Using a novel mesocosm system to reveal effects of floral diversification on bumble bee colony-level health

Agricultural intensification is a primary driver of wild bee decline, reducing floral resource availability and causing nutritional stress. Evidence from conservation ecologists demonstrates that bee communities are correlated with floral resource diversity and abundance, while insect physiologists highlight that individual bees’ health is related to floral diet diversity. However, very few studies have assessed the impacts of floral resources on bee colony-level health due to the logistical difficulties of manipulating floral resources at a field-relevant scale. This study has developed a large-scale mesocosm to experimentally manipulate floral resource availability in a semi-field setting, and reveals the resulting effects on B. impatiens colony health and reproduction and pollination services provided to a pollinator-dependent crop.