<html>
<body>
Carvalheiro, L. G., C. L. Seymour, et al. (2012). "Creating patches
of native flowers facilitates crop pollination in large agricultural
fields: mango as a case study." <u>Journal of Applied Ecology</u>
<b>49</b>(6): 1373-1383.<br>
<dl>
<dd><x-tab> </x-tab>* As
cropland increases, fields become progressively isolated from
pollinators, leading to declines in pollinator-dependent crop
productivity. With the rise in demand for pollinator-dependent foods,
such productivity losses may accelerate conversion of natural areas to
cropland. Pollination easures involving managed pollinators or hand
pollination are not always optimal or are too costly. Introducing areas
of native vegetation within cropland has been proposed as a way to
supplement crop pollinators, but this measure is perceived by farmers to
carry costs outweighing benefits to agricultural production. Studies
quantifying benefits of small patches of native flowers to crop
pollination are therefore necessary to encourage such practices. <br>
<dd>* To ascertain whether provision of floral resources within farmlands
can facilitate pollination, and hence, crop yields, small experimental
patches of perennial native plants (native flower compensation areas,
NFCAs) were created in nonproductive areas of large commercial fields of
several cultivars of mango Mangifera indica. <br>
<dd>* Pesticide use and isolation from natural habitat were associated
with declines in flying visitors and in mango production (kg of
marketable fresh fruit), but presence of NFCAs ameliorated these
declines, and NFCAs did not harbour any mango pests. In areas far from
natural vegetation, orchards near NFCAs had significantly higher
diversity and abundance of mango flying visitors, as well as mango
production, than orchards far from NFCAs, although these measures were
still lower than in orchards close to natural areas. <br>
<dd>* Neither the most abundant flower visitors to mango (ants) nor
initial fruit set was significantly affected by distance, pesticides or
NFCAs, suggesting that although fertilization is associated with factors
unaffected by isolation from natural habitat and pesticide use (i.e.
self- and ant-pollination), viable fruit set (and ultimately, production)
requires cross-pollination, for which flying visitors are essential.
<br>
<dd>* Synthesis and applications. Our results show that the presence of
small patches of native flowers within large farms can increase
pollinator-dependent crop production if combined with preservation of
remaining fragments of natural habitat and judicious use of pesticides.
Native flower compensation areas represent a profitable management
measure for farmers, increasing cost-effectiveness of cropland while
indirectly contributing to preservation of natural habitat.<br><br>
</dl></body>
</html>