Ashes in the air : the effects of volcanic ash emissions on plant-pollinator relationship and possible consequences for apiculture

Abstract

El rendimiento de forrajeo de los polinizadores podría ser alterado por las flores de cenizas volcánicas contaminados, polen y néctar. Se utilizó la abeja melífera (Apis mellifera) como organismo modelo para comprender los efectos que la ceniza volcánica podría tener sobre la apicultura y establecer algunos de los mecanismos mediante los cuales se podía afectar a las interacciones planta-polinizador. Se investigaron tres mecanismos: (1) la interferencia con los recursos ubicación, (2) interferencia con el consumo de recursos, y (3) la perturbación procesos digestivos. Los resultados indican que las relaciones planta-polinizador podrían ser alterados por las cenizas volcánicas.

Pollinator foraging performance could be altered by volcanic ash contaminated flowers, pollen, and nectar. We used the honeybee (Apis mellifera) as a model organism to understand the effects that volcanic ash could have on apiculture and establish some of the mechanisms through which it could affect plant–pollinator interactions. Three mechanisms were investigated: (1) interference with resource location, (2) interference with resource consumption, and (3) disturbing digestive processes. Results indicate that plant–pollinator relationships could be altered by volcanic ash. On the one hand, honeybees seem to recognize flowers covered in ashes only after an adaptation period (i.e., learning). On the other hand, there is no avoidance mechanism to prevent ingestion of contaminated food that ultimately reduces survival. Apiculture could be negatively affected due to this natural disturbance and plant–pollinating relationships could be especially vulnerable to ash emissions due to the high exposure of pollen and nectar bearing structures susceptible to contamination. Additionally, nectar feeders gut morphology (i.e., convoluted, thin with no resistance to abrasion) enables ash particles in contaminated food to obstruct and lacerate the gut increasing mortality risk.