Pollinator diversity in urgent need of protection to ensure ecosystems function properly
A study by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and BC3 says that the reproductive success of wild and cultivated plants is reduced by the loss of pollinator diversity
University of the Basque Country
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Pollinator
view moreCredit: Jennifer Rose.UPV/EHU
Pollinators are animals that help to transport pollen from one location to another in the plant reproduction process. Pollination is crucial to our well-being and to the survival of ecosystems. Pollination is used by about 85% of wild plants and over 70% of cultivated plants to reproduce. However, the diversity of pollinator species is declining due to climate change, habitat loss and the intensification of farming.
Maddi Artamendi, a researcher at the UPV/EHU, explained that “in most of the studies conducted on this issue across the world, plants were found not to bear fruit if no pollinator was present. Studies of this type have been mostly conducted on crop species, but that does not give a true picture, since the diversity of pollinators is going to decrease, is already decreasing, but is not going to disappear completely. What is more, wild plants were also taken into consideration as well as crop plants. We wanted to approach the subject from a more realistic perspective”.
A study led by Maddi Artamendi, a researcher in the UPV/EHU’s Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, and Ainhoa Magrach, an Ikerbasque Research Professor at BC3, has been published in the prestigious journal Nature Ecology & Evolution; it reveals that protecting pollinator diversity is essential not only to preserve nature but also to ensure the sustainability of ecosystems. “There is an urgent need to mitigate the factors that reduce pollinator diversity,” said the researchers.
The study reveals that the reduction in the diversity of pollinating animals has a negative impact on the reproductive success of plants (in terms of the number of fruits, the number of seeds and the weight of the fruits) and, what is more, “exerts a greater influence on wild plants than on cultivated plants”. They also saw that self-pollinating plants are also affected by the loss of pollinator diversity, “showing that it is very beneficial for these plants to exchange pollen”, explained Artamendi.
Moreover, the results show that wild pollinators have a greater influence on the reproductive success of plants than domestic pollinators (honey bees are usually classified as domestic pollinators). So “the decline in the diversity of wild pollinators further exacerbates the reproductive success of plants”, the researcher added. In particular, the loss of invertebrate pollinators is more pronounced than the loss of vertebrate pollinators; the loss of nocturnal pollinators is more pronounced than the loss of diurnal pollinators, and the loss of wild pollinators is more pronounced than the loss of domestic pollinators.
Meta-analysis of 207 pieces of research conducted across 46 countries
Meta-analysis, a method that uses statistical tools to synthesize data from a large collection of studies in a weighted manner, was used to conduct this study. So Artamendi and Magrach conducted a meta-analysis of the research that did not analyse the total loss of pollinators: a meta-analysis of 207 pieces of research conducted across 46 countries.
“We analysed research done across the world. We had to bear in mind that there are different varieties of plants depending on the climate, that the influence on one plant or another may have been different, and how large the sample was, etc. We took into account many variables so that all the pieces of research could be compared, and that is how we achieved a real, quantifiable result,” explained Artamendi. “Meta-analysis gives you a very global view,” explained the researcher, “to find out where the most research has been done, in which countries and climates, on which types of plants, etc. And that way you can see where the gaps may be, where the biases are...”
With all this, the researchers concluded that “all pollinators play a role, both in crop plants and in wild plants. We cannot focus on domestic pollinators alone. There are more pollinators, and we saw that they are all of great importance in the reproductive success of plants and in maintaining plant diversity. We should not focus just on crop plants and domestic pollinators, the view has to be opened out”.
Further information
This research is part of the thesis being written up by UPV/EHU researcher Maddi Artamendi, under the supervision of BC3 Ikerbasque Research Professor Ainhoa Magrach and the UPV/EHU lecturer and researcher Arantza Aldezabal.
Bibliographic reference
Maddi Artamendi, Philip A. Martin, Ignasi Bartomeus, Ainhoa Magrach
Loss of pollinator diversity consistently reduces reproductive success for wild and cultivated plants
Nature Ecology & Evolution
DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02595-2
Journal
Nature Ecology & Evolution
Article Title
Loss of pollinator diversity consistently reduces reproductive success for wild and cultivated plants
Assessing the values and dependence of society on pollinators: Introducing the new VALOR project
The new Horizon Europe project VALOR aims to empower actors to better understand their relationship with pollinators.
Pensoft Publishers
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The VALOR project logo
view moreCredit: VALOR project
Animal pollinators have become a flagship for biodiversity conservation because of their globally recognised role in supporting broader biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being. Despite this recognition and the widely acknowledged benefits of pollination, many of the pressures on pollinators persist. As a result, there is growing evidence of localised but significant pollination service deficits to crops and wild plants. This raises concerns that pollinator communities may be approaching tipping points as key species decline also increase, risking serious impacts on wider ecosystems and human societies.
The VALOR project (Values and dependence of society on pollinators) — which began in January 2025 — is a multi-actor initiative that will develop a comprehensive, systems-based approach to gaining a better understanding of the cascading impacts of pollinator shifts from flower to fork and beyond. The project will examine the effects of pollinator shifts on ecosystems, farm businesses, and local communities through primary research and modelling.
The project aims to empower actors to develop a deeper understanding of their relationship with pollinators and will produce a range of co-developed tools for landowners, businesses, and policymakers. These tools will enhance awareness of pollination-related risks and enable users to conduct their own studies by replicating the project's methods and applying its models. To ensure comprehensive data collection without compromising scale, VALOR will adopt a systems-based approach, employing a series of in-depth case studies in focal regions to assess the importance of pollinators.
The project has 6 expected impacts:
- Direct drivers of biodiversity decline will be understood and showcased.
- Protected areas and their networks will be planned, managed and expanded and the status of species and habitats will be improved based on up-to-date knowledge and solutions.
- Biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural capital will be mainstreamed in the society and economy.
- Practices in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture will be developed and improved to support and make sustainable the use of biodiversity and a wide range of ecosystems services.
- Biodiversity research and support policies and processes will be interconnected at EU and global levels, making use of advanced digital technologies and societal engagement where appropriate.
- The biodiversity and health nexus will be understood, in particular at the level of ecosystems. This will be achieved by using the one-health approach, in the context of climate change and globalisation and by addressing contributions and trade-offs.
Coordinated by the University of Reading, the VALOR consortium comprises partners from thirteen European institutions, along with three associated partners, including China and Australia. The consortium spans a broad range of scientific disciplines, including pollinator ecology, sociology, economics, stakeholder engagement and communications.
“For decades now, research has demonstrated how important pollinators are to farming, but we have never really done such an in-depth project that spans everything from flower to fork.” says Dr. Tom Breeze,
For more project news, follow the project on Bluesky, LinkedIn and stay tuned for updates on the upcoming VALOR website.
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