Forest bees need compositionally diverse canopies

Forest bees need compositionally diverse canopies | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Forest bees need compositionally diverse canopies Clayton R. Traylor, Michael D. Ulyshen, Don C. Bragg, Joseph V. McHugh This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4110135/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 14 Aug, 2024 Read the published version in Forest Ecology and Management → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Forests provide critical habitats for pollinating insects, including forest-dependent and habitat generalist species, yet it is unknown how these assemblages are shaped by overstory tree composition. We sampled bees in closed canopy plots in the southeastern United States representing a continuum of forest age and tree composition, from younger conifer-dominated forests to older forests dominated by deciduous broadleaf trees. Species-specific responses of bees to forest composition, and the influence of their traits on responses, were estimated using a joint species distribution model. Additionally, we investigated species richness trends of nesting, sociality, and phenological trait groups. Forest composition greatly influenced bee species occurrence: 48% of species had positive relationships with the diversity of insect-pollinated broadleaf trees and 46% had negative relationships with the proportion of conifer basal area. Bee species with early phenological activity drove these responses and richness patterns supported these trends. Our results indicate that phenology is an important factor determining bee species’ forest dependency and sensitivity to forest composition in this region. We conclude that diverse broadleaf forests are crucial to maintaining bee diversity by providing floral resources that support forest-dependent species even in closed canopy conditions. Conifer forests can also provide valuable habitat to bee pollinators when restored to open canopy conditions. However, because no traits are indicative of conifer forest dependency and bee species respond to understory flora rather than tree attributes, open conifer forests may more strongly favor habitat generalists than forest specialists. Anthophila ecosystem services forest canopy tree composition forest management Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files SupplementaryMaterial.pdf Supplementary Material to: Forest bees need compositionally diverse canopies Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 14 Aug, 2024 Read the published version in Forest Ecology and Management → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4110135","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":280154308,"identity":"4e36284e-6367-4821-968c-3203ad9234c6","order_by":0,"name":"Clayton R. 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We sampled bees in closed canopy plots in the southeastern United States representing a continuum of forest age and tree composition, from younger conifer-dominated forests to older forests dominated by deciduous broadleaf trees. Species-specific responses of bees to forest composition, and the influence of their traits on responses, were estimated using a joint species distribution model. Additionally, we investigated species richness trends of nesting, sociality, and phenological trait groups. Forest composition greatly influenced bee species occurrence: 48% of species had positive relationships with the diversity of insect-pollinated broadleaf trees and 46% had negative relationships with the proportion of conifer basal area. Bee species with early phenological activity drove these responses and richness patterns supported these trends. 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