A dual role for farmlands: food security and pollinator conservation

Abstract

We briefly review current understanding of wild pollinators and pollination services on farmlands. We consider how concepts in plant ecology – community assembly and functional trait diversity - may be applied to create diverse, wild pollinator communities across scales in agroecosystems. We also make recommendations for best practices to enhance pollination services and create more sustainable food production systems under changing environmental conditions, including creating greater landscape connectivity, embracing pollinator dynamics, and providing incentives and other motivations to support these practices. Synthesis. We highlight the opportunity for agricultural lands to serve a dual role for both food production and pollinator conservation, and conclude by posing unanswered questions and top priorities for future studies.