Exploring connections between pollinator health and human health

Despite recent advances in understanding the role of biodiversity in ecosystem-service provision, the links between the health of ecosystem-service providers and human health remain more uncertain. During the past decade, an increasing number of studies have argued for the positive impacts of healthy pollinator communities (defined as functionally and genetically diverse species assemblages that are sustained over time) on human health. Here, we begin with a systematic review of these impacts, finding only two studies that concomitantly quantified aspects of pollinator health and human health. Next, we identify relevant research relating to four pathways linking pollinator health and human health: Nutrition, medicine provisioning, mental health and environmental quality. These benefits are obtained through improved pollination of nutritious crops and an estimated approximately 28 000 animal-pollinated medicinal plants; the provisioning of pollinator-derived products such as honey; the maintenance of green spaces and biocultural landscapes that improve mental health; and cleaner air, water and food resulting from pollinator-centred initiatives to reduce agrochemical use. We suggest that pollinator diversity could be a proxy for the benefits that landscapes provide to human health. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: From chemistry to landscapes'.Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. - Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural; ArgentinaFil: Gómez Carella, Dulce Sol. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. - Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural; ArgentinaFil: Nabaes Jodar, Diego Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. - Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural; ArgentinaFil: Smith, Matthew R.. Harvard University. Harvard School of Public Health; Estados UnidosFil: Timberlake, Thomas P.. University of Bristol; Reino UnidoFil: Myers, Samuel S.. Harvard University. Harvard School of Public Health; Estados Unidos. Harvard University; Estados Unido

Pollination supply models from a local to global scale

Ecological intensification has been embraced with great interest by the academic sector but is still rarely taken up by farmers because monitoring the state of different ecological functions is not straightforward. Modelling tools can represent a more accessible alternative of measuring ecological functions, which could help promote their use amongst farmers and other decision-makers. In the case of crop pollination, modelling has traditionally followed either a mechanistic or a data-driven approach. Mechanistic models simulate the habitat preferences and foraging behaviour of pollinators, while data-driven models associate georeferenced variables with real observations. Here, we test these two approaches to predict pollination supply and validate these predictions using data from a newly released global dataset on pollinator visitation rates to different crops. We use one of the most extensively used models for the mechanistic approach, while for the data-driven approach, we select from among a comprehensive set of state-of-the-art machine-learning models. Moreover, we explore a mixed approach, where data-derived inputs, rather than expert assessment, inform the mechanistic model. We find that, at a global scale, machine-learning models work best, offering a rank correlation coefficient between predictions and observations of pollinator visitation rates of 0.56. In turn, the mechanistic model works moderately well at a global scale for wild bees other than bumblebees. Biomes characterized by temperate or Mediterranean forests show a better agreement between mechanistic model predictions and observations, probably due to more comprehensive ecological knowledge and therefore better parameterization of input variables for these biomes. This study highlights the challenges of transferring input variables across multiple biomes, as expected given the different composition of species in different biomes. Our results provide clear guidance on which pollination supply models perform best at different spatial scales – the first step towards bridging the stakeholder–academia gap in modelling ecosystem service delivery under ecological intensification

Into the wild: escaped farmed rainbow trout show a dispersal-associated diet shift towards natural prey

The feeding ecology of farmed fish escapees has seldom been assessed, although they are one of aquaculture’s main environmental impacts. Here we tested if the diet of Oncorhynchus mykiss rainbow trout escapees was affected by their dispersal from farms in a reservoir in Argentine Patagonia by combining stomach content and stable isotope data, and compared their spatial patterns with those of caged and wild (previously naturalized) conspecifics. Our results reveal a shift in the stomach content and δ13C values of escapees, reflecting a farm (pellets) to wild (mainly Daphnia sp.) diet transition associated to dispersal from farms. The δ13C signal of escapees sampled within the farming area was close to that of caged fish, whereas the δ13C of escapees captured far from it was indistinguishable from that of wild rainbow trout. Furthermore, escapee dispersal from farms was associated with a transition from indiscriminate surface feeding (on indigestible floating items) typical of caged fish to preying heavily on Daphnia sp. In contrast, wild fish diet was homogeneous across all sites. Farm escapees gradually acquiring the feeding behavior of their wild conspecifics as they disperse from the farms may promote competition for food and space, and increase their chances for survival in the wild.Fil: Nabaes Jodar, Diego Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales; ArgentinaFil: Cussac, Victor Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales; ArgentinaFil: Becker, Leandro Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; Argentin

Diversidad de polinizadores en tres usos de suelo agrícolas del Alto Valle de Río Negro-Neuquén

