Bombus terrestris will reach Brazil? A predictive study about a potential invasion.

• Grant number: 11/12779-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2011
• End date: May 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Mauro Saraiva
• Grantee: André Luis Acosta
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Bombus terrestris bee (Bt) is an efficient pollinator, providing important ecosystem services in Europe and surroundings, where it is native. Colonies of Bt have been largely created for agricultural pollination and internationally marketed, including in countries outside their natural range. Bt has, deliberately or accidentally, escaped from greenhouses confinement to natural environments and, in many cases, has became an invasive species. When it becomes an invasive species, Bt is a strong competitor with other bees and various environmental impacts have been reported. In South America, Bt was introduced in natural environments of Chile and expanded its invasive distribution to Argentina. Recently, it was discussed the possibility of the species reaches Brazil, expanding its distribution through the corridors of climatic affinities since the areas that have already been invaded in South America, raising concerns about potential impacts to natural and agricultural systems. This research will use a multidisciplinary approach - it will join statistical and computational technologies to study biogeography and ecology - to detect corridors that are favorable to distributional shifting and expanding of Bt in South America, as well as the possibilities of Bombus terrestris reaches Brazil. The impact of a possible pervasive presence of Bt in agriculture, natural systems and in some species of native pollinators will be estimated in Brazil. Future climate change scenarios will be considered, in order to predict the dynamic expansion of the species along the time. This research also aims to contribute providing further information to definition of preventive and mitigation activities, action plans, and political and scientific decision-making.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GIANNINI, TEREZA C.; GARIBALDI, LUCAS A.; ACOSTA, ANDRE L.; SILVA, JULIANA S.; MAIA, KATE P.; SARAIVA, ANTONIO M.; GUIMARAES, JR., PAULO R.; KLEINERT, ASTRID M. P.. Native and Non-Native Supergeneralist Bee Species Have Different Effects on Plant-Bee Networks. PLoS One, v. 10, n. 9, SEP 10 2015. (09/54422-8, 08/06704-1, 04/15801-0, 11/12779-7)

GIANNINI, TEREZA C.; TAMBOSI, LEANDRO R.; ACOSTA, ANDRE L.; JAFFE, RODOLFO; SARAIVA, ANTONIO M.; IMPERATRIZ-FONSECA, VERA L.; METZGER, JEAN PAUL. Safeguarding Ecosystem Services: A Methodological Framework to Buffer the Joint Effect of Habitat Configuration and Climate Change. PLoS One, v. 10, n. 6, JUN 19 2015. (11/12779-7, 12/13200-5)

ACOSTA, ANDRE L.; GIANNINI, TEREZA C.; IMPERATRIZ-FONSECA, VERA L.; SARAIVA, ANTONIO M.. Worldwide Alien Invasion: A Methodological Approach to Forecast the Potential Spread of a Highly Invasive Pollinator. PLoS One, v. 11, n. 2, FEB 16 2016. (11/12779-7)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

ACOSTA, André Luis. Will Bombus terrestris reach Brazil? A predictive study about a potential invasion. 2015. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB) São Paulo.