Why plant flowers for pollinators? Exploring what motivates fruit growers to take up a key pro‐pollinator behaviour

Rangeland Management for Pollinators

Over the last two decades, ecological and conservation studies on pollinator insects have increased significantly. However, scientific evidence alone is not enough to translate knowledge into policy and into changes in behaviour. To reduce the gap between scientific knowledge on conservation actions and their actual uptake, one should understand the socio‐psychological drivers of people's willingness to undertake these actions. Here, we investigated the socio‐psychological factors influencing individual behaviour in favour of conservation interventions for pollinators in rural versus urban environments across three European countries: Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. We administered an online questionnaire to 4541 respondents stratified by nationality, environment, age and gender. Despite regional differences in socio‐cultural and economic conditions, individuals from Germany, Italy and the Netherlands living in both rural or urban environments shared similar socio‐psychological drivers to protect pollinators. People intended to take action to protect pollinators when they felt morally obliged to, when their social environment supported pollinator protection, when they believed their individual behaviour had an impact, and when they engaged frequently in outdoor activities. Interestingly, specific values held towards pollinators, such as their right to exist, seemed much more important predictors of activating norms that promote conservation actions compared to increasing general environmental concern. In all countries, among the conservation actions, the most likely to be implemented was planting flowers, while one of the most unlikely was participating in monitoring activities. Synthesis and applications. People from three contrasting European countries living in both rural and urban landscapes were mostly driven by the same socio‐psychological factors to help pollinator insects. Therefore, our results offer several practical recommendations to promote pollinator conservation across Europe. First, conservation practitioners interested in pollinator conservation should pay greater attention to values specific to pollinators, as they seemed more important behaviour predictors than general care for the environment. Second, engaging people in conservation efforts can be accomplished by increasing awareness about the vital roles that pollinators play within ecosystems. Lastly, promoting simple nature‐based activities such as wildlife observation, and gardening can help foster a sense of connection to and appreciation for pollinators and pollination. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Summary Enhancing key floral resources is essential to effectively mitigate the loss of pollinator diversity and associated provisioning of pollination functions in agro‐ecosystems. However, effective floral provisioning measures may diverge among different pollinator conservation targets, such as the conservation of rare species or the promotion of economically important crop pollinators. We examined to what extent such diverging conservation goals could be reconciled. We analysed plant–bee visitation networks of 64 herbaceous semi‐natural habitats representing a gradient of plant species richness to identify key resource plants of the three distinct conservation target groups: rare bees (of conservation concern), dominant wild crop‐pollinating bees and managed crop‐pollinating bees (i.e. honeybees). Considering overall flower visitation, rare bees tended to visit nested subsets of plant species that were also visited by crop pollinators (46% and 77% nestedness in the dissimilarity between rare bees and wild crop pollinators or managed honeybees respectively). However, the set of preferred plant species, henceforth ‘key plant species’ (i.e. those species disproportionately more visited than expected according to their floral abundance) was considerably more distinct and less nested among bee target groups. Flower visits of all bee target groups increased with plant species richness at a similar rate. Importantly, our analyses revealed that an exponential increase in the flower abundance of the identified key plant species and complementarity in the bee visitation pattern across plant species ─ rather than total flower abundance ─ were the major drivers of these relationships. Synthesis and applications. We conclude that the multiple goals of preserving high bee diversity, conserving rare species and sustaining crop pollinators can be reconciled if key plant species of different target groups are simultaneously available. This availability is facilitated by a high floral resource complementarity in the plant community. The list of identified key resource plant species we provide here can help practitioners such as land managers and conservationists to better design and evaluate pollinator conservation and restoration measures according to their goals. Our findings highlight the importance of identifying and promoting such plant species for pollinator conservation in agricultural landscapes.

