In:
Ecology Letters, Wiley, Vol. 19, No. 10 ( 2016-10), p. 1228-1236
Abstract:
Mass‐flowering crops ( MFC s) are increasingly cultivated and might influence pollinator communities in MFC fields and nearby semi‐natural habitats ( SNH s). Across six European regions and 2 years, we assessed how landscape‐scale cover of MFC s affected pollinator densities in 408 MFC fields and adjacent SNH s. In MFC fields, densities of bumblebees, solitary bees, managed honeybees and hoverflies were negatively related to the cover of MFC s in the landscape. In SNH s, densities of bumblebees declined with increasing cover of MFC s but densities of honeybees increased. The densities of all pollinators were generally unrelated to the cover of SNH s in the landscape. Although MFC fields apparently attracted pollinators from SNH s, in landscapes with large areas of MFC s they became diluted. The resulting lower densities might negatively affect yields of pollinator‐dependent crops and the reproductive success of wild plants. An expansion of MFC s needs to be accompanied by pollinator‐supporting practices in agricultural landscapes.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1461-023X
,
1461-0248
DOI:
10.1111/ele.2016.19.issue-10
Language:
English
Publisher:
Wiley
Publication Date:
2016
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2020195-3
SSG:
12