Publication Date:
2024-04-25
Description:
1. The interruption of plant-pollinator
interactions may threaten global plant diversity,
food security and ecosystem stability. Recent reports of strong declines in both
insects and plants point to insect decline as a driver of plant decline. However, it is
still unknown whether these trends are related as plants often produce seeds without
the need for insect pollinators, and to what extent insect-pollinated
plants have
declined in relation to plants not pollinated by insects.
2. In this study, we hypothesise that natural plant communities have shifted away
from insect-pollination.
We combined 365,768 vegetation plots from 1930 to
2017 in the Netherlands and plant traits to assess the changes in occurrences
of plants pollinated by different modes. Furthermore, we included key drivers
in plant decline—specifically nitrogen, moisture and habitat types—as interaction
factors to explore the persistence of the observed changes under different environmental
conditions.
3. The proportion of insect-pollinated
plants has declined while that of wind-pollinated
plants has increased over the last 87 years. This proportional change
reflects an absolute decrease in the number of insect-pollinated
species and an
increase in the number of wind-pollinated
species.
4. Synthesis and applications. This study implies that Dutch landscapes are losing
insect-pollinated
plant species, which is likely due, at least in part, to the decline
in pollination services. Our results of quantifying the decline in insect-pollinated
plants support the necessity and urgency of taking conservation initiatives.
Several management strategies and policy recommendations could be applied to
alleviate the decline of insect-pollinated
plants and ensure crop safety. For example,
conserving natural environments by reducing nitrogen deposition may support
local plants and insect pollinators. Additionally, there is a particular need for
focused efforts to protect natural grasslands, as these areas harbour many insect-pollinated
plants, which have experienced declines. Finally, monitoring and assessing
the state of both pollinators and (insect-pollinated)
plants is needed to assess
the progress of conservation measures. While recognising the interdependence of
pollinators and pollinated plants, it is crucial to extend efforts beyond pollinator conservation alone to effectively safeguard insect- pollinated plants and ensure crop safety.
Keywords:
insect decline
;
natural plant community
;
plant diversity
;
plant species composition
;
plant-insect interaction
;
pollination modes
;
temporal trends
Repository Name:
National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Format:
application/pdf
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