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Data from: Comparing impacts of two restoration approaches on wild bee assemblages and their habitats in a coastal sandy ecosystem

Levy, Karmit1; Mandelik, Yael1

Published Jun 09, 2026; Updated Sep 17, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.zkh1893s2

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Jun 09, 2026 version files 63.37 KB
Sep 17, 2026 version files 63.36 KB

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Abstract

This dataset originates from a five-year study examining the effects of passive and active habitat restoration on wild bee communities in a Mediterranean coastal dune ecosystem. The study was conducted in a replicated design consisting of five blocks, each containing four habitat types: native shrubland (Natural), Eucalyptus forest, passive regeneration following Eucalyptus removal (Regeneration), and active restoration following Eucalyptus removal (Restoration). The presented data were collected during one to three sampling rounds per year throughout the main bee activity season (February–April). In each plot, wild bees were sampled using complementary netting and pan-trapping methods. Honeybee foraging density was assessed separately through standardized counts. Flowering plant species composition and abundance, as well as the relative cover of nesting substrates, were recorded during each sampling round using 15 hoops (1 m diameter) per plot. Within each hoop, the percent cover of each substrate type was visually estimated and averaged to obtain plot-level values. The identity and abundance of flowering plant species were recorded and summed to plot-level values. The abundance of the most frequently visited flower species or species groups (each accounting for >1% of total recorded bee visits) was also calculated at the plot level. Weather variables, including air temperature (°C), wind velocity (m s⁻¹), and solar radiation (lux), were measured twice daily in each plot and averaged to obtain plot-level values. Data on bee functional composition and flowering plant composition are provided for the Peak Spring sampling round, the only survey period that was conducted consistently across all study years.

The dataset captures early successional dynamics following restoration interventions and enables comparisons among natural, planted forest, passively regenerated, and actively restored habitats. Both management approaches, increased the availability and diversity of floral and nesting resources and supported higher wild bee abundance than Eucalyptus stands. Regenerated habitats more closely resembled natural habitats in resource availability, while restored habitats supported the highest bee abundance by the fifth year. Taxonomic and functional composition of bee assemblages in managed habitats remained distinct from natural habitats, indicating ongoing ecological succession. These data provide a resource for studying pollinator responses to restoration and succession in Mediterranean dune ecosystems.