How can an understanding of plant–pollinator interactions contribute to global food security?

Bailes, Emily J.; Ollerton, Jeff; Pattrick, Jonathan G.; Glover, Beverley J.

doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2015.06.002

Cited by 78 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…This study clearly demonstrates a mutualistic relationship between courgette flowers and B. terrestris that is beneficial to both, improving pollination success and colony dynamics (Bailes, Ollerton, Pattrick, & Glover, 2015;Holzschuh et al, 2016). Courgette, offers an abundant source of nectar to attract pollinators to its flowers for pollination (Vidal, Jong, Wien, & Morse, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Bombus terrestris in a mass‐flowering pollinator‐dependent crop: A mutualistic relationship?

Knapp

Becher

Rankin

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) rely on an abundant and diverse selection of floral resources to meet their nutritional requirements. In farmed landscapes, mass‐flowering crops can provide an important forage resource for bumblebees, with increased visitation from bumblebees into mass‐flowering crops having an additional benefit to growers who require pollination services. This study explores the mutualistic relationship between Bombus terrestris L. (buff‐tailed bumblebee), a common species in European farmland, and the mass‐flowering crop courgette (Cucurbita pepo L.) to see how effective B. terrestris is at pollinating courgette and in return how courgette may affect B. terrestris colony dynamics. By combining empirical data on nectar and pollen availability with model simulations using the novel bumblebee model Bumble‐BEEHAVE, we were able to quantify and simulate for the first time, the importance of courgette as a mass‐flowering forage resource for bumblebees. Courgette provides vast quantities of nectar to ensure a high visitation rate, which combined with abundant pollen grains, enables B. terrestris to have a high pollination potential. While B. terrestris showed a strong fidelity to courgette flowers for nectar, courgette pollen was not found in any pollen loads from returning foragers. Nonetheless, model simulations showed that early season courgette (nectar) increased the number of hibernating queens, colonies, and adult workers in the modeled landscapes. Synthesis and applications. Courgette has the potential to improve bumblebee population dynamics; however, the lack of evidence of the bees collecting courgette pollen in this study suggests that bees can only benefit from this transient nectar source if alternative floral resources, particularly pollen, are also available to fulfill bees’ nutritional requirements in space and time. Therefore, providing additional forage resources could simultaneously improve pollination services and bumblebee populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Bombus terrestris in a mass‐flowering pollinator‐dependent crop: A mutualistic relationship?

Knapp

Becher

Rankin

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Conserving or restoring wild bee habitat has the potential for both short and long-term agricultural and food security benefits (Bailes et al 2015). Northern New England has many naturalized and conserved areas with the potential to support a broad diversity of wild bees in many unique ecological niches (Goldstein and Ascher 2016;Koh et al 2016;Chandler and Peck 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Natural History of Change in Native Bees Associated with Lowbush Blueberry in Maine

Drummond

Dibble

Stubbs

et al. 2017

Northeastern Naturalist

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Conserving and maintaining a diverse assemblage of wild bees is essential for a healthy and functioning ecosystem, as species are uniquely evolved to deliver specific plant-pollination requirements. Understanding the biology and ecology of bees in poorly studied regions is the first step towards conservation. Detailed surveys in New Hampshire reveal a broad diversity of 118 species of wild bees in different guilds and habitats including 17 bee species representing new state records. Network analyses reveal a complex community structure and relatively poorly connected plant-pollinator associations, thus species may be susceptible to disturbance. Phenological analyses document that at least one representative of five native bee families was present throughout the foraging season and both abundance and diversity were highest in June and July. This study provides important baseline information on bee abundance, diversity, phenology, and host plant associations necessary for future conservation efforts.

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“…For instance, crop flowering could be phenologically matched to pollinator lifecycles, and different groups of pollinators could be exploited, for instance through altering flowers' traits, such as colour and scent, as well as their life cycles (Bailes et al 2015). Proposed solutions such as these, seeking to breed higher yielding crops that are also, and relatedly, more attractive to pollinators, need to be evaluated in a wider context of factors influencing the numbers of different pollinators with varying levels of resilience and vulnerability.…”

Section: Proposed Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Key dimensions of global food security are availability, accessibility, and utilisation, with a focus on nutritional well-being, stability, and sustainability (Berry et al 2015;FAO 1996). Global food security, also reliant on several other factors such as weather, political stability, and a non-corrupt infrastructure, is critically dependent on pollinator services (Vanbergen and the Insect Pollinators Initiative 2013; Van der Sluijs et al 2013a;Chagnon et al 2015;Bailes et al 2015) and this also is the case for nutritional wellbeing (Nicole 2015;Ellis et al 2015). The apparent complexity and multi-causality of pollinator decline and inadequate monitoring systems, particularly for wild species, means that controversy is rife about the scale of this global problem and how to mitigate it.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pollinators and Global Food Security: the Need for Holistic Global Stewardship

2016

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Over the past decades, both wild and domesticated insect pollinators are in dramatic decline, which puts at stake the existence of species, ecosystem resilience and global food security. Globally, 87 of major food crops depend on animal pollination. Together these account for 35 % of the world food production volume. Pollinator mediated crops are indispensable for essential micronutrients in the human diet. Many ornamental plants as well as crops for fibre, fodder, biofuels, timber and phytopharmaceuticals also depend on insect pollinators. This article aims to map the current situation of pollinators worldwide, with a focus on the critical role of pollinators in the human food chain and ecosystem sustainability, their intrinsic and extrinsic value, as well as the causes of their declines and the interventions needed to conserve them, in order to develop an argument for the importance of conserving and restoring pollinator populations and diversity. The present pollinator crisis threatens global and local food security, can worsen the problems of hidden hunger, erodes ecosystem resilience, and can destabilise ecosystems that form our life support system. An integrated approach that simultaneously addresses the key drivers is needed. This includes creation and restoration of floral and nesting resources, a global phase out of prophylactic use of neonicotinoids and fipronil, improvement of test protocols in authorisation of agrochemicals, and restoration and maintenance of independence in regulatory science. The authors argue that an international treaty for global pollinator stewardship and pollinator ecosystem restoration should be initiated in order to systemically counteract the current crisis. Food ethics (2016) 1:75-91

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How can an understanding of plant–pollinator interactions contribute to global food security?

Cited by 78 publications

References 81 publications

Bombus terrestris in a mass‐flowering pollinator‐dependent crop: A mutualistic relationship?

Bombus terrestris in a mass‐flowering pollinator‐dependent crop: A mutualistic relationship?

A Natural History of Change in Native Bees Associated with Lowbush Blueberry in Maine

Pollinators and Global Food Security: the Need for Holistic Global Stewardship

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