Options
Title
Wild Pollinators Enhance Fruit Set of Crops Regardless of Honey Bee Abundance
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008:
Author(s)
Garibaldi, Lucas A
Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf
Bartomeus, Ignasi
Benjamin, Faye
Boreux, Virginie
Cariveau, Daniel
Chacoff, Natacha P
Dudenhoffer, Jan H
Freitas, Breno M
Ghazoul, Jaboury
Greenleaf, Sarah
Hipolito, Juliana
Winfree, Rachael
Holzschuh, Andrea
Howlett, Brad G
Isaacs, Rufus
Javorek, Steven K
Kennedy, Christina M
Krewenka, Kristin M
Krishnan, Smitha
Mandelik, Yael
Mayfield, Margaret M
Motzke, Iris
Aizen, Marcelo A
Munyuli, Theodore
Nault, Brian A
Otieno, Mark
Petersen, Jessica
Pisanty, Gideon
Potts, Simon G
Ricketts, Taylor H
Rundlof, Maj
Seymour, Colin L
Bommarco, Riccardo
Schuepp, Christof
Szentgyorgyi, Hajnalka
Taki, Hisatomo
Tscharntke, Teja
Vergara, Carlos H
Viana, Blandina F
Wanger, Thomas C
Westphal, Catrin
Williams, Neal
Klein, Alexandra M
Cunningham, Saul A
Kremen, Claire
Carvalheiro, Luisa G
Harder, Lawrence D
Afik, Ohad
Publication Date
2013
Abstract
The diversity and abundance of wild insect pollinators have declined in many agricultural landscapes. Whether such declines reduce crop yields, or are mitigated by managed pollinators such as honey bees, is unclear. We found universally positive associations of fruit set with flower visitation by wild insects in 41 crop systems worldwide. In contrast, fruit set increased significantly with flower visitation by honey bees in only 14% of the systems surveyed. Overall, wild insects pollinated crops more effectively; an increase in wild insect visitation enhanced fruit set by twice as much as an equivalent increase in honey bee visitation. Visitation by wild insects and honey bees promoted fruit set independently, so pollination by managed honey bees supplemented, rather than substituted for, pollination by wild insects. Our results suggest that new practices for integrated management of both honey bees and diverse wild insect assemblages will enhance global crop yields.
Publication Type
Journal Article
Source of Publication
Science, 339(6127), p. 1608-1611
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Place of Publication
United States of America
ISSN
1095-9203
0036-8075
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020
Peer Reviewed
Yes
HERDC Category Description
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Statistics to Oct 2018:
Visitors: 1827<br />Views: 1817<br />Downloads: 0
Permanent link to this record