Bee and Flowering Plant Communities in a Riparian Corridor of the Lower
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bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.04.894600; this version posted October 28, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. 1 BEE AND FLOWERING PLANT COMMUNITIES IN A RIPARIAN 2 CORRIDOR OF THE LOWER RIO GRANDE RIVER (TEXAS, USA) 1 2 3 3 AMEDE RUBIO , KAREN WRIGHT , AND SCOTT LONGING 4 1Texas A&M International University., Laredo, TX, 2Texas A&M University, College Station, 5 TX, 3Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 6 Abstract 7 The Rio Grande in Texas serves as the geo-political boundary between the United States 8 and Mexico. It is considered one of the world’s most at-risk rivers and has been the subject of 9 intensified management by the inhabitants of both countries lining its banks. Additionally, 10 invasion by non-native Arundo donax (Linnaeus) (Cyperales: Poaceae), giant reed, has been 11 extensive in the riparian corridor, with potential impacts to native wildlife. Locally, there 12 remains a significant lack of ecological community data of riparian and upland habitats parallel 13 to the river. We sampled bee and flowering plant communities monthly over two years, along a 14 3.22 km stretch of the lower Rio Grande in Webb County, TX. Data show that bee and plant 15 richness and abundance was highest during March-April and September among both habitat 16 types. Analysis of bee communities showed low spatial and temporal variation at the habitat 17 level. Although common bee taxa (Halictidae and Apidae) were numerically dominant, NMS and 18 ISA found key bee species driving community patterns. This included higher abundances of two 19 species in the riparian habitat Anthophora occidentalis (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and 20 Lasioglossum sp.L (Curtis) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and one showing affinity for the upland 21 habitat Halictus ligatus (Say) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Additionally, ISA analysis of plant 22 data revealed that three species were significant indicator taxa in riparian habitats. Further 23 analysis showed a positive correlation between bee generic richness and abundance with various 24 climate attributes. Management of the riparian corridor and associated watershed could include 25 significant areas for ecological restoration to assist pollinators. bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.04.894600; this version posted October 28, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. 26 Keywords: Lower Rio Grande, bee communities, riparian and upland habitats, diversity 27 Introduction 28 Flowering plants and their associated pollinators are intricately linked by evolved mutualisms 29 (Potts et al. 2010, Fiedler, Landis, and Arduser 2012). Pollination is a vital ecosystem service 30 provided by bees that sustains plant communities and contributes to the production of many 31 agricultural crops (Kremen, Williams, and Thorp 2002). This pollinator-plant interdependence 32 may directly influence seed production and genetic variation within managed and wild plant 33 communities (Kremen et al. 2002). It is estimated that bees pollinate over half of the world’s 34 crop varieties and are responsible for an estimated 15 billion dollars in annual revenue (Kremen, 35 Williams, and Thorp 2002, Losey and Vaughan 2006, Kimoto et al. 2012). In addition to 36 managed systems, pollination of wild flowering plant communities are especially dependent on 37 bees (Kremen et al. 2002). Currently, global threats to pollinators are expected to continue if 38 current environmental trends go unmitigated (Potts et al. 2010), which will lead to the reduction 39 of valued ecosystem services provided by bee and other insects (Losey and Vaughan 2006). 40 The European honeybee, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), has received 41 attention because managed colonies in the United States have shown winter declines of over 50% 42 in recent years (Ragsdale, Hackett, and Kaplan 2007). Concurrent with reported losses of 43 honeybee colonies, several native bee species have been listed as targets for conservation due to 44 severely reduced population ranges and sizes (Cameron et al. 2011). Agricultural intensification 45 coupled with increased pesticide use have become rising threats to native bees due to their non- 46 target effects (Hladik, Vandever, and Smalling 2016, Begosh et al. 2020, Longing et al. 2020). 