Buzz beyond bees: Perennial agroecosystems support diverse pollinator communities in the Midwestern United States

Authors: ACHARYA, ROSHANI - University Of Missouri; JOSHI, NEELENDRA - University Of Arkansas; CONWAY-ANDERSON, ASHLEY - University Of Missouri

Submitted to: Environmental and Sustainability Indicators
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/13/2026
Publication Date: 3/14/2026
Citation: Acharya, R.S., Joshi, N.K., Conway-Anderson, A.C. 2026. Buzz beyond bees: Perennial agroecosystems support diverse pollinator communities in the Midwestern United States. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2026.101223.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2026.101223

Interpretive Summary: Approximately 35% of global crop production depends on pollination by insects (Eilers et al., 2011), due to the facilitation plant fertilization and seed production when pollinators visit flowers in search of nectar and pollen. While the use of pollinators to maximize crop production is an inexpensive and accessible agricultural practice (James and Pitts-Singer, 2008), the broader impact of pollinator services is considerable. A study published in 2006 estimated that the ecological services provided by insects were valued at $57 billion in the U.S., which includes dung burial, pest control, pollination, and recreation (Losey and Vaughan, 2006). Pollinators have been negatively impacted by various agriculturerelated factors, including intensive mechanization, chemical fertilizers, introduction of non-native species, climate change, and the increase of genetically modified crops (Abrol, 2012). Populations of these insects, especially wild bees, are declining globally, threatening pollinator-dependent plants (Potts et al., 2009). The decline in pollinators not only reduces crop yields but also negatively affects ecological balance (Winfree, 2010). Flower-rich habitats are essential for attracting and sustaining diverse pollinator communities, including bees, butterflies, and other insects (Holland et al., 2015). Among pollinators, bees are especially important for agricultural productivity due to their efficiency and fidelity to pollinating crops. Bees require access to a diverse array of floral resources to meet their nutritional requirements throughout development (Donkersley et al., 2017). However, current management practices in conventional agricultural landscapes, even when supplemented with targeted pollinator-friendly interventions, are insufficient to offset the fundamental resource limitations associated with monoculture systems.

Technical Abstract: Bee and non-bee pollinators are vital to global food production, but their populations are declining due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and reduced plant diversity, threatening crop yields and food security. Sustainable land management is essential, as onventional agricultural practices alone cannot support healthy pollinator populations. Agroforestry practices such as silvopasture can offer a mixture of native warm-season grasses, including forbs and legumes, which can provide a natural habitat for pollinators. However, studies assessing pollinator communities in silvopasture and woody perennial systems are lacking in the Midwestern United States. Therefore, a season-long field study was conducted to assess the pollinator abundance, species richness, and diversity in silvopasture and orchards perennial agroecosystems. A total of 31 bees and 50 non-bee pollinator species were collected. Bee abundance did not differ between agroecosystems; however, the number of non-bee insects were significantly higher in orchards compared with silvopasture. Species richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity were not significantly different between treatments for both bees and non-bee insects. Non-bee communities in silvopasture system were more evenly distributed than in orchards, while such even distribution was not observed among bee communities in either agroecosystem. These findings indicate that integrating woody perennial agroecosystems such as silvopasture and fruit orchards into agricultural landscapes can support diverse and stable pollinator communities, including both bees and non-bees. Even distribution of non-bee pollinators in silvopasture may reflect the benefits of native warm-season forages. Both systems offer complementary opportunities to enhance pollinator resilience and may help in mitigating the limitations of conventional agriculture.