Habitat Quality and Quantity Key for Agricultural Pollinators

A team of scientists from around the world analyzed a massive dataset of more than 178,000 individual insect pollinators to determine the minimum natural habitat on agricultural land that will allow insect pollinators to thrive. Study results were published in the journal Science and revealed the importance of both habitat quality and quantity. Study co-author Berry Brosi, professor at the University of Washington, explained in an interview that a diverse set of flowers that bloom throughout the year constitutes higher quality habitat than crop monocultures, and that policies aimed at protecting pollinators often underestimate the extent of natural habitat that pollinators need. This study revealed that while hoverflies needed habitats with at least 6% natural features to thrive, butterflies needed at least 37% natural features in their habitats.
Related ATTRA publication: Alternative Pollinators: Native Bees