47 Moreover, managed bees can affect wild native bees through vector disease causing agents 48 during foraging and contact with shared floral resources (Fürst et al. 2014). Concomitantly, bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.04.894600; this version posted October 28, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. 49 rampant habitat fragmentation and invasion by non-native plant species will only intensify the 50 decline of native bee populations (Potts et al. 2010). Further losses of pollinators could 51 dramatically affect ecosystem function, therefore understanding wild bee communities is an 52 important area of research to support both the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem 53 requirements. 54 The Rio Grande begins in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado and travels approximately 55 3,200 kilometers before draining into the Gulf of Mexico. It serves as the geographical and 56 political boundary between the United States and Mexico (Karatayev, Miller, and Burlakova 57 2012). The river and its associated riparian corridors are some of the most anthropogenically 58 influenced and understudied systems in the world (Karatayev, Miller, and Burlakova 2012). The 59 river is also a primary source of drinking water and supports much of the municipal, industrial, 60 and agricultural water needs for major cities along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Rio Grande and 61 associated riparian ecosystems provide resources to maintain food webs, create refugia and 62 habitat for animals, and serve as a steady source of available freshwater (Ellis, Crawford, and 63 Molles Jr 2001). Over-extraction of freshwater, pollution, invasive plant species and climate 64 change continue to influence the Rio Grande (Karatayev et al. 2012, Wilson, Addo-Mensah, and 65 Mendez 2015). Although impacts from anthropogenic activities are widespread, the riparian 66 corridor of the Rio Grande remains understudied regarding its flora and fauna. A need exists to 67 understand how the riparian corridor supports resources for wildlife. 68 The Rio Grande corridor can be sub-divided into riparian and upland habitats, that are 69 generally distinguished by relative distances to the riverbank composition of the plant 70 community. The vegetation of the Rio Grande riparian habitat consists in part of the following 71 species: woody species sugar hackberry (Celtis laevigata Willdenow) (Urticales: Ulmaceae), bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.04.894600; this version posted October 28, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. 72 retama (Parkinsonia aculeata Linnaeus) (Fabales: Fabaceae), Mexican ash (Fraxinus 73 berlandieriana de Candolle) (Scrophulariales: Oleaceae), black willow (Salix nigra Marshall) 74 (Salicales: Salicaceae), granjeno (Celtis pallida Torrey) (Urticales: Ulmaceae), and forb species 75 pigeon berry (Rivina humilis Linnaeus) (Caryophyllales: Phytolaccaceae), narrowleaf globe 76 mallow (Sphaeralcea angustifolia Cavanilles) (Malvales: Malvaceae), common sunflower 77 (Helianthus annuus Linnaeus) (Asterales: Asteraceae) (Woodin, Skoruppa, and Hickman 2000, 78 Everitt, Drawe, and Lonard 2002, Racelis et al. 2012). The upland habitat is generally higher in 79 elevation and often is the outermost boundary of the riparian corridor. Upland vegetation consists 80 of woody species, dominated by sugar hackberry (Celtis laevigata Willdenow) (Urticales: 81 Ulmaceae), honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torrey) (Fabales: Fabaceae), black brush 82 acacia (Vachellia rigidula Bentham) (Fabales: Fabaceae), and forb species such as mock vervain 83 (Glandularia quadrangulate Heller) (Lamiales: Verbenaceae), annual sowthistle (Sonchus 84 oleraceus Linnaeus) (Asterales: Asteraceae) and plains lazy daisy (Aphanostephus ramosissimus 85 de Candolle) (Asterales: Asteraceae) (Everitt, Drawe, and Lonard 1999, Everitt, Lonard, and 86 Little 2007, Racelis et al. 2012). Many plants within the riparian and upland habitats likely 87 provide resources to pollinators, but this has not been determined in our study region. 88 Grasses in the riparian corridor are dominated by the invasive giant reed (Arundo donax 89 Linnaeus) (Cyperales: Poaceae) and guineagrass (Urochloa maxima Jacquin) (Cyperales: 90 Poaceae) (Everitt et al. 2011). A. donax is widely distributed and has significantly fragmented the 91 landscape by producing large expanses of monotypic stands. Furthermore, invasive buffelgrass 92 (Cenchrus ciliaris Linnaeus)