About
The biennal project (2024-2025) entitled "Bee-ing polluted: studying the microplastic effects on plant-pollinator interactions" (BeeSafe) is funded by a grant from National Geographic Society.
Concept
It is by now evident that microplastic pollution in soil have inevitably an impact on plants. At the same time, pollinating insect are directly exposed to microplastics when foraging in the environment, and some studies have reported effects on their survival and cognition.
What happen if the effects of microplastics on plants and pollinators are joined? May the cooperative plant-pollinator interaction be challenged by microplastic pollution?
The communication between plants and pollinators is reciprocally beneficial for each other:
pollinators enhance plant reproductive success through pollen export and collection;
nectar and pollen serve as nutrition for pollinators (floral rewards).
Flowering plants evolved various characteristics in order to attract or influence the success of pollinators, including flower pigmentation and signals, scents, and nectar characteristics. The adaptation of flower traits is essential for the attraction of pollinators, and any interferences with this adaptation may have great impacts on pollination process.
The idea behind BeeSafe project is that microplastics can influence some phenotypic and chemical characteristics of plants that are involved in the attraction of pollinators, thus interfering with the insect foraging preferences and behavior.
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Project goals
The overall goal of BeeSafe is to investigate whether microplastics can disrupt communication mechanisms between plants and pollinating insects, thus interfering with beneficial plant-pollinator interactions.
The project aims to comprehensively clarify the indirect effects of microplastic pollution on pollination biology, trying to answer two main questions:
Do microplastics have effects on plant traits relevant to attracting pollinators?
BeeSafe project will investigate the possible effects of microplastic pollution of soils on flower features that are essential for attracting pollinators, especially colour, pattern, scents, and nectar quality.
Do pollinators change their feeding preferences by avoiding plants growing on microplastic polluted soil?
BeeSafe project will test the possible effects of microplastic on the behaviour, cognition and memory of pollinator insects during foraging.