Browsing by resource type "preprint"
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- Flower visitation through the lens: Exploring the foraging behaviour of Bombus terrestris with a computer vision-based applicationPublication . Varga-Szilay, Zsófia; Szövényi, Gergely; Pozsgai, GaborTo understand the processes behind pollinator declines, and thus to maintain pollination efficiency, we also have to understand fundamental drivers influencing pollinator behaviour. In this study, we aim to explore the foraging behaviour of wild bumblebees, recognizing its importance from economic and conservation perspectives. We recorded Bombus terrestris on Lotus creticus, Persicaria capitata, and Trifolium pratense patches in five-minute-long slots in urban areas of Terceira (Azores, Portugal). For the automated bumblebee detection, we created computer vision models based on a deep learning algorithm, with custom datasets. We achieved high F1 scores of 0.88 for Lotus and Persicaria, and 0.95 for Trifolium, indicating accurate bumblebee detection. We found that flower cover per cent, but not plant species, influenced the attractiveness of flower patches, with a significant positive effect. There were no differences between plant species in the attractiveness of the flower heads. The handling time was longer on the large-headed Trifolium than those on the smaller-headed Lotus and Persicaria. However, our result did not indicate significant differences in the time bumblebees spent on flowers among the three plant species. Here, we also justify computer vision-based analysis as a reliable tool for studying pollinator behavioural ecology.
- Improving biodiversity in Central and Eastern European domestic gardens needs regionally scaled strategiesPublication . Varga-Szilay, Zsófia; Barševskis, Arvids; Benedek, Klára; Bevk, Danilo; Jojczyk, Agata; Kristin, Anton; Růžičková, Jana; Seric Jelaska, Lucija; Veromann, Eve; Vilumets, Silva; Fetykó, Kinga Gabriela; Szövényi, Gergely; Pozsgai, GaborAmid ongoing urbanisation and increasing anthropogenic activities, domestic gardens, while cannot replace natural habitats, play a crucial role in enhancing urban biodiversity by supporting green areas and as parts of ecological corridors. Moreover, these biodiversity-friendly gardens also improve human well-being and foster a connection between nature and people. We circulated an online questionnaire between 2022 and 2023 to investigate how the garden parameters, the gardening motivation of garden owners, and their pesticide use habits depend on each other in nine Central– and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Moreover, we aimed to explore the differences and similarities between gardens and gardening practices with a potential for maintaining high biodiversity. To achieve this, we assessed the ecological value of the gardens, the motivation of garden owners, and their pesticide use habits using an answer-based scoring system. Our findings reveal significant variability both among participating countries and within them on a smaller and larger scale, across all three indices, highlighting the need for region-specific circumstances rather than unified regulations across European countries to maximize the conservation value examined. Our study underscores the potential of domestic gardens in designing eco-networks and informs strategies to optimize their environmental benefits. However, due to the ubiquitous domestic use of pesticides in CEE, informing garden owners about the environmental and human health effects of pesticides would be equally necessary in every area, both urban and rural. Additionally, our findings suggest that effective environmental educational programs and tailored strategies should be developed to meet local needs rather than overarching but too general international targets. At the same time, these programs should provide comprehensive biodiversity-related information, reaching all strata of society. This is especially important in CEE, where such initiatives are currently under-emphasized.