Widespread losses of pollinating insects in Britain

Gary D. Powney (), Claire Carvell, Mike Edwards, Roger K. A. Morris, Helen E. Roy, Ben A. Woodcock and Nick J. B. Isaac
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Gary D. Powney: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Claire Carvell: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Mike Edwards: BWARS (Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society), Leaside
Roger K. A. Morris: UK Hoverfly Recording Scheme
Helen E. Roy: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Ben A. Woodcock: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Nick J. B. Isaac: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Pollination is a critical ecosystem service underpinning the productivity of agricultural systems across the world. Wild insect populations provide a substantial contribution to the productivity of many crops and seed set of wild flowers. However, large-scale evidence on species-specific trends among wild pollinators are lacking. Here we show substantial inter-specific variation in pollinator trends, based on occupancy models for 353 wild bee and hoverfly species in Great Britain between 1980 and 2013. Furthermore, we estimate a net loss of over 2.7 million occupied 1 km2 grid cells across all species. Declines in pollinator evenness suggest that losses were concentrated in rare species. In addition, losses linked to specific habitats were identified, with a 55% decline among species associated with uplands. This contrasts with dominant crop pollinators, which increased by 12%, potentially in response agri-environment measures. The general declines highlight a fundamental deterioration in both wider biodiversity and non-crop pollination services.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08974-9

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