Pollination. Presentation of selected projects. Integrated management of Natural Capital: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Summary

Pollination is vital to the maintenance both of wild plant communities and agro-ecosystems. Beside the well-known, domesticated honey bee, pollinators include e.g. hover flies, butterflies, bumblebees and solitary bees. Pollinators have declined along with the intensification of agriculture.
Aarhus University investigates cause – effect relations involved in the decline of pollinators in order to assess the relative importance of different aspects of agricultural practice and land use. For instance, we investigate response patterns of wild pollinators to pesticides and develop indicators that quantify pesticide effects on flowering plants. Important challenges include interactions between man-made effects and environmental drivers such as climate change.