Pollinating and flower visiting insects and the management of beneficial and harmful insects and plants

Kevan P. G ., . (1986) Pollinating and flower visiting insects and the management of beneficial and harmful insects and plants. [Proceedings Paper]

Flower visiting insects were pivotal to both natural and agricultural ecosystems. The insects and plants were inextricably bound together not only through the co-evolutionary processes of pollination of angiosperms but also through the flowers providing nutrients required for insects' livelihoods. Thus perturbations in the systems of pollination had far-reaching and unexpected deleterious repercussions. In agricultural systems the use of insecticides had severely damaged both naturally occurring and introduced as in honeybees pollinator populations. More research had been directed to reducing honeybee pollinator losses due to insecticides but little attention had been paid to naturally occurring pollinators. Habitat destruction had reduced populations of native or naturalized pollinators. This had brought about unexpected reductions in commercially important crops as well as in the fecundity of natural vegetation. Weed control had also adversely affected populations of flower visiting insects. The weeds offered complementary forage for pollinators in agricultural systems. Flowers of weeds were a vital resource to a variety of insects which were biological control agents. Problems also were becoming apparent in forest exploitation in which the removal of trees reduced pollinator population below critical levels. This was particularly serious for reaforestation if the trees have great economic value yet failed to reproduce due to lack of pollinators. This introduction of nonnative pollinators was generally seen as beneficial e.g. for oil palms in Malaysia yet considered carefully lest the introduced pollinators become pests or extirpate valuable native pollinators e.g. the Africanized honeybee in South America. There was an urgent need for research in biological control and integrated pest management to recognize and involve pollination biologists and apiculturalists in planning design and execution of projects

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Abstract

Flower visiting insects were pivotal to both natural and agricultural ecosystems. The insects and plants were inextricably bound together not only through the co-evolutionary processes of pollination of angiosperms but also through the flowers providing nutrients required for insects' livelihoods. Thus perturbations in the systems of pollination had far-reaching and unexpected deleterious repercussions. In agricultural systems the use of insecticides had severely damaged both naturally occurring and introduced as in honeybees pollinator populations. More research had been directed to reducing honeybee pollinator losses due to insecticides but little attention had been paid to naturally occurring pollinators. Habitat destruction had reduced populations of native or naturalized pollinators. This had brought about unexpected reductions in commercially important crops as well as in the fecundity of natural vegetation. Weed control had also adversely affected populations of flower visiting insects. The weeds offered complementary forage for pollinators in agricultural systems. Flowers of weeds were a vital resource to a variety of insects which were biological control agents. Problems also were becoming apparent in forest exploitation in which the removal of trees reduced pollinator population below critical levels. This was particularly serious for reaforestation if the trees have great economic value yet failed to reproduce due to lack of pollinators. This introduction of nonnative pollinators was generally seen as beneficial e.g. for oil palms in Malaysia yet considered carefully lest the introduced pollinators become pests or extirpate valuable native pollinators e.g. the Africanized honeybee in South America. There was an urgent need for research in biological control and integrated pest management to recognize and involve pollination biologists and apiculturalists in planning design and execution of projects

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Bibliography 66 ref. Summary En
AGROVOC Term:	POLINIZADORES
AGROVOC Term:	INSECTOS UTILES
AGROVOC Term:	AGRICULTURA
AGROVOC Term:	INSECTOS DANINOS
AGROVOC Term:	SISTEMAS DE EXPLOTACION
AGROVOC Term:	MALASIA
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Norfaezah Khomsan
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:25
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/14438

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