There must bee a better way: A review of published urban bee literature and suggested topics for future study

Abstract

Numerous animal species can survive in human-modified habitats, but often display behavioral, morphological, physiological or genetic plasticity compared to non-urban conspecifics. One group of organisms with a large urban presence are bees. Bee species have high diversity and abundance in cities, which has been empirically supported in numerous studies assessing community composition. Recent reviews of these articles reveal global patterns of high bee richness in cities, and the impact of urban landscape characteristics on bee populations. However, more specific information about how bees are able to be successful in cities, as have been studied in birds and mammals, has not been prioritized in any review thus far. These topics, though uncommon in much of the current published literature, are important for understanding how urban pollinating bees survive. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to review urban bee literature, focusing on topics that have yet to be examined in entirety, but are crucial for the plasticity observed, including foraging, nesting, competition, physiological adaptations, morphological shifts, genetics and gene flow. Additionally, we provide predictions and propose possible experimental directions based upon what is currently known about urban animal populations and bee life history. These predictions aim to inspire future multidisciplinary research to holistically evaluate urban bee populations. Expanding the knowledge base from primarily community composition studies to intricate assessments of behavior, genetics, and other important traits will aid in the creation of more targeted conservation policies, land development, and improve the capacity for pollination services in cities.