Field Margins and Nesting Pollinator Success
Author Information
Author(s): Sean A. Rands, Heather M. Whitney
Primary Institution: University of Bristol
Hypothesis
Does increasing the width of wild strips of land within agricultural landscapes enhance the availability of resources for nesting pollinators?
Conclusion
Enhancing field margins should lead to an increase in the availability of forage to bees and other beneficial invertebrates that nest within the landscape.
Supporting Evidence
- Increasing the width of wild field strips enhances the amount of forage available to nesting pollinators.
- Foragers that travel longer distances benefit equally from field margin manipulations as those that forage nearby.
- Field edges provide critical resources for pollinators, especially when crops are not in flower.
Takeaway
Making the edges of farms wilder helps bees find more food, which is important for their survival.
Methodology
A spatially-explicit modelling approach was used to simulate the effects of field edge manipulation on foraging success in bees.
Limitations
The models may not perfectly represent real landscapes, and the study did not account for all potential barriers to bee movement.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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