Bees as pollinators in Brazil - USP

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geneity of the forest community, which should
be understood beforehand. The size of the transects
should be such that they can be covered
in one day. They should be 100 m long.
The sampling units will be flowering
plants, with all bees found being collected at
all the flowering plants that they visit. Hand
nets will be the principal collection method
and will be complemented by euglossine baits.
Additional methods such as pan, malaise and
light traps and also new baits such as
salt/ammonia and antifreeze should be tried.
Sampling should be repeated 3 to 5 times
a month for 8 to 12 months per year, depending
on flowering phenology and flower density.
Monitoring
The goal of the suggested monitoring program
is to detect differences in bee diversity in
disturbed and undisturbed forests over time. It
could also be used to compare different
degrees of disturbance.
Sampling units are similar to those used in
the survey. Monitoring subjects may be selected,
based on survey results. For example,
euglossines or Melipona. Such subjects a)
include species sensitive to deforestation; b)
occur in large numbers and c) can easily be
identified. Still other subjects could be considered,
such as Apis mellifera, trap-nesting
Centris or specialist taxa.
The monitoring design should include site
in or adjacent to undisturbed area (control),
disturbed area (treatment 1) and intermediate
area (treatment 2).
A minimum of five years of sampling is
needed for conclusions to be drawn.
3) SURVEY OF POTENTIAL POLLINATORS
IN THE BRAZILIAN SAVANNA, AND A
MONITORING PROGRAM TO EVALUATE
THE IMPACT OF GRAZING ON FLOWER
VISITORS´ RICHNESS
Background
The biome of the Cerrado is a gradient of vegetation
physiognomies, including open fields,
savannas and open-canopy forests. It covers
about 25% of the Brazilian territory and was
included among the world’s hotspots (Myers,
et al. 2000), for combining high biodiversity
and high rates of disturbance. Until 40 years
ago the Cerrado was primarily used for extensive
cattle raising. By 1988 Klink & Moreira
(2002) estimated that 35% of the natural
cover had already been removed. In a recent
study, using MODIS satellite images of 2002,
(Machado, et al.,2004) concluded that the na -
tural cover loss has changed to 55% .
Agriculture occupies 6% of the total area,
but this figure is increasingly stimulated by
present national agricultural policy. Pastures
and large plantations of soybean and cotton
are the major threats for the biome, causing
soil loss, water pollution, habitat loss, habitat
fragmentation, introduction and spread of
very agressive invasive species, like African
grasses, among others (Buschbacher, 2000;
Fearnside, 2001; Klink & Machado, 2005).
Forecast is not optimistic, according to Ma -
chado, et al. (2004), based on present vegetation
removal rates by 2030 the whole biome
may have given place to agricultural and cattle
raising activities.
Major impacts on pollinators are apparently
caused by intense use of chemicals, aerial
spraying, and habitat removal; the latter
provokes reduced nesting opportunities and
food availability.
According to Silberbauer-Gottesberger
and Eiten (1987), the plant species richness of
the Cerrado open areas is among the highest
known for non-forest vegetation. Seasons are
very well defined. The dry season lasts from 3
to 5 months, during winter, and the wet season
peaks in December-January. Flower
resource availability varies through the seasons