Wastelands: their attractiveness and importance for preserving the diversity of wild bees in urban areas

• DOI: 10.1007/s10841-019-00148-8
• Publication Date: 2019-03-30T07:02:41Z
• Authors: Lucyna Twerd; Weronika Banaszak...
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 13. Climate action; 11. Sustainability; 15. Life on land; 01 natural sciences

Urban wastelands are important substitute habitats for many insect species, but their value the protection of wild bees is still poorly studied. We assessed species richness, abundance, and diversity in that differed area (2–35 ha), stage ecological succession, location (suburbs or closer to city centre), history land use. In investigated plots, we recorded 42% all bee reported from Poland. The attractiveness was positively correlated with coverage blooming herbs, shrubs low trees, wasteland. An increase isolation habitat patches, percentage contribution alien annuals, grasses (< 25 cm) negatively affected Apiformes. Considering use, found were most attracted resulting extractive industry (sand clay pits), grassy located suburbs, e.g. at sites grazed earlier by sheep. Wastelands areas directly influenced chemical least attractive bees. Analyses quantitative qualitative similarity various types showed three similar grasslands suburbs (the disturbed habitats): degraded centre, extraction pits, old fields. presented results indicate urban wastelands, including some post-industrial sites, can be secondary Thus, proper management natural resources should cover both formally managed so-called unproductive spaces, which have been undervalued so far.