Brosi, B. J. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2026

Susceptibility of ecosystems to interaction timing

The phenology of organisms worldwide is shifting in response to changes in environmental conditions. There is growing concern that resulting timing mismatches among interacting species will negatively impact system-level properties, yet there is no general framework for evaluating community responses to changes in phenology. To address this gap, we developed a mathematical framework based on local stability analysis and used it to assess the resilience implications of phenological perturbations with a multi-year, highly time-resolved empirical dataset on subalpine plant-pollinator communities. The forecasted effects of phenological perturbations were largely independent of perturbations to species densities, indicating the potential for even small changes in phenology to disrupt the functioning of ecosystems that are otherwise highly stable.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Effects of a field-sprayed antibiotic on bee foraging behavior and pollination in pear orchards

Broadcast spraying of antibiotics in crops is widely used for controlling bacterial plant pathogens. The effects of antibiotics on non-target (and especially beneficial) organisms in cropping systems, however, are not well studied. Pollinators are of particular concern because in pear and apple crops, antibiotics for controlling fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) are sprayed during bloom, likely exposing pollinators. This is especially relevant as laboratory evidence suggests that antibiotics could have sublethal effects on bee foraging behavior and colony health. But to our knowledge these potential impacts have not been studied in field settings. Here, we compared the effects of two fire blight control methods, a single spray of an antibiotic (oxytetracycline) and a biological antagonist (Aureobasidium pullulans), on honey bee (Apis mellifera) foraging, pollination, and fruit set in pear orchards. Complementing these field assessments, we conducted laboratory experiments to examine the effects of these treatments on locomotion and foraging behavior of the bumble bee species, Bombus vosnesenskii. We found that honey bees visited fewer flowers and foraged longer on each flower in orchards sprayed with antibiotics than with biological product, but there were no differences in pollination and seed set. The pear cultivars we worked in, however, can self-pollinate. In the lab, we found that feeding on high doses of either the antibiotic or the biological antagonist reduced bumble bee foraging behavior relative to controls. The limited impact of antibiotics on pear pollination observed in this study suggest that antibiotics pose a low economic risk to pear growers, especially for self-compatible cultivars. Still, crops with higher pollinator dependence may be more affected by reductions in pollinator visitation. Future studies should examine the impacts of multiple antibiotic sprays within a season, which are common during warm springs, and their long-term health impacts on both individual bees and colonies. HighlightsO_LIAntibiotics are sprayed on many crops to control plant bacterial pathogens. C_LIO_LIThe impacts of antibiotics on beneficial organisms in agriculture are unknown. C_LIO_LIWe studied antibiotic impacts on bee behavior and pollination function in pears. C_LIO_LIBees exposed to antibiotics visit fewer flowers and this could impact bee fitness. C_LIO_LIDespite decreased bee visitation, we did not detect a reduction in crop pollination. C_LI Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=83 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/528407v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (34K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@17c2189org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@7dd952org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@4696beorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@52b7fd_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2018

Industrial bees: when agricultural intensification doesn’t impact local disease prevalence

O_LIAlthough it is generally thought that the intensification of farming will result in higher disease prevalences there is little specific modelling testing this idea. We build multi-colony models to inform how apicultural intensification is predicted to impact honeybee pathogen epidemiology at the apiary scale.\nC_LIO_LICounter to the prevailing view, our models predict that intensification, captured though increased population sizes, changes in population network structure, and increased between-colony transmission, is likely to have little effect on disease prevalence within an apiary.\nC_LIO_LIThe greatest impacts of intensification are found for diseases with relatively low R0 (basic reproduction number), however, such diseases cause little overall disease prevalence and therefore the impacts of intensification are minor. Furthermore, the smallest impacts of intensification are found for diseases with high R0 values, which we argue are typical of important honeybee diseases.\nC_LIO_LIPolicy Implications: Our findings highlight a lack of support for the hypothesis that current and ongoing intensification leads to notably higher disease prevalences. More broadly, our work demonstrates the need for informative models of agricultural systems and management practices in order to understand the implications of management changes on diseases.\nC_LI

epidemiology↗