Plants and pollinators that have survived the impacts of agriculture intensification are more likely to survive future environmental changes, new research suggests.

Researchers at the University of Reading's Center for Ecology and Hydrology surveyed 30 million records of pollinator-plant interactions collected by citizen scientists over the last 30 years. The analysis revealed pollinator-plant communities, or ecological networks, vary across different landscapes.

Across landscapes with higher concentrations of farmed acreage, scientists found hardier weeds like thistles and bramble persist in greater numbers than elsewhere. Similar agricultural regions are also home to larger concentrations of generalist pollinators, like bumblebees.

In effect, industrial farms have mostly weeded out the most vulnerable species. What remains are ecological networks consisting of more adaptive and resilient species.

"We think that the plants and pollinators that remain in these landscapes represent the toughest species that can handle the stresses of intensive agriculture -- the vulnerable ones are already long gone," Reading researcher John Redhead said in a news release.

"This means that they're also able to cope with many future changes, so although we hear about reported declines our wildlife, this may buy conservationists some time before we start to see the remaining plants and pollinators in agricultural areas really suffer," Redhead said.

Redhead and his colleagues identified several species that have suffered as agriculture has expanded, including pollinators like shrill carder bees and brown banded carder bees, as well as flowers like corn marigold and horseshoe vetch.

Scientists say important conservation work must still be done to ensure species pushed out by agriculture have places of refuge.

And despite their adaptive qualities, even hardier species that remain in agricultural regions will need help to survive climate change.

"It is good news that the catastrophic loss of all species is less likely, but we still need to work hard to restore biodiversity to give these ecosystems the best chance under growing threats of climate change and pollution," said Tom Oliver, professor at the University of Reading.

Oliver, Redhead and their colleagues published their findings this week in the journal Ecology Letters.

Related Links
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Wild animals were routinely captured and traded in ancient Mesoamerica
Washington DC (SPX) Sep 18, 2018
New evidence from the Maya city of Copan, in Honduras, reveals that ancient Mesoamericans routinely captured and traded wild animals for symbolic and ritual purposes, according to a study published September 12, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Nawa Sugiyama from George Mason University, Virginia, USA, and colleagues. Ancient Mesoamerican cultures used wild animals such as puma and jaguar for many purposes, including in symbolic displays of status and power, as subjects of ritual sacrif ... read more