Ecological review highlights critical roles of bees for crops and wild flora in Europe, underscoring urgent needs for pollinator conservation.
Key Points
Assess the ecological contributions and economic importance of bees in pollinating agricultural crops and native wild flowering plants across the European Community.
Synthesized historical and contemporary survey data evaluating the dependency of European crops and wild flora on bee-mediated pollination.
Assessed the respective ecological functions and service provisions of managed honeybees and wild bee species.
Bees serve as the primary insect pollinators for numerous major agricultural crops and a substantial majority of wild flowering species across European ecosystems.
Adequate pollinator presence directly enhances crop yields and seed set, playing an indispensable role in maintaining botanical biodiversity and food production.