Biodiversity of Native Bees and Crop Pollination with Emphasis on California

doi:10.1017/CBO9781139019514.032

25 - Biodiversity of Native Bees and Crop Pollination with Emphasis on California

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012

Robbin W. Thorp

Edited by

Paul Gepts ,

Thomas R. Famula ,

Robert L. Bettinger ,

Stephen B. Brush ,

Ardeshir B. Damania ,

Patrick E. McGuire and

Calvin O. Qualset

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Paul Gepts: Affiliation:
University of California, Davis
Thomas R. Famula: Affiliation:
University of California, Davis
Robert L. Bettinger: Affiliation:
University of California, Davis
Stephen B. Brush: Affiliation:
University of California, Davis
Ardeshir B. Damania: Affiliation:
University of California, Davis
Patrick E. McGuire: Affiliation:
University of California, Davis
Calvin O. Qualset: Affiliation:
University of California, Davis

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Summary

The often-cited estimate that about 30% of our diet depends directly or indirectly on crops pollinated by animals (McGregor 1976) may not hold with more recent and future analyses (Klein et al. 2007). But much of the variety in our diet beyond staples such as wind-pollinated grains depends on animals, especially bees, for pollination. Such pollinator-dependent crops include many fruits (pome, stone), berries (cane, bramble), cucurbits (melons, squashes), nuts (almond, macadamia) and vegetable, oil, and forage crop seeds.

Analyses of primary data from 200 countries found that over 75% of 87 globally important food crops (fruits, vegetables, and seeds) are dependent on animal pollination (Klein et al. 2007). These authors state that this represents about 35% of human food production. They also evaluated habitat management for pollination for nine crops and found that intensification of agriculture put wild bees and pollination services at risk. However, analyses of FAO data by Aizen et al. (2008) show similar trends of increased yields in both pollinator-dependent and nondependent crops. They conclude that this does not support the contention that animal-pollinated crops are currently being affected by pollinator shortages at a global scale. However, they warn that if the disproportionate increase in area cultivated with pollinator-dependent crops continues, dependency on services from dwindling pollinator populations will increase in future.

Type: Chapter
Information: Biodiversity in Agriculture
Domestication, Evolution, and Sustainability
, pp. 526 - 537

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139019514.032 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2012

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