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Roulston, T. a. H. and K. Goodell (2011). "The role of resources and
risks in regulating wild bee populations." <u>Annual Review of
Entomology</u> <b>56</b>(1): 293-312.<br>
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<dd><x-tab> </x-tab>Recent
declines of bee species have led to great interest in preserving and
promoting bee populations for agricultural and wild plant pollination.
Many correlational studies have examined the indirect effects of factors
such as landscape context and land management practices and found great
variation in bee response. We focus here on the evidence for effects of
direct factors (i.e., food resources, nesting resources, and incidental
risks) regulating bee populations and then interpret varied responses to
indirect factors through their species-specific and habitat-specific
effects on direct factors. We find strong evidence for food resource
availability regulating bee populations, but little clear evidence that
other direct factors are commonly limiting. We recommend manipulative
experiments to illuminate the effects of these different factors. We
contend that much of the variation in impact from indirect factors, such
as grazing, can be explained by the relationships between indirect
factors and floral resource availability based on environmental
circumstances.<br><br>
</dl>Pitts-Singer, T. L. and J. H. Cane (2011). "The alfalfa
leafcutting bee, <i>Megachile rotundata</i>: The world's most intensively
managed solitary bee." <u>Annual Review of Entomology</u>
<b>56</b>(1): 221-237.<br>
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<dd><x-tab> </x-tab>The
alfalfa leafcutting bee (ALCB), Megachile rotundata F. (Megachildae), was
accidentally introduced into the United States by the 1940s. Nest
management of this Eurasian nonsocial pollinator transformed the alfalfa
seed industry in North America, tripling seed production. The most common
ALCB management practice is the loose cell system, in which cocooned bees
are removed from nesting cavities for cleaning and storage. Traits of
ALCBs that favored their commercialization include gregarious nesting;
use of leaves for lining nests; ready acceptance of affordable,
mass-produced nesting materials; alfalfa pollination efficacy; and
emergence synchrony with alfalfa bloom. The ALCB became a commercial
success because much of its natural history was understood, targeted
research was pursued, and producer ingenuity was encouraged. The ALCB
presents a model system for commercializing other solitary bees and for
advancing new testable hypotheses in diverse biological
disciplines.<br><br>
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