In northeastern North America over the past 30 years, habitat destruction and man-made pollution, including pesticides, have annihilated the intimate networking between plants and pollinators. 94% loss of plant-pollinator networks were disrupted.
30% of plant-pollinator networks were completely lost, which translates to a disappearance of either plants, pollinators, or both. In 64% of network loss, pollinating insects were still present, but no longer visited the plants. The remaining 6% seemed stable.
“There are several reasons for the losses in the networks. Climate change is likely the biggest driver,” opines American ecologist Sandra Rehan. Another reason is an increase in non-native species of pollinators or plants having displaced the natives.
References:
Minna E. Mathiasson & Sandra M. Rehan, “Wild bee declines linked to plant-pollinator network changes and plant species introductions,” Insect Conservation and Diversity (29 June 2020).
“About 94 per cent of wild bee and native plant species networks lost,” ScienceDaily (16 July 2020).