Recent publications (May 2021)
There’s a lot of research being done on pollinators and pollinator protection. We have made a selection of articles and papers that we think are interesting to you. If you have interesting papers you would like to highlight please let us know!
Bee diversity and crop production
Research carried out by Deepa Senapathi at the University of Reading shows that crop fields with a greater number of different species of pollinating insects show more stable numbers of pollinators. Diverse pollinator communities offer farmers an insurance against future changes in the environment that may lead to a decline in one species.
How countries depend on each other’s biodiversity
Inspired by the virtual water concept, F. D. S. Silva et al. propose the concept of virtual biotic pollination flow. The concept shows how countries rely on each other’s biodiversity, with more developed countries relying on the biodiversity of developing countries to sustain their consumption patterns.
Butterflies boost cotton yields
A new study carried out by landscape ecologist Sarah Cusser shows that butterflies play an unexpected role in pollinating cotton crops. The butterflies cross-fertilise flowers that bees don’t visit, and thereby increase cotton yields in Texas.
Common plants and pollinators maintain biodiversity
Conservation efforts are often geared toward rare plants and animals. Following new research, Julian Resasco et al. argue that common species going extinct or declining can have large repercussions for biodiversity.