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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 25, 2025

In Vitro Rearing of Solitary Bees: A Tool for Assessing Larval Risk Factors

In Vitro Rearing of Solitary Bees: A Tool for Assessing Larval Risk Factors

Published on: July 16, 2018

Natural processes influencing pollinator health.

Philip C Stevenson^1,2, Hauke Koch¹, Susan W Nicolson³

¹Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Kew Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences

|May 2, 2022

Summary

Pollinator populations are declining due to human activities and natural factors. Greater attention to natural processes, like plant chemistry and landscape changes, may offer solutions for pollinator health.

Keywords:

bee microbiome floral landscape nectar and pollen chemistry pollen nutrition pollinator community pollinator health

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Environmental Science
Conservation Biology

Background:

Pollinator abundance and diversity are declining globally.
Anthropogenic impacts are a primary focus, but natural processes also significantly affect pollinator health.
Current research often overlooks the influence of natural factors on pollinator well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the critical role of natural processes in pollinator health.
To advocate for a greater focus on natural processes as potential solutions to pollinator declines.
To redefine pollinator health from an ecological, community-level perspective.

Main Methods:

Review and synthesis of research articles within a special issue on natural processes influencing pollinator health.
Analysis of examples illustrating the impact of natural factors on pollinators.
Focus on community-level ecological approaches.

Main Results:

Natural processes, including plant chemistry, nutrition, microbial associations, and landscape changes, profoundly influence pollinator health.
These natural factors can mitigate challenges posed by both anthropogenic and natural drivers of decline.
A community-level ecological approach is essential for understanding and improving pollinator health.

Conclusions:

Natural processes offer vital, yet underappreciated, mechanisms for supporting pollinator health.
Shifting focus to ecological and community-level dynamics can provide effective strategies for pollinator conservation.
Integrating natural process research is crucial for addressing the global pollinator crisis.