Pollination ServicesSustainable Food Trust Workshop 3rd December 2013, Deans Yard, Westminster

Dr Adam VanbergenScience Co-ordinator of UK Insect Pollinators Initiative

NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Edinburgh0131 445 8527 AJV@CEH.AC.UK

Talk Outline

1.Importance of pollinators2.Pressures on pollinators3.Crop pollination services

Importance of Insect Pollination

• Ecological Keystone: 78-94% of wild plants have some dependence on animal pollination (Ollerton et al. 2011)• Food Security: ~75% of crop species have some dependence on insect pollination (Klein et al 2007)

Importance of Insect Pollination

• Human Health: insect-pollinated crops provide crucial dietary diversity and nutrients (calories, protein, vitamins, calcium & fluoride) (Eilers et al 2011) •Economic value of pollination services to crops: - Globally $215 billion (2005 US$) (Gallai et al 2009)- UK ~£440 million (2007£) (National Ecosystem Assessment 2011)

Vanbergen A.J. and the Insect Pollinators Initiative (2013). Threats to an ecosystem service: pressures on pollinators. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 11, 5 : 251-259 doi: 10.1890/120126

Multiple Pressures on Pollinators

Habitat loss & fragmentation, pesticides, monoculturesurbanization

Land Use Intensification (B) Climate Change Climate Change

Climate Change

Spatial and phenological mismatch

Alien Species

Competition, facilitation, disease spread

Co-infection, pest-pathogen and pathogen synergies

Pests & Pathogens

Delivery & Resilience of Pollination Services

1. Pollinator abundance/flower visitation rate

2. Pollinator diversity (complementarity, redundancy or facilitation)

3. Diversity of functional traits (morphological and behavioural adaptations)

Towards Sustainable Pollination Services for UK Crops

Prof. Simon Potts Project Co -leader

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Field Beans Oil Seed Rape (canola)

Different Crops Require Different Pollinators

Source: Garratt et al. (2014) Biological Conservation, 169 128–135.

Modelling Pollination Services

Source: Polce et al. (2013) PLoS ONE, 8, e76308

• Bee species richness extrapolated from occurrence records• Agricultural statistics (e.g. field bean cover)• Predicted pollination service: potential deficits?

Crop Pollination Services in Great Britain

• Pollinator biodiversity has a role in crop productivity

• Some potential for sub-optimal pollination (e.g. apple) and spatial gaps in species diversity of crop pollinators

• Pollination service maps require care: spatial resolution & lack of abundance data

• Functional relationship between pollinator biodiversity and crop yield/value remains unclear, especially at policy-relevant scales (i.e. farm to landscape)

Adam Vanbergen0131 445 8527 AJV@ceh.ac.uk

Thank You

www.insectpollinatorsinitiative.net

Further information: insectpollinatorsinitiative.net

www.insectpollinatorsinitiative.net go to publications page to download

A.J.Vanbergen & 59 co-authors Adam J. Vanbergen, Matt S. Heard, Tom Breeze, Simon G. Potts and Nick Hanley( Under Peer Review)