Ground-nesting pollinators need better protection during their below-surface life
29 Mar 2022
Many solitary wasps and 70% of wild bees nest below ground and require protection during this long and crucial period of their lifecycle. However, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, since 2002 assigned to safeguard soil biodiversity, excludes ground-nesting pollinators by focusing on species directly providing four ecosystem services contributing to soil quality and functions. Recent research has demonstrated the extent of threats to which ground-nesting pollinators are exposed, namely chemicals, deep tillage and soil compaction. Ground-nesting pollinators contribute indirectly to soil quality and functions as 87% of all flowering plants require pollinators. Without pollinators, soil would lose all ecosystem services provided by these flowering plants e.g., litter, shadow, roots for habitats and erosion control. Above- and below-ground biota are in constant interaction. Therefore, the key-stakeholder, the Food and Agriculture Organization should protect ground-nesting pollinators explicitly within soil biodiversity conservation.
keywords
convention on biological diversity, food and agriculture organization (fao), ground-nesting pollinators, mycorrhizal fungi, pesticide, soil biodiversity