The Ecological and functional value of nativebees in Avocado (Persea americana) pollination.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2026)869Keywords:
Functional groups, Fruit set, Pollination service, Visitation rate, pollen transfer potential, bee sizeAbstract
Although bees provide essential ecosystem services, the contribution of native bee functional groups to avocado pollination remains poorly quantified. We aimed to (1) evaluate the effect of distance from semi-natural vegetation on native bee visitation rates and (2) compare pollen transfer potential and fruit production among native bee functional groups. We surveyed bee visitation along a 6–72 m gradient from semi-natural vegetation in two commercial Hass avocado (Persea americana Mill.) orchards in central Chile (20 trees each; 2018). We conducted pollinator exclusion experiments in one orchard during 2018 and 2019. Visitation frequencies, pollen load, and exclusion data were combined to quantify pollen transfer potential (Ept), fruit production, and Pollination Service Index (PSI). Generalized additive models showed no significant effect of distance on visitation frequency or pollen transfer potential, suggesting the gradient lies within typical foraging distances. However, functional groups differed. Medium- and small-sized bees showed higher pollen transfer potential than large bees, driven mainly by greater per-capita pollen load rather than visitation. Self-pollination and medium-sized bees sustained fruit number closest to open control (highest PSI) but showed no advantage in fruit weight, whereas small bees produced the heaviest fruit despite the largest reduction in fruit number, though this pattern varied between seasons. No single treatment excelled across all metrics, revealing a partial decoupling between pollen transfer potential and fruit development highlighting the multidimensional nature of pollination services. A functionally diverse pollinator assemblage serves best to sustain both fruit quantity and quality. Conserving semi-natural habitats and native pollinator diversity may help sustain pollination services and avocado productivity.
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