapes ................................... 21 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 22 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 23 2. Material & methods ................................................................................................................ 25 3. Results .................................................................................................................................. 31 4. Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 35 5. Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 38 Appendix 2 ................................................................................................................................ 39 Ch. 3: Importance of forest fragments as pollinator habitat varies with season and guild ... 48 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 49 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 50 2. Material & methods ................................................................................................................ 52 Box: Trapping techniques: The effect of colour and pan trapping vs. transect walks ......... 55 3. Results .................................................................................................................................. 58 4. Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 65 5. Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 67 5 Appendix 3 ................................................................................................................................ 68 Chapter 4: The effect of mass-flowering orchards and semi-natural habitat on pollen availability and bumblebee colony performance ...................................................................... 75 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 76 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 77 2. Material & methods ................................................................................................................ 78 3. Results .................................................................................................................................. 82 4. Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 86 5. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 87 6. Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 88 Appendix 4 ................................................................................................................................ 89 Chapter 5: Pollination services provided by small forest fragments ...................................... 93 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 94 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 95 2. Material & methods ................................................................................................................ 96 3. Results .................................................................................................................................. 99 4. Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 102 5. Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. 104 Appendix 5 .............................................................................................................................. 105 Chapter 6: Synthesis ................................................................................................................ 109 1. Small forest patches: pollinator oases in agricultural deserts? ............................................. 111 2. Environmental effects and spatial scale ............................................................................... 113 3. Context matters: season- and guild-specific responsess ..................................................... 114 4. The complete chain: from habitat quality to ecosystem services .......................................... 115 5. Management of small forest fragments and agro-landscapes .............................................. 116 6. Future research ................................................................................................................... 117 References ................................................................................................................................ 119 Curriculum vitae ........................................................................................................................ 148 6 Dankwoord Dit doctoraat kwam tot stand met de hulp van een hele hoop mensen. In de eerste plaats natuurlijk Kris, merci om me de kans te geven om vier jaar lang aan dit interessante project te kunnen werken! Je hulp tijdens dit hele project, beginnende bij het uitdenken en schrijven van de aanvraag, tot uiteindelijk het finale afwerken was onmisbaar! Het was altijd zeer aangenaam samenwerken met je. Je persoonlijke begeleiding en je optimisme hebben me altijd de energie gegeven om ervoor te gaan en uiteindelijk een mooi resultaat af te leveren. Dries, Guy en Ivan, ook jullie hebben vanaf het begin tot het einde veel energie gestoken in dit project. Dankzij jullie gecombineerde expertise en begeleiding was een enorme meerwaarde voor dit doctoraat en voor mij persoonlijk! Ook ben ik de jury heel dankbaar voor hun commentaren, die het oorspronkelijke manuscript sterk hebben verbeterd. Wim Verbeke, Patrick De Clercq, Joachim Moens, Dirk de Graaf en Luc De Bruyn, een dikke merci! Ik had het geluk dit onderzoek te mogen uitvoeren aan het ForNaLab, tussen fantastische collega’s. Het was niet enkel een plezier om met jullie samen te werken, ik heb ook veel bijgeleerd over verschillende onderzoeksdomeinen in de (bos)ecologie, gaande van de voorgeschiedenis van kruidlagen, over het nut van haagkanten, tot het