Concentric circle floral density estimation (Megachilidae)

Knowledge graph centered on Concentric circle floral density estimation (Megachilidae) with 71 nodes and 191 connections. Top connected: Bombus, Ligusticum porteri, Bombus terrestris, Bombus appositus, Bombus impatiens.

Method synopsis

Floral resource availability was quantified by counting flowers while walking in progressively larger circles from a central point until reaching 100 flowers or 100m radius. Density was calculated as 100/πr² where r is distance to 100th flower.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 4 papers using this protocol.

Procedure from a recent peer-reviewed implementation

Steps below were extracted from the most recent peer-reviewed implementation of this protocol in the corpus — Direct benefits and indirect costs of warm temperatures for high-elevation populations of a solitary bee (2017), Ecology. The protocol was originally introduced by Impacts of brood parasites, floral abundance, and bee age on maternal investment in a solitary bee, <i> Osmia iridis </i> (2021). Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Estimate floral resource density
   At each site visit during bee nesting period in 2013, and at each site visit in 2014-2015, floral density was estimated by walking in progressively larger circles from a central point, counting open flowers until reaching total of 100 flowers of each species or distance of 100 m straight-line distance from center, whichever came first. Distance (r) to 100th flower was measured and density calculated as 100/πr². Maximum actual density would be 0.003/m² if density was recorded as 0.
   Quantities: 100 flowers counted per species per site visit, maximum radius 100 m, density calculated as flowers/m²Duration: Conducted during each site visit throughout nesting periodConditions: During bee nesting season when flowers were available
   Equipment: measuring tape, field notebooks, plant identification guides

Typical Equipment

• measuring tape
• field notebooks
• plant identification guides

Output Measurements

• floral density (flowers/m²)
• floral resource availability

Papers Using This Protocol (4)

Species Studied With This Protocol