The nutrition of millions of people depends on the ecosystem services of hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and other animals that pollinate the plants of numerous essential crops for human life. But habitat destruction and pesticide use are drastically reducing their populations, which triggers all the alarms.
Habitat destruction and pesticide use are causing the loss of pollinating species worldwide. This could have enormous consequences for humanity, because It threatens ecosystem services that provide food for many people and forces billions of dollars to be spent improving crop productivity.
This was expressed two years ago by an international group of experts led by the University of Cambridge (UK), which created the first global risk index for the causes and effects of drastic declines in pollinators in six regions of the world. The research, carried out with the help of local representatives, has been published in the journal. Nature Ecology and Evolution.
Bees, butterflies, wasps, insects, bats, flies and hummingbirds scatter pollen, allowing more than 75% of food crops to multiply. and flowering plants – including coffee, rapeseed and most fruits.
“These tiny creatures play a critical role in the world’s ecosystems, including many of the ecosystems on which humans and other animals depend for food. If they disappear, we would have serious problems,” says Cambridge University researcher Lynn Dicks.
extinction crisis
According to research, the three main causes of pollinator loss are: habitat destructionnext land use changes —mainly grazing, fertilizers, and monoculture—and ugeneral application of pesticides. Although the data are limited, the impact of climate change ranks fourth.
A report already published in 2016 and to which Dicks contributed,Over the last half century, there has been an increase of up to 300% in food production due to pollinators.with an annual market value of $577,000 million.
The loss of biodiversity is seen as a primary global risk to humans, as it jeopardizes not only food security but also the ‘aesthetic and cultural value’ of our planet.
“Pollinators have been a source of inspiration for art, music, literature, and technology since the beginning of human history,” the author notes. “We are in the midst of a species extinction crisis, but for many people that is intangible.. Perhaps these species are the barometer of mass extinction,” he continues.
There is also a high risk of disappearance of managed pollinators that are deliberately introduced into crop fields to improve crop yield and quality. For example, in North America, where crops such as apples and almonds are promoted, drastic declines in industrial hive populations have been observed due to disease and colony collapse.
sensitive areas
Effect of loss of pollinating species on wild plants and fruits It is seen as a serious threat in Africa, Asia-Pacific and South America., regions of many low-income countries where rural populations depend on wild-sourced foods. In fact, Latin America is the most vulnerable region.
Insect-fertilized crops such as cashews, soybeans, coffee and cocoa are crucial to the regional food supply and international trade across the continent. Likewise, native populations depend on pollinating plants and pollinating species such as hummingbirds, which are strongly rooted in their culture and history.
The Asia-Pacific region is another region of the world where this decline is considered to pose a serious risk to human well-being. China and India are becoming increasingly dependent on fruit and vegetable crops, some of which now require pollinators that require hand pollination.
Decline data in Europe
Researchers warn that not enough is known about the state of pollinator populations living in the south of the planet. Evidence for the decline comes mainly from enriched regions such as Europe (where at least 37% of bee species and 31% of butterflies have declined).. Lack of pollination and loss of biodiversity are the biggest risks for Europeans, which can affect a large number of crops such as strawberries or rapeseed.
“This study highlights how much we still don’t know about the decline of pollinators and their impact on human societies, especially in developing countries,” said co-author and researcher Tom Breeze of the University of Reading (UK).
Therefore, “more research is needed on a global scale to truly understand the problems we face and how we can solve them,” the expert concludes.
Reference work: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01534-9
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