THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF POLLINATOR DECLINES ON THE CONSERVATIONOF BIODIVERSITY AND STABILITY OF FOOD CROP YIELDS

Following reports of dramatic declines in managed and feral honey bees from nearly every region of North America, scientists and resource ma nagers from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada come together to review the q uality of the evidence that honey bees as well as other pollinators ar e in long-term decline and to consider the potential consequences of t hese losses on the conservation of biodiversity and the stability of t he yield of food crops. These experts in pollination ecology confirmed that the last 5 years of losses of honeybee colonies in North America leaves us with fewer managed pollinators than at any time in the last 50 years and that the management and protection of wild pollinators i s an issue of paramount importance to our food supply system. Although there are conclusive data that indicate 1200 wild vertebrate pollinat ion may be at risk, data on the status of most invertebrate species th at act as pollination agents is lacking. The recommendations from a wo rking group of over 20 field scientists, presented here, have been end orsed by 14 conservation and sustainable agriculture organizations, re search institutes, and professional societies including the Society fo r Conservation Biology. Among the most critical priorities for future research and conservation of pollinator species are (1) increased atte ntion to invertebrate systematics, monitoring, and reintroduction as p art of critical habitat management and restoration plans. (2) multi-ye ar assessments of the lethal and sublethal effects of pesticides, herb icides, and habitat fragmentation on the wild pollinator populations i n and near croplands; (3) inclusion of the monitoring of seed and frui t set and floral visitation rates in endangered plant management and r ecovery plans; (4) inclusion of habitat needs for critically-important pollinators in the critical habitat designations for endangered plant s; (5) identification and protection of floral reserves near roost sit es along the ''nectar corridors'' of threatened migratory pollinators; and (6) investment in the restoration and management of a diversity o f pollinators and their habitats adjacent to croplands in order to sta bilize or improve crop yields The work group encourages increased educ ation and training to ensure that both the lay, public and resource ma nagers understand that pollination is one of the most important ecolog ical services provided to agriculture through the responsible manageme nt and protection of wildland habitats and their populations of pollen -vectoring animals and nectar-producing plants.