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Diversity
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Emerging Effects of Pollinator Loss on Biodiversity
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Emerging Effects of Pollinator Loss on Biodiversity

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 3951

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ekaterina Kozuharova

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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: pollination ecology; ecology and evolution; conservation; ethnobotany; medicinal plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Toshko Ljubomirov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: hymenoptera; taxonomy; systematics; phylogeny; pollination
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pollinators play a crucial role in the maintenance of the world's biodiversity and in the functioning of ecosystems. They are essential for the pollination of flowering plants, which make up the majority of terrestrial biodiversity. However, in recent years, there has been growing concern regarding the loss of pollinators due to human activities such as habitat destruction, pesticide use, loss of floral food/forage resources, electromagnetic radiation of mobile telecommunication antennas and climate change.

The loss of pollinators has significant implications for biodiversity, including reduced plant reproduction, loss of genetic diversity, and changes in community composition. Moreover, pollinators are crucial for food security as they contribute to the production of approximately one-third of the world's food crops. Therefore, the decline of pollinators has far-reaching consequences for the sustainability of our ecosystems and the well-being of human populations.

Despite the importance of pollinators, there is still much to be understood about the impacts of their loss on biodiversity. This Special Issue aims to review recent studies and collect new data on the biodiversity of pollinators and their food plants, mutualistic plant–pollinators networks, the effect of mass crops on the pollinators, the effects of invasive plants on pollinators, the effects of invasive insects on the pollination of indigenous plants, and the effects of pollinator loss on biodiversity, as well as add more data on the problem generalization vs. specialization in the pollination systems; last but not least, this Special Issue aims to explore potential solutions to address pollinators’ decline, for instance, the sustainable planting of wild flower belts in agricultural lands without introducing alien plants, the use of biopesticides that are harmless to pollinators, etc. Ultimately, this Special Issue aims to contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships between pollinators and biodiversity, and promote actions to protect these vital species.

In honor of Prof David Firmage.

Prof. Dr. Ekaterina Kozuharova
Dr. Toshko Ljubomirov
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at mdpi.longhoe.net by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pollination and pollinator communities
  • insect conservation
  • pollination ecology
  • plant–pollinator interactions
  • plant–pollinator networks
  • Hymenoptera
  • Lepidoptera
  • Diptera

