| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Kita, Cristina A.
;
Leal, Laura C.
;
Mello, Marco A. R.
Total Authors: 3
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | Apidologie; v. 55, n. 4, p. 14-pg., 2024-08-01. |
| Abstract | |
In the coming decades, the human population will grow and demand more food. Therefore, agricultural practices are expected to be intensified. Among these practices is pesticide application. However, pesticides threaten bees and, thus, crop pollination, ultimately jeopardizing our own food security. This dilemma makes precisely quantifying the magnitude of these threats urgent, so we can improve our agricultural management practices. By conducting a systematic review followed by a meta-analysis, we estimated the effect sizes of pesticide application on bees and their crop pollination service. Our results show that pesticides reduce bee survival almost five times. Even when bees survive, sublethal effects can impair crop pollination. The consequences for bee communities and their crop pollination service might not be immediately evident but can be magnified in the long-term. Finally, we conclude that conserving the vegetation surrounding crops and minimizing pesticide use are key to protecting bees and ensuring crop pollination. Moreover, the adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) protocols can ultimately contribute to solving this problem and achieving UN's sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 23/02881-6 - International School and Conference on Network Science (NetSci 2023) |
| Grantee: | Marco Aurelio Ribeiro de Mello |
| Support Opportunities: | Research Grants - Meeting - Abroad |
| FAPESP's process: | 18/20695-7 - A synthesis of the assembly rules of complex ecological systems |
| Grantee: | Marco Aurelio Ribeiro de Mello |
| Support Opportunities: | Regular Research Grants |