Is pollination better predicted by bee taxonomic, phylogenetic, or functional diversity?

Background/Question/Methods

The links among biodiversity, ecosystem function, and ecosystem services have been an important area of focus in ecology. The supply of ecosystem services is often positively associated with biodiversity, but less is known about the shapes of these relationships and how they differ among different dimensions of biodiversity. Here, we fill this gap using an open-source global database on pollinators of 32 global crops, available bee phylogenies, and bee functional traits from the literature. We used ecological modeling to assess the relative importance of bees' taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity on crop pollination.

Results/Conclusions

Our preliminary results show that functional diversity better predicts crop pollination than taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity in crops with higher dependence on cross-pollination. However, taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity equally predicted yields in crops with lower dependence on visits by pollinators. These results indicate that management should focus on conserving functional diversity in agricultural landscapes dominated by pollinator-dependent crops. Further findings from this project can help refine or expand biodiversity conservation efforts while simultaneously protecting ecosystem services that benefit agriculture.