Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
pollination (Delaplane and Mayer, 2000). However, the total value of pol-
linators' ecosystem services at both local and larger scales is little un-
derstood. A protocol for assessing pollination deficits in crops has been
developed by FAO in collaboration with other institutions (Vaissière et
al., 2011). Experiments carried out using such protocols will identify crop
species under threat of pollination failure in different regions. Further
research focused on vulnerable species can identify actions to minimize
negative effects. A recent report published by FAO can be used as a tool
for assessing the value of pollination services at a national or larger scale,
and vulnerabilities to pollinator declines (Gallai and Vaissière, 2009).
20.6 CONCLUSION
Although concern has been raised about negative effects of climate change
on the services provided by pollinating insects, there is still a paucity of
scientific literature regarding how pollination interactions may be affect-
ed. In line with the recent review by Hegland et al. (2009), we found few
studies on this topic with respect to crop pollination. Climate change may
affect the phenology and distribution ranges of both crop plants and their
most important pollinators, leading to temporal and spatial mismatches. It
is therefore important to identify the temperature sensitivity of the most
important pollinators and their crop plants, and the environmental cues
controlling the phenology and distribution of the identified species. Long-
term monitoring of agro ecosystems and experimental assessments of spe-
cies' climate sensitivity may enhance our understanding of the impacts of
climate change on crop pollination.
KEYWORDS
•
Climate Change
•
Insect Pollinators
•
Pollination
•
Temperature Sensitivity
•
Vegetable Crops
