TY - JOUR
T1 - Dutch landscapes have lost insect‐pollinated plants over the past 87 years
AU - Pan, Kaixuan
AU - Marshall, Leon
AU - de Snoo, Geert R.
AU - Biesmeijer, Jacobus C.
N1 - Data archiving: no NIOO data
PY - 2024/4/8
Y1 - 2024/4/8
N2 - 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.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.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.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.
AB - 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.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.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.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.
U2 - 10.1111/1365-2664.14649
DO - 10.1111/1365-2664.14649
M3 - Article
SN - 0021-8901
JO - Journal of Applied Ecology
JF - Journal of Applied Ecology
ER -