Insect diversity boosts longterm stability of crop pollination services

March 17 (UPI) -- Farms surrounded by a greater diversity of insect populations benefit from more stable, reliable pollination services, according to a new study.

In a first-of-its-kind study, published Wednesday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, scientists measured insect diversity and pollination rates, over a period of several years, on farms across the globe.

At hundreds of farms and field sites, located in 12 different countries, scientists observed the abundance of bees, hoverflies, butterflies and beetles in relation to 21 different crop species.

On farms with a healthy diversity of pollinator species, crops experienced fewer year-to-year fluctuations in pollination services. For farmers, when a particularly bad year can yield insurmountable hardship, stability is vital.

"Most previous research into pollinator stability has focused on space, not time," lead study author Deepa Senapathi, an ecologist at the University of Reading in Britain, said in a press release. "However, year-to-year variations in pollination services cause boom and bust cycles in crop harvests, which can have a damaging impact on agriculture and livelihoods globally."

"Stable and consistent pollination services are therefore important in underpinning businesses and livelihoods, as well as providing a reliable supply of food for retailers and consumers," Senapathi said.

Several studies have shown that habitat with a greater diversity of plants host healthier, more diverse pollinator populations.

To promote pollinator diversity and pollination stability, researchers suggest farmers must alter their land management decisions to promote greater vegetation diversity -- perhaps, by allowing more fields to periodically go fallow.

Pollinators aren't just essential for crops, they also support the reproduction of 78 percent of wild plants. Studies suggest wild pollinator populations are declining in Europe and North America -- bad news for both crops and wild plant diversity.

Creating healthier environs for a diversity of pollinator species, according to the study's authors, could help both stabilize crop production and bolster the health of wild plant communities.