Do we realize the full impact of pollinator loss on other ecosystem services and the challenges for any restoration in terrestrial areas?

Abstract

Pollinators are key agents for ecosystems and humankind concerning biodiversity, agriculture, climate change adaptation, and all other ecosystem services. Particularly in industrialized countries pollinator diversity is in decline. The bulk of research is on entomological or plant-pollinator network related topics, but the broad range of impacts of pollinator loss on coupled human and natural systems is not yet studied. As 87% of all flowering plants depend on pollinators, they are basic for all ecosystem services to some extent. Therefore, pollinator loss might cause simultaneous degradation of ecosystem services inducing counterproductive human responses and interlinked poverty spirals. The interaction of climate change, a main risk factor for pollinators, and unadvised human responses to pollinator decline are rarely studied. Tipping points of pollinator loss are not yet identified. Can counterproductive human responses to pollinator deficiency upscale pollinator decline toward a pollinator-loss syndrome in the course of climate change? The article argues for research on the impacts of pollinator loss on other ecosystem services, useful and counterproductive human strategies on pollinator-loss induced degradation, and the integration of pollinator protection into all terrestrial restoration efforts.

Two enabling factors for farmer-driven pollinator protection in low- and middle-income countries

“…The full value of (wild) pollinators is probably not yet recognized even by ambitious valorization studies (Mwebaze et al, 2018). Pollinators are the basis of biodiversity in its three aspectsgenetic diversity, diversity of species and of habitats (in terrestrial ecosystems)agriculture and humankind (Christmann, 2019a;Gallai et al, 2009;Potts et al, 2016). A balanced diet within the planetary boundaries requires pollinator conservation (Chaplin-Kramer et al, 2014;Christmann, 2019b;Chaplin-Kramer et al, 2019).…”

Foraging trip duration of honeybee increases during a poor air quality episode and the increase persists thereafter

“…More fundamentally, the reproduction of approximately 87.5% of global flowering plant species relies on insect pollination (Ollerton et al., 2011). In addition to this important plant‐pollinator relationship, countless ecosystem services derive from pollination (Christmann, 2019; Kremen et al., 2007; Lundin et al., 2012). For example, pollinator‐dependent plant species such as Rosa canica and Cornus mas , are often used for erosion control (Comino & Marengo, 2010).…”

Comparative ecology of two specialist bees: Dasypoda visnaga Rossi, 1790 and Dasypoda maura Pérez, 1895 (Hymenoptera, Melittidae)

“…Worldwide declines in wild bee populations have been reported over the past two decades (Biesmeijer et al 2006;Burkle et al 2013;Nieto et al 2014;Kleijn et al 2015;Potts et al 2016;Christmann 2019;Powney et al 2019). To contain these declines, there is an urgent need to better understand their specific foraging and nesting requirements in order to design efficient mitigation strategies (Müller et al 2006).…”