Enhancing wild pollinator diversity in Mediterranean central Chilean crops: The role of natural habitats and proximity to the orchard edges

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Abstract
Pollinator diversity is declining worldwide, mainly due to agricultural habitat loss, threatening wild plant reproduction and crop pollination. Although natural habitat supports pollination services in agricultural landscapes, the amount needed remains unclear. We assessed how the percentage of natural habitat (NH) and distance from the orchard edge (DFE) influence pollinator richness and abundance in sweet cherry and apple orchards in Mediterranean central Chile. Twenty‐seven orchards of each crop were sampled over 2 years, classified by NH within a 1‐km buffer (70%). Pan traps surveyed pollinators at three distances from the orchard edge to the crop interior (0, 70 and 140 m). Both crops were modelled jointly, as crop identity did not affect pollinator richness, abundance, or honey bee abundance. Wild pollinator richness and abundance were higher with more surrounding natural habitat and decreased with distance from the edge. This decline was steeper in orchards with less natural habitat, buffering the edge effect. Honey bee abundance was unaffected by NH or DFE, and both wild pollinator and honey bee metrics were lower in the second year. Species composition differed significantly among NH categories, crops and years, although crop‐ and year‐related differences were each driven by only a small subset of taxa. Most species contributing to compositional differences among NH categories increased in abundance with NH, and none were more abundant in orchards with less than 35% NH. Our results suggest that landscapes with at least 35% of NH may better maintain wild pollinator diversity, although this value should not be interpreted as a biological threshold.
Funding Information
  • Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (ACT192027)
  • Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (CERES/R23F0003)
  • Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (NCN2024_040)
  • Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (PFB210006)
  • Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (1241258)

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