Bees as pollinators in Brazil - USP

ed methods, would meet the basic principles
listed above. It was hoped that further comparison
of the different methodologies would
enable sound choice of methods in the future.
Rapid Assessments and Surveys
Aims
To best describe given local faunas. To maximize number of species recorded.
Type of data
Workshop I 27
Considering the difficulties exposed
above, the following recommendations should
be accepted as guidelines, not protocols, in
order to assure their applicability.
Species records Through collection and deposit as vouchers in public collections.
Species Abundance Not necessary. Priority should be given to increase the number of new
species detected.
Habitat description Follow a basic protocol** that describes the collection site on many scales.
Geographical coordinates must be taken for species distribution analysis.
When GPS is not available, geographical clues should be used*.
Association with plants Whenever possible, plants visited by pollinators should be recorded, in
order to give clues on possible target plants for future surveys.
Sampling design
Plan a pilot study to verify the adequacy of techniques.
Plan data collection to be useful in the future as meta data.
Sampling efforts must be measurable and recorded.
Sampling techniques
A combination of methods may be used, but sampling effort for each method should always be
recorded. Whenever possible, hand netting should be applied. Other recommended methods are: trap
nesting; aspirators, malaise traps, and pan traps.
Statistical analysis
Use recommended statistical analysis. Statistical techniques should be known in advance. A guide of
statistical procedures or references should be part of the manual.
Observations Species identification should be made by trained people, with the aid of taxonomic
keys and reference collections. Those responsible for identifications should be contacted
in advance. Manuals should include information on national collections and taxonomy services.