La intensificación agrícola ha llevado a pérdidas en la diversidad de polinizadores porque se caracteriza por cultivar unas pocas especies vegetales, ofreciendo escasos recursos florales en el tiempo y espacio para los polinizadores en los campos. En este trabajo comparamos la riqueza (RPOL) y abundancia (APOL) de polinizadores y su relación con la riqueza (RFLO) y abundancia (AFLO) de flores y el momento de la temporada de floración en cultivos de manzana (MNZ), cultivos hortícolas (HO) y campos abandonados (AB) del Alto Valle de Río Negro-Neuquén. Se establecieron 10 bloques constituídos por 3 sitios cada uno: AB+HO+MNZ. Los datos se colectaron en primavera-2021 (floración manzanos) y verano-2022 (floración cultivos hortícolas y muchas plantas silvestres). En cada sitio se registró la RPOL y APOL mediante transectas de visualización, y la RFLO y AFLO mediante cuadrantes de 1m2. Observamos que el momento de la temporada influye en la RPOL (GLM, p<0.0001) y APOL (GLM, p<0.0001) y que su efecto varía según el uso de suelo considerado (GLM, p.RPOL =0.03, p.APOL=0.009). Tanto la RFLO como la AFLO influyen positivamente en la RPOL (GLM; p.RFLO=0.03, p.AFLO=0.046) y APOL (GLM; p.RFLO=0.002, p.RFLO<0.0001), teniendo la RFLO el efecto de mayor magnitud. En conclusión, la diversidad de polinizadores varía entre momentos de la temporada y usos de suelo, ya que estos presentan diferente disponibilidad de recursos florales en primavera y verano, y está favorecida mayormente por la riqueza que por la abundancia de flores, ya que una mayor variedad de morfologías y recursos florales atrae más polinizadores.Fil: Giovanetti Ferreiro, María Pilar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecologia y Desarrollo Rural. - Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecologia y Desarrollo Rural.; ArgentinaFil: Nabaes Jodar, Diego Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecologia y Desarrollo Rural. - Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecologia y Desarrollo Rural.; ArgentinaFil: Giustiniani, Emilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecologia y Desarrollo Rural. - Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecologia y Desarrollo Rural.; ArgentinaFil: Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecologia y Desarrollo Rural. - Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecologia y Desarrollo Rural.; ArgentinaXXX Reunión Argentina de Ecología: Nuevas Fronteras de la Ecología. Explorando los desafíos globalesSan Carlos de BarilocheArgentinaAsociación Argentina de EcologíaInstituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y MedioambienteInstituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloch

Time to integrate pollinator science into soybean production

Soybeans cover 129 million hectares globally. Soybean productivity can increase with pollinator management, but soybean cultivation practices commonly ignore biotic pollination. If pollinator habitats are created within soybean landscapes and policies to limit agricultural expansion are implemented, millions of hectares could be restored for biodiversity without loss of soybean production.Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Sede Andina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural; Argentina. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: Schulte, Lisa A.. University of Iowa; Estados UnidosFil: Nabaes Jodar, Diego Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Sede Andina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural; ArgentinaFil: Gómez Carella, Dulce Sol. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Sede Andina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural; ArgentinaFil: Kremen, Claire. University of British Columbia; Canad

Removing non-crop flowers within orchards promotes the decline of pollinators, not their conservation: A comment on McDougall et al. (2021)

Abundant and diverse floral resources are needed for the preservation of pollinator populations and the services they provide to human societies. However, pollinators are negatively affected by several agricultural practices, among which pesticide use and ‘weed’ removal stand out. McDougall et al. (2021) published a paper titled ‘Managing orchard groundcover to reduce pollinator foraging post-bloom’, where they propose removing the within-field flowering ground vegetation after the mass flowering period of the crop ends, to reduce pesticide exposure. They consider this is a bee conservation strategy, after observing it reduces the abundance and diversity of pollinators within the crop. However, despite assuming this implied a realisation of an expected reduction in pesticide exposure, this was not quantified. Here, we give three main arguments against the proposal of the authors, that is, the need for providing accessible, sufficient, safe and seasonally-spread feeding resources to crop pollinators, the potential role of diverse floral resources in their pesticide tolerance, and the urgent need to reduce pesticide use and impact in agriculture.Elena Velado-Alonso received funding from the project SHOWCASE (SHOWCASing synergies between agriculture, biodiversity and ecosystem services to help farmers capitalising on native biodiversity) within the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No. 862480.Peer reviewe

Abundance of native fishes, wild introduced salmonids, and escaped farmed rainbow trout in a Patagonian reservoir

Salmonid introduction in Patagonia has caused a notorious impact on lakes and a major impact on streams, where native fishes seem to have been displaced almost completely by rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. From another perspective, the introduced salmonid species have originated wild populations that sustain an economically important sport fishery. The wide distribution of escaped farmed rainbow trout, its high abundance, and a clear decrease in the abundance of native and successfully introduced salmonid species in the Alicura Reservoir were all observed comparing recent with 1993-1995 data corresponding to littoral gillnet captures. Therefore both, native fish and introduced salmonids seem to have been drastically reduced in the presence of farmed escapees. Present results regarding fish escapes deserve to be considered when the time comes to make decisions about cage culture in other Patagonian reservoirs.Fil: Cussac, Victor Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Becker, Leandro Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Aigo, Juana del Carmen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Conte-Grand, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Blasetti, Guillermo. Autoridad Interjurisdiccional de Las Cuencas de Los Ríos Limay Neuqu en y Negro; ArgentinaFil: Cordero, Pedro. Autoridad Interjurisdiccional de Las Cuencas de Los Ríos Limay Neuqu en y Negro; ArgentinaFil: Crichigno, Sonia Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Nabaes Jodar, Diego Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Argentin