@article{FrankKesnerLibertietal.2023,
  author    = {Frank, Erik T. and Kesner, Lucie and Liberti, Joanito and Helleu, Quentin and LeBoeuf, Adria C. and Dascalu, Andrei and Sponsler, Douglas B. and Azuma, Fumika and Economo, Evan P. and Waridel, Patrice and Engel, Philipp and Schmitt, Thomas and Keller, Laurent},
  title     = {Targeted treatment of injured nestmates with antimicrobial compounds in an ant society},
  series = {Nature Communications},
  volume    = {14},
  journal   = {Nature Communications},
  doi       = {10.1038/s41467-023-43885-w},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-358081},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Infected wounds pose a major mortality risk in animals. Injuries are common in the ant Megaponera analis, which raids pugnacious prey. Here we show that M. analis can determine when wounds are infected and treat them accordingly. By applying a variety of antimicrobial compounds and proteins secreted from the metapleural gland to infected wounds, workers reduce the mortality of infected individuals by 90\%. Chemical analyses showed that wound infection is associated with specific changes in the cuticular hydrocarbon profile, thereby likely allowing nestmates to diagnose the infection state of injured individuals and apply the appropriate antimicrobial treatment. This study demonstrates that M. analis ant societies use antimicrobial compounds produced in the metapleural glands to treat infected wounds and reduce nestmate mortality.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SponslerRequierKallniketal.2022,
  author    = {Sponsler, Douglas B. and Requier, Fabrice and Kallnik, Katharina and Classen, Alice and Maihoff, Fabienne and Sieger, Johanna and Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf},
  title     = {Contrasting patterns of richness, abundance, and turnover in mountain bumble bees and their floral hosts},
  series = {Ecology},
  volume    = {103},
  journal   = {Ecology},
  number    = {7},
  doi       = {10.1002/ecy.3712},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-287199},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Environmental gradients generate and maintain biodiversity on Earth. Mountain slopes are among the most pronounced terrestrial environmental gradients, and the elevational structure of species and their interactions can provide unique insight into the processes that govern community assembly and function in mountain ecosystems. We recorded bumble bee-flower interactions over 3 years along a 1400-m elevational gradient in the German Alps. Using nonlinear modeling techniques, we analyzed elevational patterns at the levels of abundance, species richness, species β-diversity, and interaction β-diversity. Though floral richness exhibited a midelevation peak, bumble bee richness increased with elevation before leveling off at the highest sites, demonstrating the exceptional adaptation of these bees to cold temperatures and short growing seasons. In terms of abundance, though, bumble bees exhibited divergent species-level responses to elevation, with a clear separation between species preferring low versus high elevations. Overall interaction β-diversity was mainly caused by strong turnover in the floral community, which exhibited a well-defined threshold of β-diversity rate at the tree line ecotone. Interaction β-diversity increased sharply at the upper extreme of the elevation gradient (1800-2000 m), an interval over which we also saw steep decline in floral richness and abundance. Turnover of bumble bees along the elevation gradient was modest, with the highest rate of β-diversity occurring over the interval from low- to mid-elevation sites. The contrast between the relative robustness bumble bee communities and sensitivity of plant communities to the elevational gradient in our study suggests that the strongest effects of climate change on mountain bumble bees may be indirect effects mediated by the responses of their floral hosts, though bumble bee species that specialize in high-elevation habitats may also experience significant direct effects of warming.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SponslerBratman2021,
  author    = {Sponsler, Douglas B. and Bratman, Eve Z.},
  title     = {Beekeeping in, of or for the city? A socioecological perspective on urban apiculture},
  series = {People and Nature},
  volume    = {3},
  journal   = {People and Nature},
  number    = {3},
  doi       = {10.1002/pan3.10206},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239949},
  pages     = {550 -- 559},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The term 'urban beekeeping' connotes a host of meanings—sociopolitical, commercial, ecological and personal—beyond the mere description of where bees and beekeepers happen to coincide. Yet, these meanings are seldom articulated explicitly or brought into critical engagement with the relevant fields of urban ecology and political ecology. Beginning with a brief account of the history of urban beekeeping in the United States, we draw upon urban ecological theory to construct a conceptual model of urban beekeeping that distinguishes beekeeping in, of and for the city. In our model, beekeeping in the city describes the mere importation of the traditionally rural practice of beekeeping into urban spaces for the private reasons of the individual beekeeper, whereas beekeeping of the city describes beekeeping that is consciously tailored to the urban context, often accompanied by (semi)professionalization of beekeepers and the formation of local expert communities (i.e. beekeeping associations). Beekeeping for the city describes a shift in mindset in which beekeeping is directed to civic ends beyond the boundaries of the beekeeping community per se. Using this framework, we identify and discuss specific socioecological assets and liabilities of urban beekeeping, and how these relate to beekeeping in, of and for the city. We then formulate actionable guidelines for maturing the practice of urban beekeeping into a beneficent and self-critical form of urban ecological citizenship; these include fostering self-regulation within the beekeeping community, harnessing beekeeping as a 'gateway' experience for a broader rapprochement between urban residents and nature, and recognizing the political-ecological context of beekeeping with respect to matters of socioecological justice.},
  language  = {en}
}