Agroforestry: Sustaining Native Bee Habitat for Crop Pollination

Authors

Mace Vaughan, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Scott Hoffman Black, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Date of this Version

8-2006

Document Type

Newsletter Issue

Citation

Agroforestry Notes 32, August 2006

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

Comments

United States government work

Abstract

Over one hundred crop species in North America require a visit from an insect pollinator to be most productive. In the past, native bees and feral honey bees could meet the pollination needs of small orchards, tomato and pumpkin fields, and berry patches, because these farms were typically adjacent to areas of habitat that harbored important pollinators. Today, many farms are large and, at the same time, have less nearby habitat to support native pollinators. To ensure adequate pollination services, producers now rely on European honey bees. Research, however, shows that native bees can be important pollinators in agricultural fields as long as enough habitat is available.