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There's not as much crossover as you might think. In North America the native pollinators are adapted to the native plants and can't even pollinate the introduc
by bregma 6mo ago
There's not as much crossover as you might think. In North America the native pollinators are adapted to the native plants and can't even pollinate the introduced eurasian ones. And it goes the other way: honeybees can't pollinate the native plants, only the introduced eurasian ones.
If course, if you're in Europe, honeybees are the native pollinators. At least around the Mediterranean.
- justincormack 6mo agoWe also have many wild bees in Europe.
- pfdietz 6mo agoSo, what you're saying is that honeybees are facilitating the spread of invasive plants in North America? Seems like a definite negative.
- chasil 6mo agoThose ships have literally sailed, centuries ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_exchange https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_exchange
- pfdietz 6mo agoInvasives are an ongoing and escalating problem.
- mattmaroon 6mo agoWhich is solid evidence that honey bees have little to do with the problem.
- pfdietz 6mo agoWhat a non sequitur.
- adolph 6mo agoSee also earthworms facilitating spread of invasives: Invasive species of earthworms from the suborder Lumbricina have been expanding their range in North America. . . . Their introduction to North America has had marked effects on the nutrient cycles and soil profiles in temperate forests. . . . Some species of trees and other plants may be incapable of surviving such changes in available nutrients. This change in the plant diversity in turn affects other organisms and often leads to increased invasions of other exotic species as well as overall forest decline. They are considered one of the most invasive animals in the Midwestern United States along with feral swine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasive_earthworms_of_North_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasive_earthworms_of_North_A...
- MostlyStable 6mo agoWhile I haven't done an intense study of it, I very frequently see multiple bee species, natives and honey bees, on the same flowers. This includes things like raspberries, mint, dandelions, various fruit blossoms, as well as vegetables. I'm sure there is specialization in at least some of the natives, but some of them, the bumblebees especially (or maybe that's just because they are bigger and easier to see), seem to be pretty generalist foragers much like the honey bees