Flower resource availability and Tetragonisca fiebrigi flower visits in two farming communities of Bolivian Chiquitanía

Abstract

This article describes the flower availability and resource use of the generalist stingless bee Tetragonisca fiebrigi at two farming communities (agroindustrial vs. traditional) of Bolivian Chiquitanía. Vegetation sampling was carried within the flight range of T. fiebrigi to characterize the habitats, life forms and richness of flowering plants present in each farming community. No significant differences were found in plant richness between the agroindustrial and traditional communities. However, the flowering plants in the agroindustrial community predominantly herbs, and the highest richness of plants was found in home gardens. In contrast, the flowering vegetation of the traditional farming community was characterized by the presence of shrubs and trees, with fallows contributing the most to overall plant richness. Bees of the agroindustrial community visited a higher and more variable median number of plant genera compared to the traditional one (15±6.57 vs. 10±2.04, respectively). In both communities, bees visited trees more frequently than other life forms, and they seem to prefer visiting trees in the traditional farming setting, as indicated by the use-to-availability ratio. Our findings highlight home gardens and fallows as important habitats contributing to flowering plant richness, and raise trees as potentially key resources for bee diets, independently of the farming context.