The loss of plant flower resources through agricultural intensification change flower-visiting communities with consequences for crop production. I will show how land use and environmental changes interact and how diverse pollinator communities can buffer pollination services using case studies like almond pollination in California and general patterns in global crop pollination analyses.

The productivity of many UK crops is dependent on insect pollinators.  We have quantified the contribution of a range of pollinators to crop yield and quality and identified where there are deficits in pollination. We have investigated the ecological and socio-economic drivers of pollination service supply to agriculture with the aim of developing mitigation practices to reduce pollination deficits.

Two landscape scale studies into insect pollinator populations are described: 1) Using a combination of molecular genetics, field studies and modelling, links between space use of bumblebees and habitat structure are investigated; 2) Using historical data and countrywide fieldwork, the links between insect pollinator populations and patterns of land management are examined.

We present findings from theoretical, laboratory and field experiments investigating the impact of emerging pathogens on honeybees and bumblebees. We focus on Deformed Wing Virus and Nosema ceranae, and report molecular analyses of contemporary virus populations, pathogen responses in hosts and marker discovery for resistance against Varroa and associated viruses

Using a multidisciplinary approach, we show that exposure to field-realistic (sublethal) concentrations of widely-used pesticides and in-hive miticides impairs bee performance at neuronal, behavioural and colony levels. Exposure to combinations of pesticides can produce more severe detrimental effects, suggesting that environmental exposure to multiple pesticides may be a significant contributor to bee population declines.

Controversy rages over the safety of neonicotinoid pesticides, in particular with regard to their impacts on bees. I discuss recent evidence which suggests that this class of pesticide may be having major and hitherto unappreciated impacts on bumblebees, probably in part mediated by disruption of their ability to navigate and gather food for the colony. 

In this study, funded by the Insect Pollinators Initiative, we are assessing the value of urban habitats for insect pollinators. We are addressing three questions: 1. Where is the UK’s pollinator biodiversity: urban habitats, farmland or nature reserves? 2. Where are the hotspots of pollinator biodiversity in urban areas? 3. How can we help conserve pollinators in urban areas?

We convened a group of conservation practitioners and scientists, including representatives from the food and farming industries, NGOs and conservation agencies, to identify the most important knowledge needs relating to conservation of wild insect pollinators in theUK. Basic pollinator ecology, economic benefits of crop pollination and impacts of pesticides emerged strongly as priorities.

Foraging bees visit a variety of crops exposing them to multiple pesticide combinations. We investigated the impact of chronic exposure to field-realistic levels of two pesticides on the behaviour and success of 40 bumblebee colonies. We found sublethal effects on foraging behaviour leading to reduced colony performance. Moreover, simultaneous exposure to both pesticides increased the propensity of colonies to fail.