Fecha de publicación: 14/12/2024 Fuente: ISHS (International Society for Horticultural Science) Post date: Saturday 14 December 2024
Author:
ISHS Secretariat

Insects are the primary pollinators of most wild flora and food crops around the world. However, global declines in pollinator populations threaten the provision of the ecosystem services that insects provide in both managed and natural ecosystems. Urban agricultural sites are expanding in cities, potentially enhancing sustainability by providing sources of habitat for biodiversity. Yet, the extent to which urban agriculture supports pollinator conservation in cities is poorly understood and requires further exploration. This study sampled wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) and hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) at a newly established urban farm in Bologna, Italy. Sampling was performed two years before and two years after the farm’s establishment to assess if the introduction of diverse vegetation for agriculture positively influenced local pollinator communities by providing food and nesting resources. Using observational plots and pan traps, the pollinator diversity was monitored and plant-pollinator networks were constructed to illustrate the interactions between trophic levels and the ramifications of species decline. The findings showed an increase in ground-nesting and specialist bee species following the farm’s establishment, along with the presence of rare hoverfly species. This suggests that urban agriculture could provide the green infrastructure that over time supports pollinator conservation by providing adequate areas of habitat and refuge. The results also underpin the need for greater attention to non-bee pollinators, such as hoverflies, especially in urban environments where the decline in bee populations is most pronounced. As urban agriculture harnesses environmental, economic and social value, understanding the ecosystem services that fundamentally sustain it is vital for the adoption of effective conservation strategies to provide suitable habitats for pollinators.
Agata Morelli won the ISHS Young Minds Award for the best oral presentation at the III International Symposium on Greener Cities: Improving Ecosystem Services in a Climate-Changing World (GreenCities2024) in the United Kingdom in September 2024.
Agata Morelli, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 42, 40127, Bologna, Italy, e-mail: agata.morelli2@unibo.it
The article is available in Chronica HorticulturaeTags: pollinator communitiesCategories: Young Minds Award Winners