AI Article Synopsis
- Bees play a crucial role in ecosystems, but many species are under threat, and there is a gap in our understanding of their ecology and evolution.
- Bees evolved from carnivorous ancestors and adapted to a plant-based diet, relying on nectar for energy and pollen for protein, both of which have a high potassium to sodium ratio that can affect their development and health.
- Understanding the impact of the K:Na ratio on bees' ecology and evolution is vital for revealing the complexities of their interactions with plants and is essential for their conservation efforts.
Article Abstract
Bees provide important ecological services, and many species are threatened globally, yet our knowledge of wild bee ecology and evolution is limited. While evolving from carnivorous ancestors, bees had to develop strategies for coping with limitations imposed on them by a plant-based diet, with nectar providing energy and essential amino acids and pollen as an extraordinary, protein- and lipid-rich food nutritionally similar to animal tissues. Both nectar and pollen display one characteristic common to plants, a high ratio of potassium to sodium (K:Na), potentially leading to bee underdevelopment, health problems, and death. We discuss why and how the ratio of K:Na contributes to bee ecology and evolution and how considering this factor in future studies will provide new knowledge, more accurately depicting the relationship of bees with their environments. Such knowledge is essential for understanding how plants and bees function and interact and is needed to effectively protect wild bees.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4110 | DOI Listing |
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