How many pollinators are there

Allen-Wardell, G. Bernhardt, R. Bitner, A. Burquez, S. Buchmann, J. Cane, P. Cox, V. Dalton, P. Feinsinger, M. Ingram, D. Inouye, C. E Jones, K.

Kennedy, P. Kevan, H. Koopowitz, R. Medellin, S. Medellin-Morales, and G. The potential consequences of pollinator declines on the conservation of biodiversity and stability of food crop yields. Buchmann, S. The Forgotten Pollinators. Island Press, Washington, DC. Pollination of angiosperms in contrasting coniferous forests. Heithaus, E.

The role of plant-pollinator interactions in determining community structure. If everyone — home owners, local governments, national governments, and private industry — made the effort we could change the future for pollinators and secure our own.

Adding natural habitat areas into farm systems works. Farms that are closer to natural habitat produce more crop yield [ 9 ] because they attract more pollinators [ 10 ]. Adding habitat to farms systems works too — farms that have turned a potion of their fields into green space have gained back more overall yield [ 11 ]. Home owners can help too!

Home gardens can and do attract pollinators [ 12 ], and in many cases suburbs and cities have been shown to have more diverse pollinator communities than nearby wildlands [ 13 , 14 ].

Pollinator gardening near community gardens also increases urban agricultural yields [ 17 ]. If you build it, they will come and help you get bigger and better crops too! Fortunately P2 has complied planting guides that helps you select the right plant for the right spot [ 20 ].

Plant the right plants on highway rights of ways, farms, schools, home gardens, corporate landscapes and on public spaces. It really will matter for all of us. Pollinator Week days. Donate Now. Significant portions of the world's human food supply rely on the health of native pollinator populations — particularly those of bees, one of the main groups of pollinators.

But despite pollinators' vast importance, amazing diversity and frightening imperilment, these special creatures are often overlooked and misunderstood. Many people simply don't comprehend or appreciate the complex ecology of wild plant reproduction. And perhaps most importantly, we don't sufficiently value native pollinators, whose health is imperative to the health of every natural ecosystem on every continent.

The Center works to protect these ecosystems and all the species they harbor — including those that help enable them to function: native pollinators.

Here are some more pollinator facts you may not know: Many wild plants have evolved specifically to be pollinated only by beetles, or only by hummingbirds.

There are more than 20, species of bees described globally, and more than 4, of them are native to North America. This includes 46 species of bumblebees north of Mexico — and this doesn't even account for solitary bees, which are more common than either honeybees or bumblebees.

Want even more tidbits? Check out our native pollinator factsheet. The Center's Native Pollinators campaign ties together modern domestic land-use issues in the context of pollinator conservation to provide relevant information and action opportunities to supporters who are rightfully concerned about the health of native pollinators.

While working to elevate appreciation of pollinators, we're also seeking protections for individual pollinator species and their habitats. We're addressing each habitat threat outlined below on an individual basis, though it's important to note that all these threats act synergistically, increasing the damage that any one threat might do on its own.

And compounding all these threats is the overarching menace of climate change. The Center has taken strong positions against the use of dangerous pesticides — perhaps the biggest threat to pollinators — by filing a series of lawsuits to force greater safeguards for federally protected wildlife.

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