Reading 3.1 Shackleton

Question 1

Hypothesis 1 of the study:

Answer 1

To test whether resources had contrasting benefits of quality and quantity

Question 2

Hypothesis was achieved by:

Answer 2

• By comparing the foraging performance of honeybees on fallen P. guajava fruits versus two species of wild flowers growing nearby

Question 3

Study methods 1

Answer 3

First, we measured the rate of weight change of bees foraging on each resource to test the prediction that fruit foragers would gain weight faster than flower foragers.

Question 4

Study methods 2

Answer 4

Second, we measured the energetic quality of each resource in terms of its sugar content, to confirm that guava juice was more dilute than the nectar alternatives.

Question 5

Study methods 3

Answer 5

Third, we quantified the activity patterns of bees on each resource, to test the prediction that fruit foragers spend more time handling and less time on the energetically expensive activity of flying between food items.

Question 6

When was the study carried out?

Answer 6

Brazil, February - March 2015

Question 7

What were the opposing food sources in the experiment?

Answer 7

• Food sources were fruit from fallen guava trees, and two wild flower species grown in patches

Question 8

What factors did the experiment investigate? (6)

Answer 8

• Investigated weight gain, forage quality, time and activity budget of foragers, effect of temperature, resource quality and pattern of daytime resource use

Question 9

Where was weight gain most apparent?

Answer 9

On the guava fruit (16-22 factors greater)

Question 10

Was there differences in the gain of bees in the wildflower condition?

Answer 10

No

Question 11

What had the worst forage quality?

Answer 11

Guava fruit

Question 12

What had the least travel time between food items?

Answer 12

Guava fruit

Question 13

Bees foraging on higher quality resources were more likely to return with a lower…?

Answer 13

Weight of resource

Question 14

What time of day did foraging peak?

Answer 14

Morning

Question 15

What food source enabled all day foraging?

Answer 15

Guava fruit - wildflowers were not fed on all day

Question 16

what the results mean in relation to the hypotheses being tested

Answer 16

• Fruit juice incurs less energetic costs as there is less cost to handling fruit than flying between flowers
  • Fruit may have been preferred for hydration in the hot weather compared to nectar
  • could have been little nectar abundance in the environment

Question 17

The study of animal behaviour in general (Honeybees)

Answer 17

• The utilization of resources of contrasting quality and quantity, which possibly interacts with the distance of the resource from the central place.
  • foraging animals require multiple nutrients and may integrate many factors simultaneously in their decision making in order to increase their fitness (Houston & McNamara, 2014).
  • This is Contrary to other scientific belief that foraging decisions are two-way interactions.

Question 18

The colony-level regulation of the sugar–water balance is important in social insects. Dussutour and Simpson (2008)

Answer 18

collecting dilute solution could assist maintaining colony water balance however study was not long enough to draw a proper conclusion