Global effects of land-use intensity on local pollinator biodiversity

Pollinating species are in decline globally, with land use an important driver. However, most of the evidence on which these claims are made is patchy, based on studies with low taxonomic and geographic representativeness. Here, we model the effect of land-use type and intensity on global pollinator biodiversity, using a local-scale database covering 303 studies, 12,170 sites, and 4502 pollinating species. Relative to a primary vegetation baseline, we show that low levels of intensity can have beneficial effects on pollinator biodiversity. Within most anthropogenic land-use types however, increasing intensity is associated with significant reductions, particularly in urban (43% richness and 62% abundance reduction compared to the least intensive urban sites), and pasture (75% abundance reduction) areas. We further show that on cropland, the strongly negative response to intensity is restricted to tropical areas, and that the direction and magnitude of response differs among taxonomic groups. Our findings confirm widespread effects of land-use intensity on pollinators, most significantly in the tropics, where land use is predicted to change rapidly. Anthropogenic losses of animal pollinators threaten ecosystem functioning. Here the authors report a global analysis showing geographically varied yet widespread declines of pollinator diversity and abundance with land use intensification, particularly in tropical biomes.

Automated summary

Pollinating species globally are declining, driven by land use changes. Low intensity of land use can be beneficial for pollinator biodiversity, but increasing intensity leads to significant reductions in most anthropogenic land-use types, especially in urban and pasture areas. The negative impact of intensity on pollinators is particularly strong in tropical regions, with different responses among taxonomic groups.