Browsing by Subject "evenness"

Pollinator abundance and diversity are declining at an alarming rate around the world, which poses a threat to ecosystem stability and human wellbeing. There are signs that growing pollination deficits are limiting agricultural yields in Finland and globally. More information is urgently needed on how changes in pollinator communities affect crop yields and how adequate pollination services could be achieved across a range of crops and locations. This study explores the effects of pollinator abundance and diversity on caraway (Carum carvi L.) pollination and yield. Caraway is partly wind-pollinated, but insect pollination has been shown to increase its yield. Flower visits of pollinating insects were monitored on 30 caraway fields in southern Finland in summer 2019. Yield samples were collected from open-pollinated plants and from control plants excluded from pollinators. Pollinator exclusion reduced caraway fruit set by 13.2% and seed yield by 39.6%. Fruit set, 100-seed weight and seed yield increased with increasing flower visitation. Pollinator species richness and Shannon index had no significant effect on the yield components, but evenness of the pollinator community had a negative effect on seed yield and the numbers of umbels and umbellets in the caraway plants. The most abundant pollinators visiting caraway were syrphid flies, non-syrphid Diptera and honeybees. Visits by syrphid flies and honeybees increased seed yield, while visits by non-syrphid Diptera, solitary bees and Lepidoptera had no significant effect on the yield components. Flower visits by beetles reduced 100-seed weight. The results show that syrphid flies provide an important pollinator service for caraway cultivation. It would be beneficial to study which syrphid fly species are the most effective pollinators for caraway and how to manage fields and farmland landscapes to increase their numbers. Relying only on managed honeybees to enhance caraway pollination may not be advisable due to their potential negative effects on wild pollinators. While increased pollinator diversity did not improve caraway pollination or yield in this one-season study, it may be important for the stability of pollinator services in long term.