United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Agroforestry Center

 

Date of this Version

2-2007

Document Type

Newsletter Issue

Citation

Agroforestry Notes 34, February 2007

United States Department of Agriculture, National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska

Comments

United States government work

Abstract

The European honey bee receives most of the credit for crop pollination, but the number of managed honey bee hives is half of what it was in the 1950s; and this number continues to decline primarily because of honey bee pests and diseases. Native bees, however, contribute significantly to crop pollination and, on farms with sufficient natural habitat located nearby, may even provide all of the required pollination for some crops. In order to support the native bee community, it is essential to provide nesting sites in addition to floral resources. Unfortunately, intensively managed farm landscapes often lack the untilled ground, tree snags, plants, and small cavities that native bees require for nest construction. Agroforestry practices can provide essential nesting habitat for bees, our most important crop pollinators.

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