Affiliation:
1. Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Kraków Poland
2. Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology Jagiellonian University Kraków Poland
3. Faculty or Arts, Science and Technology University of Northampton Northampton UK
4. Kunming Institute of Botany Kunming China
Abstract
AbstractBees provide important ecological services, and many species are threatened globally, yet our knowledge of wild bee ecology and evolution is limited. While evolving from carnivorous ancestors, bees had to develop strategies for coping with limitations imposed on them by a plant‐based diet, with nectar providing energy and essential amino acids and pollen as an extraordinary, protein‐ and lipid‐rich food nutritionally similar to animal tissues. Both nectar and pollen display one characteristic common to plants, a high ratio of potassium to sodium (K:Na), potentially leading to bee underdevelopment, health problems, and death. We discuss why and how the ratio of K:Na contributes to bee ecology and evolution and how considering this factor in future studies will provide new knowledge, more accurately depicting the relationship of bees with their environments. Such knowledge is essential for understanding how plants and bees function and interact and is needed to effectively protect wild bees.
Funder
Narodowe Centrum Nauki
Jagiellonian University in Krakow
Subject
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Cited by
3 articles.
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