JRS
| Integrative modelling to understand pollination services across agricultural landscapes | ||
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Pollinator declines raise concern globally given the dependence of >70% of crops on pollinators. In South Africa (SA), pollination limitation is widespread, already documented for different crops. Improving flower visitation by wild pollinators could therefore substantially decrease yield gaps, while simultaneously delivering the conservation of important biodiversity. However, currently we lack basic knowledge on (i) the identity of the wild pollinator species that visit different crops, (ii) their efficiency, (iii) their responses to landscape characteristics and (iv) the spatial match or mismatch between source areas of pollinators and croplands. This stems from knowledge gaps in our taxonomic system, lack of empirical tests of pollination efficiencies and responses to land use, and the absence of models designed specifically for South Africa (SA) settings. |
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Here, we propose to create a partnership of
international and SA researchers as well as stakeholders and other end] users, to 1) understand the nature of available
data on crop pollination, 2) develop conceptual models tailored to the SA
context 3) involve non]academic end]users in charge of making decisions rearding land
use change and 4) understand the level of bioinformatics literacy and logistics
currently present in SA. Our goal is to develop an improved Project Plan and
Budget and Grant Proposal, which will serve to create customizable pollination
service models for SA together with the local expertise to modify and improve
them through time. In the long]term our objective is
to gtransferh the edition of these models to local collaborators
while maintaining collaboration with them to continue to produce dynamic
ecosystem service models.
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Start date: 2020-06-30 |
End date: 2020-11-30 |
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Call: 2019_JRS |
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Key people involved in BC3: |
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Aquacross website: http://aquacross.eu/ |
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| Funder: JRS Biodiversity
Foundation |
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