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The city as a refuge for insect pollinators |
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| Authors: | Damon M Hall Gerardo R Camilo Rebecca K Tonietto Jeff Ollerton Karin Ahrné Mike Arduser John S Ascher Katherine C R Baldock Robert Fowler Gordon Frankie Dave Goulson Bengt Gunnarsson Mick E Hanley Janet I Jackson Gail Langellotto David Lowenstein Emily S Minor Stacy M Philpott Simon G Potts Muzafar H Sirohi Edward M Spevak Graham N Stone Caragh G Threlfall |
| Affiliation: | 1. Center for Sustainability, Saint Louis University, Des Peres Hall, U.S.A.;2. Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, U.S.A.;3. Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Northampton, U.K.;4. Swedish Species Information Centre‐ArtDatabanken, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden;5. Missouri Department of Conservation, U.S.A.;6. Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore;7. Biological Sciences & Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, U.K.;8. School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, U.K.;9. Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California Berkeley, U.S.A.;10. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden;11. School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, U.K.;12. Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, U.S.A.;13. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois‐Chicago, U.S.A.;14. Environmental Studies, University of California, U.S.A.;15. Centre for Agri‐Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, U.K.;16. WildCare Institute Center for Native Pollinator Conservation, IUCN SSC Bumblebee Specialist Group, Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, U.S.A.;17. Institute of Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, The Kings Buildings, U.K.;18. Green Infrastructure Research Group, The University of Melbourne, Australia |
| Abstract: | Research on urban insect pollinators is changing views on the biological value and ecological importance of cities. The abundance and diversity of native bee species in urban landscapes that are absent in nearby rural lands evidence the biological value and ecological importance of cities and have implications for biodiversity conservation. Lagging behind this revised image of the city are urban conservation programs that historically have invested in education and outreach rather than programs designed to achieve high‐priority species conservation results. We synthesized research on urban bee species diversity and abundance to determine how urban conservation could be repositioned to better align with new views on the ecological importance of urban landscapes. Due to insect pollinators’ relatively small functional requirements—habitat range, life cycle, and nesting behavior—relative to larger mammals, we argue that pollinators put high‐priority and high‐impact urban conservation within reach. In a rapidly urbanizing world, transforming how environmental managers view the city can improve citizen engagement and contribute to the development of more sustainable urbanization. |
| Keywords: | communication conservation planning ecosystem services funding and philanthropy governance politics and policy sustainability science urban ecology ciencia de la sustentabilidad comunicació n ecologí a urbana financiamiento y filantropí a gobernanza planeació n de la conservació n polí ticas y leyes servicios ambientales |
