Flower resources and visiting bees in Mediterranean coppice woodland in relation to management intensity and wildfire

Abstract: Targeted management of semi-natural habitats inside agricultural landscapes may contribute to the conservation of pollinators. Unfortunately, in the Mediterranean region wildfires are frequent and they may greatly affect pollinator communities. Inside and around a recent wildfire affected area, we estimated the flower abundance from April 2018 to September 2018 and investigated the flower visits by pollinators, comparing burnt and un-burnt areas and areas with different management intensity. Flower resources were higher in recently management areas than in unmanaged areas, while the wildfire increased flower resources in unmanaged areas. Bee abundance and diversity were higher in recently managed areas, independent of wildfire, and increased in areas affected by wildfire in case the area was not managed before the wildfire.