Nature’s Workforce: Understanding the Role of Wild Bees’ in Agroecosystems

Authors: ESQUIVEL, ISAAC - University Of Florida; Parys, Katherine

Submitted to: CABI Agriculture and Bioscience (CABI A&B)
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/18/2024
Publication Date: 8/27/2024
Citation: Esquivel, I., Parys, K.A. 2024. Nature’s Workforce: Understanding the Role of Wild Bees’ in Agroecosystems. CABI Agriculture and Bioscience (CABI A&B). https://doi.org/10.1079/9781800622777.0011.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1079/9781800622777.0011

Interpretive Summary: In large-scale agroecosystems, population patterns of pest and beneficial insects increase and decline, and additionally vary within and across crops. Different biotic and abiotic interactions within these systems often influence these patterns, including landscape configurations, climatic conditions, and on-farm practices. Both wild and managed pollinators provide essential agricultural services by pollinating crop plants within these systems. Upwards of 87% of the world's wild and cultivated plant species are pollinated by insect pollinators. When managed appropriately, agricultural landscapes can provide habitat for many beneficial insect species, including pollinators. Implementing landscape-scale conservation strategies, such as promoting habitat restoration, reducing pesticide use, creating floral resources, and enhancing connectivity, can help support diverse and resilient pollinator populations. This chapter touches broadly on landscape effects on pollinators in agricultural systems, differences in pollinator-dependent and pollinator-independent crops, benefits to crops and their potential benefit to bees, managed honeybees and wild bees, non-bee pollinators, and integrated pest and pollinator management systems.

Technical Abstract: Large-scale agroecosystems are often a mosaic of different annual and perennial crops, semi-natural habitats, and natural habitats within various land use systems. In these systems, pest and beneficial insect population patterns increase and decline at varying degrees within and across crops. Different biotic and abiotic interactions within these systems often influence these patterns, such as landscape configurations, climatic conditions, and on-farm practices. Pollination by insects is a critical ecosystem service necessary to produce most crops, including those providing essential nutrients for food security. When managed appropriately, agricultural landscapes can provide a habitat for many insect species. However, we are amid an unprecedented decline in managed and wild pollinator populations, diversity, and health world-wide. Large-scale agroecosystems dominate North American and European rural landscapes, covering roughly 137 million hectares in the United States alone. This anthropogenic intensification reduces natural or semi-natural land harboring wild pollinators and diverse floral resources. While there are many forms of pollinators, most pollination ecologists would agree that bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) are recognized as the most predominant pollinators for most plants. This chapter will dive into the relationship between pollinators and the crops they pollinate in large-scale agroecosystems (including honey bees and wild bees, non-bee pollinators), benefits to pollinators from crops and benefits to crops from bees, and integrated pest and pollinator management systems. Implementing landscape-scale conservation strategies, such as promoting habitat restoration, reducing pesticide use, creating floral resources, and enhancing connectivity, can help support diverse and resilient pollinator populations.