Insect pollinators decline: an emerging concern of Anthropocene epoch

Abstract

Insect pollination establishes an ecosystem service around the globe, providing compelling budgetary and creative profits along with developmental values to humans and vital eco-friendly measures for the environment. It is, therefore, essential to understand how insect pollinator populations and communities respond to rapidly changing environments if we are to maintain healthy and effective pollinator services. Although insect pollinators are known to provide ecosystem services to more than 80% of the world’s flowering plants (including cultivated crops), a steep decline (∼20–40%) in their population has created an alarming situation for global biodiversity. Threats to bee populations in recent years have increased awareness about the critical role of pollinators for life on earth, as pollinators are predicted to persist only when all animal-pollinated plant species persist. Additionally, increased usage of chemical pesticides may result in the collapse of pollinators which leads to a decrease in food resource density and also facilitates the increasing isolation of natural habitats. So, to overcome pollinators’ decline, joint efforts of all stakeholders are needed to increase their numbers on the planet. We have to cut down the use of synthetic pesticides, ban highly toxic pesticides, tackle problems related to colony collapse disorder (CCD), climate change, habitat loss and provide much-needed help to the native pollinator species to revive their natural habitats. So, this paper aims to focus on appreciating the services of insect pollinators and rescuing them from the threats leading to their extinctions which in turn will help in enhancing global food production.

Keywords:

• Crop productivity
• diversity
• insect pollination
• pesticides
• pollinators

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences and Lovely Professional University for providing research facilities and valuable suggestions on the work.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.