Schleifer, Marielle

Bees decline worldwide and many of the discussed causes are directly or indirectly linked to nutrition. I want to elucidate how nutrient perception, nutrient regulation and fitness are linked to pollen chemistry and collection in bees.

The factors determining perceptional hierarchies of compounds in different bee species should be elucidated, with focus on chemical properties, i.e. compound toxicity and concentrations, and behavioral properties, i.e. foraging strategies and degree of sociality. Furthermore non-volatile chemical compounds (i.e. nutrients, plant secondary metabolites) get tested for correlations between these compounds and other floral cues (i.e. floral scent or color). In addition, in the field it should be tested whether revealed perceptional hierarchies and correlations explain visitation patterns in a natural floral community.

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