期刊名称：Journal of Natural and Environmental Sciences
印刷版ISSN：1309-7474
出版年度：2013
卷号：4
期号：1
页码：1-13
语种：English
出版社：Journal of Natural and Environmental Sciences
摘要：Pollination is a crucial ecosystem service to crops and is essential for sustainable crop production. Decline in animal pollinator populations can cause parallel decline in production of plants that rely upon them. We present a holistic evaluation of impacts and responses to pollinator decline in the US in an effort to summarize the spatial and temporal state of US pollinators, to review possible pressures and drivers of national pollinator decline, to examine the agro-socio-economic impact of the state of pollinators, and to provide a comprehensive insight into associated problems and solutions. Data on crop yield, pollinator populations, and economic value of pollinators were analyzed for the time period of 1945 through 2010. Results show a significant decline in the number of managed pollinators (specifically honey bees) in most regions of the US; on average, 42,000 colonies of managed pollinators were lost each year from 1945 through 2010. Crop yields increased significantly over the same period; however, crop yield variability increased with increasing pollinator dependence, and relative yield growth declined with increasing pollinator dependence. The total economic value of managed pollinators, estimated based on contribution toward agricultural yield of selected major US crops, was approximately $12.8 billion. Analysis indicated US agricultural value in 2010 declined by about $49 million per year compared with 1945 and $75 million per year compared with 1986 due to declining pollinator numbers. Agricultural intensification and increased use of inorganic fertilizer and pesticides, which substituted for crop rotation for both nutrient and disease management and led to monoculture, were likely the primary pressures that led to pollinator decline. Recommendations are to develop mitigation options at all levels of scale, including making improved policy decisions regarding pollinators, increasing diverse cropping systems, and enhancing management of natural habitat.
