Critical habitat thresholds for effective pollinator conservation in agricultural landscapes.
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| Title: | Critical habitat thresholds for effective pollinator conservation in agricultural landscapes. |
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| Authors: | Bishop, Gabriella A., Kleijn, David, Albrecht, Matthias, Bartomeus, Ignasi, Isaacs, Rufus, Kremen, Claire, Magrach, Ainhoa, Ponisio, Lauren C., Potts, Simon G., Scheper, Jeroen, Smith, Henrik G., Tscharntke, Teja, Albrecht, Jörg, Åström, Jens, Badenhausser, Isabelle, Báldi, András, Basu, Parthiba, Berggren, Åsa, Beyer, Nicole, Blüthgen, Nico |
| Source: | Science. 9/25/2025, Vol. 389 Issue 6767, p1314-1319. 6p. |
| Subjects: | Insect pollinators, Conservation of natural resources, Habitat conservation, Agricultural landscape management, Meta-analysis |
| Abstract: | Biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes is declining, but evidence-based conservation targets to guide international policies for such landscapes are lacking. We present a framework for informing habitat conservation policies based on the enhancement of habitat quantity and quality and define thresholds of habitat quantity at which it becomes effective to also prioritize habitat quality. We applied this framework to insect pollinators, an important part of agroecosystem biodiversity, by synthesizing 59 studies from 19 countries. Given low habitat quality, hoverflies had the lowest threshold at 6% semi-natural habitat cover, followed by solitary bees (16%), bumble bees (18%), and butterflies (37%). These figures represent minimum habitat thresholds in agricultural landscapes, but when habitat quantity is restricted, marked increases in quality are required to reach similar outcomes. Editor's summary: Many species are declining, with lack of adequate habitat being a primary driver. Providing habitats in human-dominated landscapes is essential for maintaining populations and supporting ecosystem functions such as pollination, but habitat protection targets in such landscapes are poorly defined. Bishop et al. developed a framework to assess habitat needs based on the threshold at which populations respond more to increased habitat quality than quantity. They used a meta-analysis to define habitat quantity thresholds, using floral resources as a proxy for habitat quality, for insect pollinators (bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies, and hoverflies) in agricultural landscapes. Hoverflies had a much lower threshold because of low habitat quality, and this framework could be adapted to guide targets for other taxa. —Bianca Lopez [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes is declining, but evidence-based conservation targets to guide international policies for such landscapes are lacking. We present a framework for informing habitat conservation policies based on the enhancement of habitat quantity and quality and define thresholds of habitat quantity at which it becomes effective to also prioritize habitat quality. We applied this framework to insect pollinators, an important part of agroecosystem biodiversity, by synthesizing 59 studies from 19 countries. Given low habitat quality, hoverflies had the lowest threshold at 6% semi-natural habitat cover, followed by solitary bees (16%), bumble bees (18%), and butterflies (37%). These figures represent minimum habitat thresholds in agricultural landscapes, but when habitat quantity is restricted, marked increases in quality are required to reach similar outcomes. Editor's summary: Many species are declining, with lack of adequate habitat being a primary driver. Providing habitats in human-dominated landscapes is essential for maintaining populations and supporting ecosystem functions such as pollination, but habitat protection targets in such landscapes are poorly defined. Bishop et al. developed a framework to assess habitat needs based on the threshold at which populations respond more to increased habitat quality than quantity. They used a meta-analysis to define habitat quantity thresholds, using floral resources as a proxy for habitat quality, for insect pollinators (bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies, and hoverflies) in agricultural landscapes. Hoverflies had a much lower threshold because of low habitat quality, and this framework could be adapted to guide targets for other taxa. —Bianca Lopez [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00368075 |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.adr2146 |
