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Pollination is the transfer of pollen from one flower to another – is critical to fruit and seed production, and is often provided by insects and other animals on the hunt for nectar, pollen or other floral rewards.
Pollinating birds, mammals, bees, wasps and butterflies are in sharp decline worldwide, primarily because of unsustainable agricultural expansion, deforestation, pesticide use and hunting. There is compelling evidence of a reduction of pollinator richness and density at a global scale.
The majority of flowering plants are pollinated by insects and other animals (e.g., birds, mammals), with a minority depending on wind. The proportion of animal pollinated species rises from about 80% in temperate-zone communities to 95% in tropical communities.
Habitat loss, fragmentation and pesticide use from unsustainable agriculture is the main driver of decline for a considerable proportion of species among mammals, birds, and insects. However, mammal pollinators (e.g., bats) are also severely impacted by hunting for bushmeat, whereas birds can be more affected by the impacts of invasive alien species (e.g., rats). In the last 20 years, pollinating bird and mammal species are declining sharply, with more species moving toward extinction than away from it. In many parts of the world, pollinators, such as bees, wasps, and butterflies, are now rare, whereas, just 50 years ago, they used to be common or abundant. The evidence that pesticides harm pollinators is also well-documented.
Pollinators are a key component of global biodiversity and ecosystem balance, providing vital ecosystem functions to crops and wild plants. As birds, bees, bats and other species that pollinate plants are declining at alarming rate, the existence of countless plant species and commercially important crops are threatened. The production of 70% of the 124 main crops consumed by humans worldwide depends on insect pollinators, which thus provide vital benefits to human nutrition. The total economic value of wild and managed pollination services worldwide is estimated at US $515 billion.
Biodiversity, a crucial part of the Earth's life support systems, is declining with extinction rates several hundred times higher than the background rate. This has direct and indirect effects on human well being, as nature provides numerous benefits to people.
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