Vulnerability of Crop Pollination Ecosystem Services to Climate …
225
with foods, forage, fiber, timber, firewood, biofuels and medicine. As a supporting
service, it is also necessary for maintaining populations of pollinator-dependent wild
plants [24] that subsequently provide additional ecosystem services, such as water
filtration, carbon storage, erosion control, and habitat for biodiversity [25].
Pollination services may be directly or indirectly contribute to human well-being.
It contributes significantly to the agricultural production of a broad range of crops, in
particular seeds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, fiber and forage crops (e.g., clover, orange,
apple, strawberry, cucumber, cotton, melon, squash, bean, soy and sunflower). Indirect contributions of pollination include, for example, the reproduction of much
valued timber tree species (e.g., mahogany, [26]), and plant-extracted medicines,
conservation of plant genetic diversity resources, and ecosystem resilience [27].
3 Role of Pollinators in Sustaining Agricultural
Productivity
There are 250,000–400,000 species of angiosperms (flowering plants) known worldwide, including both wild and cultivated plants. These plants play an important role in
sustaining our atmosphere, soils, and other elements of global functioning, as well as
supporting an enormous number of animals by providing food, shelter, and defense.
On the other hand, most flower visitors, in particular insect pollinators, play a key role
to fertilize these plants through cross-pollination. Thus, the loss of one partner affects
the other, which seriously affects the entire ecosystem. Unfortunately, pollination is
not considered as one of the major aspects of world food security [20]. Without pollination services, especially insect pollination services, probably our valuable crops
would require another way of pollination. Otherwise, without insect pollination services, crop productivity will be reduced, which means not providing adequate sources
of food [28]. Likewise, the scarcity of pollinator populations reduces the productivity
of food, timber and fiber plants, which lead to hunger and poverty [29]. The decline
in agricultural production can result from insufficient pollination rather than using
agrochemicals or pest infestation or other insufficient agriculture input. Pollinators
are part of very specific relationships with their plants; lack of these pollinators can
have a great impact across the natural and agriculture ecosystems. Several literatures
discussed the contribution of pollinators to our ecosystem services in terms of monetary value [30–34]. Up to now, there are no any assessments for the contribution of
pollinators and bees in particular to the agriculture production in Egypt. Still, there
is no public awareness of the importance of the pollinators and their contribution
for agricultural production. The whole concern of producers is honeybee and honey
production regardless of their main importance for crop and plant pollination. The
bees are considered one of the major insect pollinators for several crops worldwide
such as almond, berries, citrus, clover, vegetables and others.
225
with foods, forage, fiber, timber, firewood, biofuels and medicine. As a supporting
service, it is also necessary for maintaining populations of pollinator-dependent wild
plants [24] that subsequently provide additional ecosystem services, such as water
filtration, carbon storage, erosion control, and habitat for biodiversity [25].
Pollination services may be directly or indirectly contribute to human well-being.
It contributes significantly to the agricultural production of a broad range of crops, in
particular seeds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, fiber and forage crops (e.g., clover, orange,
apple, strawberry, cucumber, cotton, melon, squash, bean, soy and sunflower). Indirect contributions of pollination include, for example, the reproduction of much
valued timber tree species (e.g., mahogany, [26]), and plant-extracted medicines,
conservation of plant genetic diversity resources, and ecosystem resilience [27].
3 Role of Pollinators in Sustaining Agricultural
Productivity
There are 250,000–400,000 species of angiosperms (flowering plants) known worldwide, including both wild and cultivated plants. These plants play an important role in
sustaining our atmosphere, soils, and other elements of global functioning, as well as
supporting an enormous number of animals by providing food, shelter, and defense.
On the other hand, most flower visitors, in particular insect pollinators, play a key role
to fertilize these plants through cross-pollination. Thus, the loss of one partner affects
the other, which seriously affects the entire ecosystem. Unfortunately, pollination is
not considered as one of the major aspects of world food security [20]. Without pollination services, especially insect pollination services, probably our valuable crops
would require another way of pollination. Otherwise, without insect pollination services, crop productivity will be reduced, which means not providing adequate sources
of food [28]. Likewise, the scarcity of pollinator populations reduces the productivity
of food, timber and fiber plants, which lead to hunger and poverty [29]. The decline
in agricultural production can result from insufficient pollination rather than using
agrochemicals or pest infestation or other insufficient agriculture input. Pollinators
are part of very specific relationships with their plants; lack of these pollinators can
have a great impact across the natural and agriculture ecosystems. Several literatures
discussed the contribution of pollinators to our ecosystem services in terms of monetary value [30–34]. Up to now, there are no any assessments for the contribution of
pollinators and bees in particular to the agriculture production in Egypt. Still, there
is no public awareness of the importance of the pollinators and their contribution
for agricultural production. The whole concern of producers is honeybee and honey
production regardless of their main importance for crop and plant pollination. The
bees are considered one of the major insect pollinators for several crops worldwide
such as almond, berries, citrus, clover, vegetables and others.