SOLATINA: A Latin-American society for bee research to foster the interactions between scientists and coordinate large-scale research programs
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Date
2018Author
Antúnez, Karina
Requier, Fabrice
Aldea Sánchez, Patricia
Basualdo, Marina
Branchiccela, Belén
Calderón, Rafael
Correa Benítez, Adriana
Delgado Cañedo, Andres
Fuselli, Sandra
Morales, Carolina
Pérez Castro, Eleazar
Plischuk, Santiago
Porrini, Martin Pablo
Segui Goncalves, Lionel
Tapia González, José María
Torres, Alexandra
Velarde, Rodrigo
Invernizzi, Ciro
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Show full item recordAbstract
Bees (members of the super family
Apoidea) are the main pollinators in
modern agro-ecosystems, where they have
a critical positive effect on yield improve ment for about 75% of world's crops
(Klein et al., 2007; Potts et al., 2016).
However, there is evidence of a worldwide
decline in the populations of wild bees,
and numerous reports of high colony
losses of managed bees, which may
disrupt crop pollination, honey produc tion and the reproduction of bee-polli nated wild plants (Potts et al., 2010),
leading to negative social, economic and
ecological effects (Potts et al., 2016). Latin
America (hereafter, LA) is home to about
8 million managed honey bee colonies
(Apis mellifera L.) which produce more
than 200000 tons of honey annually
(FAOSTAT, 2018). Several Latin American
countries are among the global top 20 in
terms of honey production and beehives
stock, such as Argentina, Brazil and
Mexico (García, 2018; Requier et al.,
2018). Moreover, LA hosts a unique fauna
of native bees, with about 5,000 identified
species, including 391 species of the native
stingless bees in the tribu Meliponini
(Camargo & Pedro, 2008; Freitas et al.,
2009). Some of those native stingless bees
are managed since ancient times to
produce honey through the practice of
“Meliponiculture” (Jaffé et al., 2015). Latin
American bee research has contributed to
improve our understanding of problems
relevant for apiculture, bee diversity and
the causes of bee population decline in the
region among other topics (see e.g., Maggi
et al., 2016; Morales, Arbetman, Cameron,
& Aizen, 2013; Vandame & Palacio, 2010).
These scientific achievements are mostly
the result of research efforts led by groups
working independently rather than the
product of cooperative research efforts
between different countries. We argue that
the strength, impact, and relevance of
these research efforts, for apiculture and
bees in the region, can be improved by
promoting interactions between Latin
American bee scientists and coordinating
large-scale research programs.
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