Application of the solitary red mason bee, Osmia rufa L. (syn. O. bicornis), in forest monocultures in Poland

Seed orchards are utilised in forestry to avoid monoculture cultivation in forest areas and also constitute a gene bank for various tree species. In order to meet seed needs, preserve species diversity and genetic resources of forest management of the country, several hundred seed orchards served the purposes in Poland today. The paper presents an innovative solution to increase tree yield by introducing nests of solitary bees Osmia rufa L. (syn. O. bicornis) into monocultures. These insects are a natural solution that allows increasing the yield of selected tree and shrub species, especially fruit trees and shrubs and selected forest species. In order to determine the suitability of Osmia rufa L. to support the seed production process, a several-year research project was pursued consisting in assessing the quality of seeds, bee reproduction and identifying natural populations of insects in forest areas that were already present there before the introduction of bees. The research clearly shows that red mason bee, Osmia rufa L., can be employed with great success in forest areas to increase the productivity of selected forest tree species. Additionally, the work presents the results of study of red mason bee reproduction, showing that these bees in forest areas can also develop properly. Keywords: seed orchards; Tilia cordata; Quercus petraea; Prunus avium; insects; rearing of bees