Half of flowering plants depend on pollinators

“Recent studies show that many pollinator species have declined in number, with some even becoming extinct. Our finding that a large number of wild plant species depend on pollinators shows that declines in pollinators can cause major disruptions to natural ecosystems,” warns the study’s lead author.

{module Form RD}

Joanne Bennet, co-author from the University of Canberra, says another perplexing factor is the positive feedback loop that develops if pollinator-dependent plants decline or go extinct: “If self-fertile plants come to dominate the landscape, then even more pollinators will be negatively affected, because self-fertile plants tend to produce less nectar and pollen.”

In this context, data on this situation existed, but they were spread across hundreds of works, each focused on pollination experiments on different plant species. “To solve this problem, the research team developed a database that included data from 1,528 separate experiments, representing 1,392 plant populations and 1,174 species from 143 plant families and every continent except Antarctica,” concludes the Magazine.

By: Leonardo Gottems | agrolink