Contribution of insect pollinators to crop yield and quality varies with agricultural intensification

2014
journal article
article
201
dc.abstract.enBackground. Up to 75% of crop species benefit at least to some degree from animal pollination for fruit or seed set and yield. However, basic information on the level of pollinator dependence and pollinator contribution to yield is lacking for many crops. Even less is known about how insect pollination affects crop quality. Given that habitat loss and agricultural intensification are known to decrease pollinator richness and abundance, there is a need to assess the consequences for different components of crop production. Methods. We used pollination exclusion on flowers or inflorescences on a whole plant basis to assess the contribution of insect pollination to crop yield and quality in four flowering crops (spring oilseed rape, field bean, strawberry, and buckwheat) located in four regions of Europe. For each crop, we recorded abundance and species richness of flower visiting insects in ten fields located along a gradient from simple to heterogeneous landscapes. Results. Insect pollination enhanced average crop yield between 18 and 71% depending on the crop. Yield quality was also enhanced in most crops. For instance, oilseed rape had higher oil and lower chlorophyll contents when adequately pollinated, the proportion of empty seeds decreased in buckwheat, and strawberries’ commercial grade improved; however, we did not find higher nitrogen content in open pollinated field beans. Complex landscapes had a higher overall species richness of wild pollinators across crops, but visitation rates were only higher in complex landscapes for some crops. On the contrary, the overall yield was consistently enhanced by higher visitation rates, but not by higher pollinator richness. Discussion. For the four crops in this study, there is clear benefit delivered by pollinators on yield quantity and/or quality, but it is not maximized under current agricultural intensification. Honeybees, the most abundant pollinator, might partially compensate the loss of wild pollinators in some areas, but our results suggest the need of landscape-scale actions to enhance wild pollinator populations.pl
dc.affiliationWydział Biologii i Nauk o Ziemi : Instytut Nauk o Środowiskupl
dc.contributor.authorBartomeus, Ignasipl
dc.contributor.authorPotts, Simon G.pl
dc.contributor.authorSteffan-Dewenter, Ingolfpl
dc.contributor.authorVaissiere, Bernard E.pl
dc.contributor.authorWoyciechowski, Michał - 132744 pl
dc.contributor.authorKrewenka, Kristin M.pl
dc.contributor.authorTscheulin, Thomaspl
dc.contributor.authorRoberts, Stuart P. M.pl
dc.contributor.authorSzentgyörgyi, Hajnalka - 132228 pl
dc.contributor.authorWestphal, Catrinpl
dc.contributor.authorBommarco, Riccardopl
dc.date.accessioned2015-04-30T11:50:40Z
dc.date.available2015-04-30T11:50:40Z
dc.date.issued2014pl
dc.date.openaccess0
dc.description.accesstimew momencie opublikowania
dc.description.publication1,8pl
dc.description.versionostateczna wersja wydawcy
dc.description.volume2pl
dc.identifier.articleide328pl
dc.identifier.doi10.7717/peerj.328pl
dc.identifier.eissn2167-8359pl
dc.identifier.projectROD UJ / Ppl
dc.identifier.urihttp://ruj.uj.edu.pl/xmlui/handle/item/6286
dc.languageengpl
dc.language.containerengpl
dc.rightsUdzielam licencji. Uznanie autorstwa 3.0 Polska*
dc.rights.licenceCC-BY
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode*
dc.share.typeotwarte czasopismo
dc.subject.enbiodiversitypl
dc.subject.enpollinationpl
dc.subject.enhoneybeespl
dc.subject.enwild beespl
dc.subject.enagroecosystemspl
dc.subject.enecosystem servicespl
dc.subtypeArticlepl
dc.titleContribution of insect pollinators to crop yield and quality varies with agricultural intensificationpl
dc.title.journalPeerJpl
dc.typeJournalArticlepl
dspace.entity.typePublication
dc.abstract.enpl
Background. Up to 75% of crop species benefit at least to some degree from animal pollination for fruit or seed set and yield. However, basic information on the level of pollinator dependence and pollinator contribution to yield is lacking for many crops. Even less is known about how insect pollination affects crop quality. Given that habitat loss and agricultural intensification are known to decrease pollinator richness and abundance, there is a need to assess the consequences for different components of crop production. Methods. We used pollination exclusion on flowers or inflorescences on a whole plant basis to assess the contribution of insect pollination to crop yield and quality in four flowering crops (spring oilseed rape, field bean, strawberry, and buckwheat) located in four regions of Europe. For each crop, we recorded abundance and species richness of flower visiting insects in ten fields located along a gradient from simple to heterogeneous landscapes. Results. Insect pollination enhanced average crop yield between 18 and 71% depending on the crop. Yield quality was also enhanced in most crops. For instance, oilseed rape had higher oil and lower chlorophyll contents when adequately pollinated, the proportion of empty seeds decreased in buckwheat, and strawberries’ commercial grade improved; however, we did not find higher nitrogen content in open pollinated field beans. Complex landscapes had a higher overall species richness of wild pollinators across crops, but visitation rates were only higher in complex landscapes for some crops. On the contrary, the overall yield was consistently enhanced by higher visitation rates, but not by higher pollinator richness. Discussion. For the four crops in this study, there is clear benefit delivered by pollinators on yield quantity and/or quality, but it is not maximized under current agricultural intensification. Honeybees, the most abundant pollinator, might partially compensate the loss of wild pollinators in some areas, but our results suggest the need of landscape-scale actions to enhance wild pollinator populations.
dc.affiliationpl
Wydział Biologii i Nauk o Ziemi : Instytut Nauk o Środowisku
dc.contributor.authorpl
Bartomeus, Ignasi
dc.contributor.authorpl
Potts, Simon G.
dc.contributor.authorpl
Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf
dc.contributor.authorpl
Vaissiere, Bernard E.
dc.contributor.authorpl
Woyciechowski, Michał - 132744
dc.contributor.authorpl
Krewenka, Kristin M.
dc.contributor.authorpl
Tscheulin, Thomas
dc.contributor.authorpl
Roberts, Stuart P. M.
dc.contributor.authorpl
Szentgyörgyi, Hajnalka - 132228
dc.contributor.authorpl
Westphal, Catrin
dc.contributor.authorpl
Bommarco, Riccardo
dc.date.accessioned
2015-04-30T11:50:40Z
dc.date.available
2015-04-30T11:50:40Z
dc.date.issuedpl
2014
dc.date.openaccess
0
dc.description.accesstime
w momencie opublikowania
dc.description.publicationpl
1,8
dc.description.version
ostateczna wersja wydawcy
dc.description.volumepl
2
dc.identifier.articleidpl
e328
dc.identifier.doipl
10.7717/peerj.328
dc.identifier.eissnpl
2167-8359
dc.identifier.projectpl
ROD UJ / P
dc.identifier.uri
http://ruj.uj.edu.pl/xmlui/handle/item/6286
dc.languagepl
eng
dc.language.containerpl
eng
dc.rights*
Udzielam licencji. Uznanie autorstwa 3.0 Polska
dc.rights.licence
CC-BY
dc.rights.uri*
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode
dc.share.type
otwarte czasopismo
dc.subject.enpl
biodiversity
dc.subject.enpl
pollination
dc.subject.enpl
honeybees
dc.subject.enpl
wild bees
dc.subject.enpl
agroecosystems
dc.subject.enpl
ecosystem services
dc.subtypepl
Article
dc.titlepl
Contribution of insect pollinators to crop yield and quality varies with agricultural intensification
dc.title.journalpl
PeerJ
dc.typepl
JournalArticle
dspace.entity.type
Publication
Affiliations

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