Journal
SCIENCE
Volume 339, Issue 6127, Pages 1608-+Publisher
AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1126/science.1230200
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Funding
- Direct For Biological Sciences
- Division Of Environmental Biology [0918442] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Office of Integrative Activities
- Office Of The Director [1101317] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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The diversity and abundance of wild insect pollinators have declined in many agricultural landscapes. Whether such declines reduce crop yields, or are mitigated by managed pollinators such as honey bees, is unclear. We found universally positive associations of fruit set with flower visitation by wild insects in 41 crop systems worldwide. In contrast, fruit set increased significantly with flower visitation by honey bees in only 14% of the systems surveyed. Overall, wild insects pollinated crops more effectively; an increase in wild insect visitation enhanced fruit set by twice as much as an equivalent increase in honey bee visitation. Visitation by wild insects and honey bees promoted fruit set independently, so pollination by managed honey bees supplemented, rather than substituted for, pollination by wild insects. Our results suggest that new practices for integrated management of both honey bees and diverse wild insect assemblages will enhance global crop yields.
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