The city as a refuge for insect pollinators.
Research on urban insect pollinators is changing views on the biological value and ecological importance of cities. The abundance and diversity of native bee species in urban landscapes that are absent in nearby rural lands evidence the biological value and ecological importance of cities and have implications for biodiversity conservation. Lagging behind this revised image of the city are urban conservation programs that historically have invested in education and outreach rather than programs designed to achieve high-priority species conservation results. We synthesized research on urban bee species diversity and abundance to determine how urban conservation could be repositioned to better align with new views on the ecological importance of urban landscapes. Due to insect pollinators' relatively small functional requirements-habitat range, life cycle, and nesting behavior-relative to larger mammals, we argue that pollinators put high-priority and high-impact urban conservation within reach. In a rapidly urbanizing world, transforming how environmental managers view the city can improve citizen engagement and contribute to the development of more sustainable urbanization.
Center for Sustainability, Saint Louis University, Des Peres Hall, 203E; 3694 West Pine Mall; St. Louis, MO 63108, U.S.A.
Damon M
DM
Hall
Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103, U.S.A.
Gerardo R
GR
Camilo
Center for Sustainability, Saint Louis University, Des Peres Hall, 203E; 3694 West Pine Mall; St. Louis, MO 63108, U.S.A.
Rebecca K
RK
Tonietto
Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Northampton, Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7AL, U.K.
Jeff
J
Ollerton
Swedish Species Information Centre-ArtDatabanken, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7007, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
Karin
K
Ahrné
Missouri Department of Conservation, 2360 Highway D, St. Charles, MO 63304, U.S.A.
Mike
M
Arduser
Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
John S
JS
Ascher
Biological Sciences & Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, U.K.
Katherine C R
KC
Baldock
School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Sussex, BN 1 9QG, U.K.
Robert
R
Fowler
Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A.
Gordon
G
Frankie
School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Sussex, BN 1 9QG, U.K.
Dave
D
Goulson
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 100, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
Bengt
B
Gunnarsson
School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, U.K.
Mick E
ME
Hanley
Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Northampton, Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7AL, U.K.
Janet I
JI
Jackson
Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, 2750 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, U.S.A.
Gail
G
Langellotto
Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, 2750 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, U.S.A.
David
D
Lowenstein
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois-Chicago, SES 3346, M/C 066, 845 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607, U.S.A.
Emily S
ES
Minor
Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Mailstop: ENVS, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, U.S.A.
Stacy M
SM
Philpott
Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, U.K.
Simon G
SG
Potts
Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Northampton, Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7AL, U.K.
Muzafar H
MH
Sirohi
WildCare Institute Center for Native Pollinator Conservation, IUCN SSC Bumblebee Specialist Group, Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110, U.S.A.
Edward M
EM
Spevak
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, The Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, U.K.
Graham N
GN
Stone
Green Infrastructure Research Group, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Victoria 3010, Australia.
Caragh G
CG
Threlfall
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees; D044822:Biodiversity; D002947:Cities; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D007313:Insecta; D008322:Mammals; D014507:Urbanization
ciencia de la sustentabilidad; communication; comunicación; conservation planning; ecología urbana; ecosystem services; financiamiento y filantropía; funding and philanthropy; gobernanza; governance; planeación de la conservación; politics and policy; políticas y leyes; servicios ambientales; sustainability science; urban ecology