Increasingly, the importance of both varietal and regional variation in crop pollination requirements is becoming apparent in terms of informing the management of crop pollination services. Apples are an economically important crop pollinated by both wild and managed insects, but evidence suggests that insect groups can differ in their contributions to apple pollination between both regions and varieties. To address the increasing need for a more context-specific understanding of crop pollination, we assessed the pollinator importance of different insect guilds and pollinator dependence of two apple cultivars widely grown in Ireland: Jonagored and Dabinett. We found that insect pollination differentially increased the yield and economic profit of both cultivars, contributing to 93% of Jonagored market value and 46% of Dabinett market value, equating to over €800,000 per year to their combined production in Ireland. We also found that, while honeybees, bumblebees, solitary bees, and hoverflies all contribute to the pollination of apples, these contributions differ between guilds and apple cultivars. Our results suggest that honeybees and bumblebees are the most important pollinators of Jonagored apples, while honeybees contribute the most to Dabinett pollination. Honeybee visitation rates vary considerably between cultivars, suggesting the need to insure pollination services through land management strategies that prioritize maintaining and increasing wild insect diversity. Increasing hoverfly and solitary bee abundance may be good targets for future pollinator management since we found that hoverflies exhibit high abundances and floral visitation rates and that solitary bees transport large amounts of apple pollen, despite their low abundance. Our work shows varietal differences in the pollination requirements of regionally-specific, within-crop cultivars, thus confirming the need for a more comprehensive understanding of crop pollination requirements at varietal and regional levels to ensure appropriate pollinator conservation and pollination management.

ABSTRACTStakeholders with diverse interests, concerns, and needs regarding the use and management of natural resources are involved in their governance process. Because of their diversity, policy practitioners need to manage their conflicting interests and establish a conservation strategy that reflects those needs. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the relevant stakeholders who should be involved in decision making. This study sought to ascertain the relevant stakeholders in Japan’s natural resource governance by using a social network analysis. The conservation activities involved in protecting two endangered species, Cypripedium guttatum (Spotted Lady’s-Slipper) and Cypripedium macranthos var. rebunense (Rebun Lady’s-Slipper), were chosen as case studies. With the data obtained from surveys, social networks were analyzed using centrality, core-periphery, and factions. Then, the stakeholders were categorized into three classes (key, primary, and secondary stakeholders) according to their location in the networks. Because the Spotted Lady’s-Slipper case included stakeholders from a wide range of activity fields and all the key stakeholders in the decision-making arena, it enjoyed a preferable condition in terms of representativeness and inclusiveness of diverse stakeholders. However, in the Rebun Lady’s-Slipper case, the guards and several key stakeholders working on on-site activities were excluded. Consequently, the analysis identified key stakeholders, who should be included in the decision-making arena. The study demonstrated the usefulness of the methodology, which would assist policy practitioners by identifying relevant stakeholders who should be involved in decision making when organizing the arena in Japan’s natural resource governance.

Pollinator declines at the global level are the major concern of ecologists. Two ground nesting native andrenid bee species are important part of the pollination services of Northwest India. These include, Andrena savignyi Spinola an important wild pollinator of some major oilseed crops of the family Brassicaseae, and Andrena leaena Cameron an important wild pollinator of some spices crops of the family Umbelliferae, and vegetable crops of the families Brassicaceae, Apiaceae and Leguminoseae. Their importance in the agroecosystems of Northwest India notwithstanding, the actual status of their populations in such habitats is not known. The purpose of this study is to explore the latter aspect of these bees in Northwest India. A survey was conducted on the abundances of two andrenid species foraging on their respective host plants from 1990 to 2015 at an interval of 5 years. I counted the number of foraging bees of the two species on two crops viz. Andrena savignyi on a winter-flowering crop, raya (Brassica juncea) and Andrena leaena on a summer-flowering crop, carrot (Daucus carota). In 25 years, the foraging populations of Andrena savignyi declined from 4.16±0.168 bees/m2 in 1990 to 1.2±0.09 bees/m2 in 2015 and of Andrena leaena from 5.24±0.156 bees/m2 in 1990 to 1.4±0.11 bees/m2 in 2015. This decline in the numbers of foraging bees seemed to be caused by the habitat loss and poisoning of these bees due to the excessive and indiscriminate use of weedicides in the wheat and rice crops grown in this region. Viewing the importance of these bees in the pollination of crops, it is suggested that, habitat of these bees be conserved and, if at all necessary, weedicides safe to the soil nesting bees be used