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1362 KiB  
Article
Public Attitudes towards Insect Pollinators in Morocco: Insights from a Pilot Study with Broader Applications
by Rachid Sabbahi, Insafe El Abdouni, Patrick Lhomme, Omar Boubker, Khalil Azzaoui, Belkheir Hammouti, Mounsef Neffa and Virginia Hock
Diversity 2024, 16(7), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16070383 - 30 Jun 2024
Viewed by 235
Abstract
This pilot study provides insights into the Moroccan public’s understanding and willingness to engage in insect pollinator preservation, highlighting widespread awareness alongside significant knowledge gaps. The success of biodiversity conservation efforts, especially those aimed at insect pollinators, is greatly enhanced by an informed [...] Read more.
This pilot study provides insights into the Moroccan public’s understanding and willingness to engage in insect pollinator preservation, highlighting widespread awareness alongside significant knowledge gaps. The success of biodiversity conservation efforts, especially those aimed at insect pollinators, is greatly enhanced by an informed and committed populace. Understanding public perceptions of insect pollinators is important as it shapes the effectiveness of conservation strategies and their implementation. Although our pilot study does not include every demographic of Moroccan society, it does include an important portion of the populace: educated urban youth. This is a key portion of the population that will be crucial in develo** future conservation strategies, especially given the tendency towards increasing urbanization putting cities at the forefront of sustainable development. Our study aimed to assess opinions on insect pollinators, their services, and their declining population numbers in Morocco. We conducted a survey distributed mainly through the media over four months, receiving responses from 301 individuals. The results indicate that the public is aware of decreasing insect pollinator populations and their main threats, and shows a willingness to participate in conservation strategies. However, gaps persist in understanding the roles and ecology of pollinators. While honey bees and bumble bees are well-recognized for their role in pollinating agricultural and wild plants, there is less awareness about other common pollinators such as solitary bees and flies. Additionally, the essential contributions of non-bee pollinators remain widely overlooked. To address these findings, we recommend implementing specialized educational initiatives to increase public understanding of the vital functions of non-bee pollinators in supporting ecosystem services. In order to adopt a more encompassing strategy for the conservation of insect pollinators, upcoming outreach efforts within the national biodiversity strategy should emphasize the contributions made by lesser-known non-bee insect pollinators and strive to engage sectors of the population currently less involved in pollinator conservation. However, while this pilot study provides valuable insights, the sample size limits the generalizability of these conclusions. Future research with larger and more diverse samples would be beneficial to validate and expand upon these findings in order to provide a more comprehensive understanding of all areas of public perception and engagement in pollinator conservation in Morocco. Expanding sampling to include older, less educated, and less urban demographics would strengthen these initial insights and broaden their application, especially beyond urban attitudes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Effects of Pollinator Loss on Biodiversity)
41 pages, 1934 KiB  
Article
Changes in Population Densities and Species Richness of Pollinators in the Carpathian Basin during the Last 50 Years (Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera)
by Attila Haris, Zsolt Józan, Ladislav Roller, Peter Šima and Sándor Tóth
Diversity 2024, 16(6), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16060328 - 3 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1283
Abstract
Temporal changes in population densities and species richness of three main pollinator groups—moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera); bees, wasps and sawflies (Hymenoptera); and hoverflies, horseflies, tachinids and bee flies (Diptera)—were investigated in the Carpathian Basin. Maintaining pollinator diversity is a crucial factor for preserving [...] Read more.
Temporal changes in population densities and species richness of three main pollinator groups—moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera); bees, wasps and sawflies (Hymenoptera); and hoverflies, horseflies, tachinids and bee flies (Diptera)—were investigated in the Carpathian Basin. Maintaining pollinator diversity is a crucial factor for preserving our biodiversity and ecosystems; furthermore, several pollinator species have a strong economic role in maintaining crop and fruit cultures. Our conclusions are based on our three and four decades of faunistic surveys in various regions of the Carpathian Basin. Analyzing and comparing our data with the historical data of the last 50 years, we concluded that densities of some pollinators declined during the past decade and a half (Symphyta, hoverflies), although populations of several species of Mediterranean origin grew (Aculeata) and new species even migrated from the warmer regions. In numerous cases, this decrease was dramatic: more than 90% decline of certain butterfly species were detected. On the other hand, the composition of pollinator fauna significantly changed due to the disappearance of some mountainous or mesophile species. The main reason for the decrease in pollinator communities is due partly to climatic change and partly to anthropogenic factors. Different groups of pollinators react differently: some groups like Syrphidae, Tachinidae, most of the butterfly families and bumblebees suffered a strong decline in the last two decades; other warm-loving groups like most of Aculeata and horseflies and bee flies showed a significant increase in population densities. Our conclusion: in our region, the pollinator crisis is present but moderate; however, there is a clear sign of the gradual transition of our pollinator fauna towards the Mediterranean type. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Effects of Pollinator Loss on Biodiversity)
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16 pages, 6912 KiB  
Article
Climate Change Influence on the Potential Distribution of Some Cavity-Nesting Bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)
by Mohammed Okely, Michael S. Engel and Mohamed A. Shebl
Diversity 2023, 15(12), 1172; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15121172 - 24 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1630
Abstract
As climatic and other impactful environmental changes continue to gain momentum pollination, services are poised to be harmed, and wild bee species are not an exception. In the present study, maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modeling was used to predict the potential climatic niches of [...] Read more.
As climatic and other impactful environmental changes continue to gain momentum pollination, services are poised to be harmed, and wild bee species are not an exception. In the present study, maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modeling was used to predict the potential climatic niches of five wild bee species, namely, Chalicodoma flavipes, Chalicodoma sicula, Coelioxys coturnix, Megachile minutissima, and Osmia submicans (all of Megachilidae: Megachilinae). The Maxent model performed better than random for the five species, and all model predictions were significantly robust, giving ratios above null expectations. Under future climate change scenarios, the Maxent model predicted habitat loss for C. flavipes, C. sicula, and M. minutissima in North Africa and habitat loss for O. submicans in Europe and North Africa in all scenarios. Conversely, the study showed that the cleptoparasitic bee Co. coturnix would expand their suitable habitat in most scenarios in Europe, Asia, and the United States, although this species would also suffer habitat loss in North Africa in two scenarios. Between the present situation and future scenarios, the potential distribution for all species decreased in their suitable habitat, with the exception of Co. coturnix. The present results are of considerable value for informed conservation programs and policy decisions regarding wild pollinators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Effects of Pollinator Loss on Biodiversity)
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