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<p>Understanding how bee species co-occur in crop systems is central to explaining the processes that shape pollinator diversity and the delivery of pollination services. In agricultural habitats, floral resources are spatially clustered and temporally limited, which increases competition compared with natural systems. Under these conditions, functional traits that govern foraging and resource use play a critical role in structuring communities. This study investigated the role of functional relatedness in shaping the co-occurrence patterns of bee species within a pollinator guild associated with brinjal (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.), a key tropical crop reliant on bee-mediated pollination. Fieldwork conducted across 12 brinjal farmlands in eastern India recorded bee visitors of brinjal. Various functional traits were assessed to determine functional relatedness among species using Gower distance-based clustering. The bee community within the brinjal agro-ecosystem was dominated by <i>Apis cerana</i> and <i>Amegilla sp.</i>, alongside significant contributors such as <i>Hoplonomia</i> sp., <i>Tetragonula</i> sp., and <i>Xylocopa</i> sp. Functional trait analysis revealed functional relatedness within the community, highlighting four functional groups. A moderate positive correlation between functional relatedness and reduced co-occurrence (ρ = 0.339, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) suggests that niche differentiation plays a key role in minimizing competition among closely related species, limiting their co-occurrence. The findings underscore the critical role of functional diversity in shaping pollinator interactions. By understanding how species’ ecological roles influence their coexistence, we can better protect pollinator communities, which are essential for sustaining pollination services vital for both agricultural productivity and ecosystem health.</p>

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Functional relatedness shapes bee species co-occurrence in a pollinator guild of tropical farmlands

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月30日

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  • Anirban Chakraborty,
  • Ankan Bhandari,
  • Manobrata Das,
  • Ritam Bhattacharya,
  • Parthiba Basu

摘要

Understanding how bee species co-occur in crop systems is central to explaining the processes that shape pollinator diversity and the delivery of pollination services. In agricultural habitats, floral resources are spatially clustered and temporally limited, which increases competition compared with natural systems. Under these conditions, functional traits that govern foraging and resource use play a critical role in structuring communities. This study investigated the role of functional relatedness in shaping the co-occurrence patterns of bee species within a pollinator guild associated with brinjal (Solanum melongena L.), a key tropical crop reliant on bee-mediated pollination. Fieldwork conducted across 12 brinjal farmlands in eastern India recorded bee visitors of brinjal. Various functional traits were assessed to determine functional relatedness among species using Gower distance-based clustering. The bee community within the brinjal agro-ecosystem was dominated by Apis cerana and Amegilla sp., alongside significant contributors such as Hoplonomia sp., Tetragonula sp., and Xylocopa sp. Functional trait analysis revealed functional relatedness within the community, highlighting four functional groups. A moderate positive correlation between functional relatedness and reduced co-occurrence (ρ = 0.339, p < 0.05) suggests that niche differentiation plays a key role in minimizing competition among closely related species, limiting their co-occurrence. The findings underscore the critical role of functional diversity in shaping pollinator interactions. By understanding how species’ ecological roles influence their coexistence, we can better protect pollinator communities, which are essential for sustaining pollination services vital for both agricultural productivity and ecosystem health.