The importance of wild pollinators for indigenous crop pollination: The case of Cyclopia (honeybush)

There is limited knowledge on why farmers adopt pollinator-supporting practices, which is crucial to stimulate their adoption. The dependence of farmers on pollination may influence their perception of pollinators and their willingness to adopt these practices. We addressed why farmers adopt pollinator-supporting practices using a 2011 survey conducted within a cereal plain in western France, where farmers were moderately dependent on pollination for crops like oilseed rape and sunflower. We assessed the factors influencing the adoption of practices to promote pollination, including pollination dependence. We found no effect for pollination dependence. Conversely, we found that farm size, pesticide use, advisory services and the perception of costs decreased the willingness to adopt, while older farmers were more incline to adopt. We also evaluated perceptions related to pollinators: more than 85% of farmers considered bees important for crop production and recognized pesticides as a major cause of decline. We found no effect of pollination dependence on farmers’ perceptions. Compared to similar studies over the past decade, we found similarities, particularly regarding pollinator-related perceptions. Finally, we compared the willingness to adopt in 2011 with the actual adoption in 2024, showing that there has been little change. This raises questions on the pathways to promote the adoption of pollinator-supporting practices to ensure for the future of pollinator conservation.

Conservation initiatives carried out by informed, enthusiastic participants can be highly effective in conserving biodiversity, including the biodiversity of insect pollinators. It is important to understand how the public perceives insect pollinators, as it may have implications for the success of conservation initiatives and the initiation of protective policies.We used Ireland as a case study to determine how insect pollinators, pollination services, and pollinator decline are currently perceived by the public in an effort to understand the links between public knowledge and perceptions of pollinators, the implementation of insect pollinator conservation actions, and engagement with existing conservation initiatives. We designed a survey that was available to the Irish public for three months, distributed primarily through social media, and was taken by 613 participants.Findings indicate that people are aware of insect pollinator decline and of the main causes and are willing to participate in pollinator conservation, but that there are still some key gaps in the overall understanding of pollinators, their role, and their ecology. Most participants were able to identify charismatic pollinators, such as bumblebees and honeybees, and were aware of their importance to the pollination of crops and wildflowers. Fewer participants were able to identify other common pollinators, such as flies and solitary bees, and many were not aware of the importance of non-bee pollinators to pollination. While engagement with Ireland's national pollinator conservation initiative was linked with increased knowledge of Irish pollinators, less than 50 % of participants, particularly urban dwellers and those without post-secondary education, had heard of the initiative.To ensure a more inclusive approach to insect pollinator conservation, we recommend that future engagement measures highlight the importance of underrepresented non-bee insects to pollination services and target certain demographic groups that are currently not as actively engaged in pollinator conservation as others.

Worldwide importance of insect pollination in apple orchards: A review

Impacts of field-edge flower plantings on pollinator conservation and ecosystem service delivery – A meta-analysis

Insect pollinators are responsible for pollination of most the fruit crops and they are performing it well. Pollinator mediated cross-pollination is needed for better production of fruit crops. Many insects such as honey bees, bumble bees, wasps, hover flies, butterflies and beetles are important pollinators but honey bees are the most significant and efficient pollinators of fruit crops. Honey bees are economically very important because they not only help in pollination but provide other valuable products like honey, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom and pollen.
 A survey was conducted to know the farmers` awareness about beehive products in Shimla hills of Himachal Pradesh. It was found that the farmers had knowledge about different insect pollinators visiting various fruit crops. They were practicing beekeeping not only for managed crop pollination but for producing honey also. Only 67% of them were getting extra income by extracting honey from bee colonies. There was very little awareness among the farmers about other beehive products like beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom and pollens as well as regarding their use as industries, food, medicine, cosmetics and apitherapy. The climate and the conditions of Himachal Pradesh are not favourable for beekeeping. The lack of experts, financial support, labour, transport, honey market, knowledge of diseases and occurrence of winter snow fall at higher altitudes were demoralizing the farmers to make beekeeping as whole time profession. The renovation in all aspects of apiculture and application of improved beekeeping technologies will not only benefit beekeepers but also farmers and general public in pollinating their crops, gaining extra income and maintaining biodiversity.

