yeping han

Tropical Animal Resources Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources (HITAR), Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Super Species Research, 2024, Vol. 14, No. 2   
Received: 02 Mar., 2024    Accepted: 08 Apr., 2024    Published: 18 Apr., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The study reveals several key findings. Honeybee pollination significantly increases the yield quantity and quality of various crops, with an average yield increase of up to 62% in some cases. However, high-density beekeeping can disrupt pollination networks, reducing the diversity of wild pollinators and impairing plant reproductive success. Honeybees also play a dual role by dispersing both beneficial microbes and common pathogens, thus influencing the ecosystem's health. Additionally, rare and declining bee species are found to be crucial for consistent pollination across large spatial scales, highlighting the importance of biodiversity. The study also underscores the multifaceted stressors affecting honeybee health, including biotic and abiotic factors, which pose significant threats to their populations. The findings underscore the indispensable role of honeybees in maintaining ecosystem functionality and agricultural productivity. However, the negative impacts of intensive beekeeping and environmental stressors on pollination networks and bee health call for sustainable management practices. Ensuring the conservation of both honeybees and wild pollinators is vital for the resilience of ecosystems and the stability of food production systems.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera); Pollination; Ecosystem services; Agriculture, Biodiversity; Crop yield; Environmental stressors; Beekeeping; Wild pollinators