Pollinator declines are a global concern, and agriculture sits at the center of the challenge. As farms grow more efficient and landscapes become increasingly simplified, bees, butterflies and other pollinators are losing the varied habitats they depend on. One widely promoted solution is planting native vegetation, but an important question remains -- does pollinator habitat embedded within conventional farming systems provide overall benefits if pesticides remain in the surrounding landscape?
In-depth new synthesis confirms prairie strips' value for pollinators
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The layout and structure of a prairie strip is shown within a landscape scale, illustrating below- and aboveground features. The bubbles within the crop fields represent pesticide use, including possible use of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides.
Brown belted bumble bees land on rattlesnake master in prairie planting.
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