In recent years the economic value of pollination-dependent cropshas substantially increased around the world. As a team ofresearchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research(UFZ), the Technical University of Dresden and the University ofFreiburg headed by the UFZ wrote in an article entitled "Spatialand temporal trends of global pollination benefit" in theopen-access journal PLoS ONE the value of ecological pollinationservices was around 200 billion US dollars in 1993 and rose toaround 350 billion US dollars in 2009. For the first time, the researchers were also able to show in whichregions of the world pollination plays a particularly importantrole and agriculture is furthermore particularly dependent upon thepollination carried out by animals. The researchers analysed this relationship on the basis of 60crops, such as coffee, cocoa, apples and soya beans, which aredependent upon pollination by animals, mostly insects such ashoneybees and wild bees, butterflies or bumble bees. Theseinvestigations enabled them to create a global map showing thedependence of agricultural yields upon pollination.
"We can now estimate with a high degree of spatial resolution howlarge this contribution is in many regions", says the main author,Dr. Sven Lautenbach, researcher in the UFZ Department of LandscapeEcology. Particularly countries such as China, India, the USA,Brazil and Japan greatly benefit from pollination-dependentproducts. For the first time, the researchers have analysed this effect atthe regional level: In the USA, for example, the dependence isparticularly high in California and in the corn belt in the Midwestrelatively unimportant. In Asia the northeast region of China is particularly dependentupon pollination, in Europe primarily the Mediterranean countries,such as Italy or Greece, and in Africa especially the region alongthe Nile in Egypt.
For Germany the researchers found moderatedependencies - nevertheless, in Germany as well pollination is inno way immaterial. Globally, the value of pollination-dependent agricultural products,and therefore the value of this ecosystem service, has risencontinuously. This is attributable to a significant increase inproduction quantities for pollination-dependent crops. Since 2001 the costs of production for pollination-dependent cropshave also risen significantly, indeed far faster than the prices ofnon-pollination-dependent field crops such as rice, grains ormaize.
For the researchers this is an indication that theintensification of agriculture is reflected in a global priceincrease for pollination-dependent cultures. When fields are sprayed with more pesticides, more fertilisers areapplied and valuable agricultural structural elements, such ashedges and rows of trees, are transformed into fields, the insectsvanish. Consequently, the extent of pollination is reduced, andthis is reflected in higher production prices. "We see this price increase as an initial warning signal thatconflicts could arise between the services of insect-relatedpollination and other agricultural interests", says SvenLautenbach.
For example, if such valuable habitats for insects as hedges, rowsof trees or field margin structures continue to disappear and betransformed into agricultural areas or residential areas in thecountries in which production takes place, in future the prices forcoffee and cocoa will likely rise in future. According to the calculations of the researchers, a potentialdecline of pollination could particularly affect those countries inwhich pollination-dependent crops or cultures represent asubstantial part of the gross domestic product from agriculture. This includes, for example, Argentina, Belgium, China, Ghana,Honduras, the Ivory Coast, and Jordan. The researchers have alsobeen able to show, that in countries such as Azerbaijan, Armenia,Cameroon or the Ukraine the relative dependence on theseagricultural products has increased significantly between 1993 and2009.
In countries such as Egypt, India, Jordan or Turkey, on the otherhand, the relative dependence declined during the same period. The results of the spatial analysis provide important informationfor nature conservation practice and political decisions. Thisenables the development of recommendations at the regional levelfor the protection of agricultural elements vital for the survivalof insects. Furthermore, the information could be used to set upmarket instruments such as payment for ecosystem services (PES). This instruments could for example, require users benefitting frompollination services to pay for these services.
"This couldencourage incentives for the protection of insects and theirpollination services", says Sven Lautenbach. Sven Lautenbach, Ralf Seppelt, Juliane Liebscher, Carsten F.Dormann (2012): Spatial and temporal trends of global pollination benefit. PLoS ONE. I am Pet & Products writer, reports some information about chenille throw pillow , washable area rug.
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