Terrestrial Ecosystem Services & Biodiversity: Pollination & Pollinators

Peter G. Kevan, FRSC

University Professor Emeritus

University of Guelph

Plant Sex!

Go away ! I

want to be

autogamous

$ Billions to agriculture• 1 in every 3 bites

of food we eat!

$ value for ecosystem services … various huge estimates, but … the world would be different without pollinators … invaluable!

Migratory & Winter-

Resident Birds

• Forest seeds & fruits for

energy stores

Black bears and forest

berries

• Sows feed on berries →

gain fat (2kg/day) for

hibernation →

milk for cubs →

strong & healthy in spring:

Too few berries → …!

Shortages since the dawn of

agriculture

• Figs

• Dates

Amos of the Old

Testament: a fig-

piercer (2800 BP)

Herodotus 2500 BP

Babylonian date pollination

by hand 3700 BP

For apples in the Maritimes

Native bees (many species)

effective (J. Macoun 1923, 1924)

Insecticides problematic,

studies by W.H. Brittain

and team (1928-1932)

in Annapolis Valley, NS

Solution

John Macoun

W. H. Brittain

Honeybee husbandry

Hive deployment

Hive-mounted

pollen dispensers

Ontario Agricultural College

Nova Scotia Agricultural College

University of Manitoba

Simon Fraser University

other institutions

AAFC, Provincial Apiarists

Changes in pesticide application policies and legislation (Bees Acts across Canada, Ontario first in 1887)• Do not spray blooming crops!

Bees ActR.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 57

Spraying of fruit trees

18. No person shall spray or dust fruit trees during the period within

which the trees are in bloom with a mixture containing any poisonous

substance injurious to bees unless almost all the blossoms have fallen

from the trees. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.6, s. 18.

Alfalfa in the Canadian West

F.W.L. Sladen (1918) advocated Megachile spp. for pollination

To the 1940s, system seemed effective (Salt 1940)

High productivity of alfalfa seed leads to expansion of fields

By 1950s, problems!

Sladen

Huge alfalfa fields, no Megachilenesting habitat, except around edges

Seed Yields drop: 1000 to 15 kg/ha(Stephen 1955)

Solution

Alfalfa leafcutting

bee husbandry

G. Hobbs,

Lethbridge, AB (perfected by mid 1960s)

Gordon Hobbs

Bumblebee cultureMB Plowright & Jay 1966ON Kevan et al. 1991 BC Dogterom 1998 ON Morandin et al. 2001- 2BC Winston team 2003-4

Still air

Hand pollination• Labour costs $$$

• Reliability

• Timing

First records: Quebec, 1820s; Ontario, 1830s

Industrial growth for honey and other hive products

1891 = 145,000 colonies for 1.5 million kg of honey in Ontario

ProblemsPesticides

Diseases

Parasites

Economics

Solutions

Pesticides

• legislation, product labeling, use reduction

Diseases

• sanitation (ON Foul Brood Act 1889, 1906)

• bee breeding for resistance

Parasites

• Border closures banning import problems

Profitability

• Honey prices vs. cost of opperation

Bee breeding programs(incl. Instrumental insemination)

Selection for overwintering & honey productionResistance to tracheal mites (Nasr, 1980 on)

Resistance to Varroa mites (Nasr & Wilson 1990s)

Research centres:AAFC (Beaverlodge AB); U of Guelph; U Manitoba; Simon Fraser U.; others

Colony losses in most of Canada

• Overwintering losses: up to & over 30% of

colonies/year

• Cost = $5+ Million/year to the industry

Costs of Pest, Parasite & Disease

management rising

Pollination demands rising

Crying need for more R & D!

Maritimes & Quebec

Canadian production

• 300 Million kg/yr

Exports = $323 Million

Must be pollinated by bees

• Buzz pollination

• Wild bees (70+ species)

• Honeybees

Blueberry Pie

Ecosystem & Pesticides

• Before Fenitrothion used

against spruce budworm

Blueberry Pie

Ecosystem & Pesticides

• During Fenitrothion use

This example: New

Brunswick

Other similar

examples: Quebec,

Ontario

New Brunswick’s Blueberries, Bees, and Pesticides

Crop loss ≈ 0.7 million kg/year !

Fenitrothion

Solutions

• Litigation

• Restraining orders

• More science

Other pesticides

Other pollinators

Other plants

Other places

Disrupted ecosystem

function

Reduced pollinator

diversity and abundance

Reduced fruit & seed set

Solution

• Tighter control on forest pesticide use

• More emphasis on biocontrol

• Recognition of pollinators in forest

ecosystem function

New Brunswick blueberry story was the start of a major trend in

pollinator conservation worldwide

Est. value = $1.3 to $1.7 Billion annually

in Canada

• 300,000 colonies for hybrid canola seed

• 35,000 colonies for blueberries

• 15,000 colonies for fruit trees

• @ average $120/ colony = $42 Million in

hive rentals/year

Honey = $110 Million/year (28 Million kg)

Commodity Value (Annual) Bee value (annual)

Apples >$100 Million

Alfalfa seed >$40 Million $15 – 20 Million (LCbees)

Blueberries $400 Million

Greenhouse Tomatoes $290 Million $3.7 Million

(bumblebees)

Honey $110 Million $42 Million (hive rentals)

Just to mention a few, major crops!

What about Pollinator Shortages & Economic Impacts ?

Insect pollination has an

estimated worth for food

and fibre production of

$217 Billion/year globally

Pollinator shortage

= crop reductions =

higher price of

production =

consumer pays …

but … if prices are set internationally, Canadian farmer pays

Economics of Pollination Shortfalls

Convention on Biological Diversity

• São Paulo declaration on pollinators (1998)

• International Pollinators Initiative (FAO - 2000)

• Global biodiversity initiatives (GBIF, IABIN)

The Forgotten Pollinators Campaign (1995)

North American Pollinator Protection

Campaign (2000) (Charles was involved)

Regional & National Initiatives follow

NRCanada (1981) Pesticide Pollinator Interactions

AgCanada (1989) National Workshop, Winnipeg

Ent. Soc. Canada (1997) Pollinators & Mother Earth

Canadian at International & US meetings (1992, 1995-1999, 1998-2006)

Assessment of Canadian Legislation (2007) (Tang, Wice,Thomas & Kevan: Int. J. Biodiv. Sci. & Mgt. 3:46-55 ) (with special help from Charles)

US NRC (2007) Status of Pollinators in North America

$5 Million for 5 years NSERC funding Charles agreed to serve as 1st Board of Directors Chair

27 Institutions & 50 Scientists cooperating on:

• Wild pollinator diversity

• Managed pollinator health & sustainability

• Plant reproductive needs

Insect pollination & wind pollination

• Ecosystem function, complexity & conservation

• Predictions

Climate & land-use changes

Economics & Policy issues

Pollination intrigued Charles as multidisciplinary, practical and ecological• Environment

• Sustainability

• Economy

• Trade & Commerce

• Conservation

• National & International Human Welfare

• Major policy ramifications

• Legislation