Data from: Canola supports wild bee-plant mutualisms across multiple spatial scales

Abstract

Agricultural land use affects wild bee-plant mutualisms, increasing the incidence of pollen limitation among wild flowering plants. Over time, pollen limitation may negatively impact wild flowering plant populations. Mass flowering crops (MFCs) such as canola (Brassica napus L.) increase foraging resource availability to wild bees in historically forage-poor agroecosystems. Increased foraging resources by way of MFCs may enhance or dilute pollination of wild flowering plants growing nearby. We tested the effects of canola cover on wild bee-plant mutualisms by evaluating seed count and weight of three wild flowering plants, Gaillardia pulchella (Foug.; Indian blanket), Verbesina encelioides (Cav.; cowpen daisy), and Salvia azurea (Michx ex Lam.; azure blue sage), across a gradient of canola cover. We also tested pollen limitation of each of the selected wild flowering plants. Each species increased seed set as canola cover increased at one or more spatial scales, suggesting canola may enhance pollination services to wild flowering plants. However, each species also demonstrated pollen limitation. MFCs may play an important role in supporting wild bees and wild flowering plants in some agroecosystems by providing foraging resources for bees and by enhancing pollination services to wild flowering plants. Our results show that MFCs may facilitate wild bee pollination of some wild flowering plants. In the context of ongoing wild bee declines, understanding the effects of MFCs on wild bee-plant mutualisms is important in the conservation of wild bees and wild flowering plants.