The importance of wild pollinators compared to conventional agricultural management is undervalued, suggests the PhD thesis of Thijs Fijen of Wageningen University. A study in commercial leek seed production fields shows that wild pollinators contribute as much to crop yield as plant quality. Honeybees, placed next to flowering leek fields specifically for pollination, do not contribute much to crop yield. Experimental work confirmed these findings: a 50% reduction in pollination leads to much larger reductions in seed yield than similar reductions in fertilizer applications or irrigation. Surprisingly, a 50% reduction in fertilisation resulted in equally high, or higher crop yields. These results may explain the international trend that crop yields of insect-pollinated crops increase less fast as those of wind-pollinated crops. The research of Fijen furthermore shows that both crop pollination and pollinator biodiversity in agricultural landscapes can be promoted by better protection of semi-natural habitats such as flower-rich road sides and nature areas.

Previous studies show that conservation actions have prevented extinctions, recovered populations, and reduced declining trends in global biodiversity. However, all studies to date have substantially underestimated the difference conservation action makes because they failed to account fully for what would have happened in the absence thereof. We undertook a scenario-based thought experiment to better quantify the effect conservation actions have had on the extinction risk of the world's 235 recognized ungulate species. We did so by comparing species' observed conservation status in 2008 with their estimated status under counterfactual scenarios in which conservation efforts ceased in 1996. We estimated that without conservation at least 148 species would have deteriorated by one International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List category, including 6 species that now would be listed as extinct or extinct in the wild. The overall decline in the conservation status of ungulates would have been nearly 8 times worse than observed. This trend would have been greater still if not for conservation on private lands. While some species have benefited from highly targeted interventions, such as reintroduction, most benefited collaterally from conservation such as habitat protection. We found that the difference conservation action makes to the conservation status of the world's ungulate species is likely to be higher than previously estimated. Increased, and sustained, investment could help achieve further improvements.

Ecological intensification has been proposed as a strategy to mitigate the impacts of conventional intensive land use on pollinators and insect pollination. However, research has concentrated on the effects of land management on pollinator abundance and diversity, while studies directly measuring pollination services are still lacking for many crops and regions. This study examines the effects of landscape heterogeneity, pesticide use intensity and flowering time on insect pollination of turnip rape Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera, a major oil crop at high latitudes. The field experiment included monitoring pollinator visits on turnip rape flowers and measuring yield in 34 spring‐sown turnip rape fields in Southern Finland. The fields were situated in two landscape types that differed in the cover of arable land and represented independent gradients of pesticide use intensity and flowering time. Based on flower visits and number of seeds per silique, turnip rape was best pollinated in fields with late flowering time. The result suggests a temporal mismatch between crop flowering and the availability of pollination service in early sown fields. The increase in flower visits during summer was steeper among fields with low than high pesticide use, possibly due to a faster colony growth of important bee pollinators. Pollinator community in turnip rape fields was more diverse in heterogeneous landscapes with less arable land than in homogeneous field‐dominated landscapes, suggesting higher stability of pollination services in diverse landscapes. Total yield per plant was positively related to pesticide use intensity. The relationship between insect pollination and total yield was weakened by high compensation capacity of turnip rape, the plants producing more flowers under poor pollination. Synthesis and applications. Crop pollination can be enhanced by shifting sowing time to better match crop flowering to the peak availability of the most important pollinators. Reduced pesticide use may also enhance pollination services but can lead to the total yield reduction due to pests. This highlights the need for pollinator‐friendly pest control methods to maintain turnip rape yields while conserving pollination services.