Mitigating the Effects of Habitat Loss on Solitary Bees in Agricultural Ecosystems
Solitary bees and other wild pollinators provide an important ecosystem service which can benefit both the agricultural economy and the sustainability of many native ecosystems. Many solitary bees, however, are experiencing decreases in their populations and ranges, resulting in an overall loss of p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/10/4/115 |
| _version_ | 1827719298817196032 |
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| author | Olivia Kline Neelendra K. Joshi |
| author_facet | Olivia Kline Neelendra K. Joshi |
| author_sort | Olivia Kline |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Solitary bees and other wild pollinators provide an important ecosystem service which can benefit both the agricultural economy and the sustainability of many native ecosystems. Many solitary bees, however, are experiencing decreases in their populations and ranges, resulting in an overall loss of pollinator species richness in many areas. Several interacting factors have been implicated in this decline, including increased pesticide use, climate change, and pathogens, but habitat loss remains one of the primary drivers. The widespread conversion of natural habitats into agricultural landscapes has decreased the availability of adequate nesting sites and floral diversity for many bee species. Large monocultures with intensive production systems often cannot support the populations of wild bees (particularly species with short foraging ranges) necessary to ensure adequate pollination of animal-pollinated crops. Diversifying agricultural landscapes through the incorporation of wildflower plantings, as well as the preservation of remaining natural habitats, may offer a solution, as it has been shown to increase both bee diversity and abundance and the pollination of nearby crops. In this review article, we discuss the various effects of habitat loss on solitary bees and different ways to mitigate such effects in order to conserve bee diversity and populations in agricultural landscapes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:40:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b5fb4e2f4bb44d74a290d40bbcb3339c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:40:21Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-b5fb4e2f4bb44d74a290d40bbcb3339c2023-11-19T20:46:17ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722020-04-0110411510.3390/agriculture10040115Mitigating the Effects of Habitat Loss on Solitary Bees in Agricultural EcosystemsOlivia Kline0Neelendra K. Joshi1University of Arkansas, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, 217 Plant Sciences Bldg., Fayetteville, AR 72701, USAUniversity of Arkansas, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, 217 Plant Sciences Bldg., Fayetteville, AR 72701, USASolitary bees and other wild pollinators provide an important ecosystem service which can benefit both the agricultural economy and the sustainability of many native ecosystems. Many solitary bees, however, are experiencing decreases in their populations and ranges, resulting in an overall loss of pollinator species richness in many areas. Several interacting factors have been implicated in this decline, including increased pesticide use, climate change, and pathogens, but habitat loss remains one of the primary drivers. The widespread conversion of natural habitats into agricultural landscapes has decreased the availability of adequate nesting sites and floral diversity for many bee species. Large monocultures with intensive production systems often cannot support the populations of wild bees (particularly species with short foraging ranges) necessary to ensure adequate pollination of animal-pollinated crops. Diversifying agricultural landscapes through the incorporation of wildflower plantings, as well as the preservation of remaining natural habitats, may offer a solution, as it has been shown to increase both bee diversity and abundance and the pollination of nearby crops. In this review article, we discuss the various effects of habitat loss on solitary bees and different ways to mitigate such effects in order to conserve bee diversity and populations in agricultural landscapes.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/10/4/115solitary beeswild beesnative beespollinatorhabitat lossfloral diversity |
| spellingShingle | Olivia Kline Neelendra K. Joshi Mitigating the Effects of Habitat Loss on Solitary Bees in Agricultural Ecosystems Agriculture solitary bees wild bees native bees pollinator habitat loss floral diversity |
| title | Mitigating the Effects of Habitat Loss on Solitary Bees in Agricultural Ecosystems |
| title_full | Mitigating the Effects of Habitat Loss on Solitary Bees in Agricultural Ecosystems |
| title_fullStr | Mitigating the Effects of Habitat Loss on Solitary Bees in Agricultural Ecosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mitigating the Effects of Habitat Loss on Solitary Bees in Agricultural Ecosystems |
| title_short | Mitigating the Effects of Habitat Loss on Solitary Bees in Agricultural Ecosystems |
| title_sort | mitigating the effects of habitat loss on solitary bees in agricultural ecosystems |
| topic | solitary bees wild bees native bees pollinator habitat loss floral diversity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/10/4/115 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oliviakline mitigatingtheeffectsofhabitatlossonsolitarybeesinagriculturalecosystems AT neelendrakjoshi mitigatingtheeffectsofhabitatlossonsolitarybeesinagriculturalecosystems |