Restoration of bee communities (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) in landscape scale: a review

Abstract

Anthropogenic disturbances have changed the landscape structure and functioning of many ecosystems worldwide. Ecological restoration at the landscape level is important to recover degraded and destroyed ecosystems, as well as increase habitat amount and spatial connectivity, thus reestablishing biodiversity and essential ecological processes. Different local and landscape factors affect the recovery of animal communities in general, particularly bees. These insects are essential for restoration success through pollination. Considering the importance of ecological restoration at the landscape level for pollinator conservation, we systematically reviewed the influence of landscape structure on the restoration of bee communities. Our review encompassed the analysis of 18 articles based on specific criteria including the number of bee sampling units within restored areas and landscape analyses. These studies showed that habitat amount and proximity influence in different ways the bee richness, abundance, diversity, and species composition in the restored environments. We also observed that attributes linked to habitat complexity such as the availability of floral and nesting resources drive the bee species’ colonization and persistence. Our findings emphasize the necessity of designing restoration strategies considering the spatial and temporal distribution of bee species requirements on a landscape scale.