Semi-Natural Habitat Patches Complement Flower Strips in Protecting Pollinators
Published:17 Aug.2021 Source:University of Freiburg
At the moment, many flower strips are buzzing and humming: cornflowers, poppies, wild carrots and many other flowers attract numerous insects. The field edges covered by these flowers typically bloom between mid-May and mid-August. Complementary habitats are needed to support pollinator insects in agricultural landscapes throughout the year. Semi-natural small structures, such as ditches, banks, hedgerows, or overgrown fences, could provide such a complement.
"Researchers have already shown many times how important natural habitats are for pollinators. Almost always, however, only large-scale structures have been researched for this purpose, for example, wide meadows or pastures. Studies on what small structures mean for pollinators and which species particularly benefit from them are rare," says Vivien von Königslöw. As a result, together with Dr. Anne-Christine Mupepele and Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein, she studied flower strips as well as semi-natural habitat patches in the Lake Constance area over a period of two years, a place in which there is a particular interest in pollinating insects due to large-scale fruit cultivation. The researchers published their results in the journal Biological Conservation.