The association of windmills with conservation of pollinating insects and wild plants in homogeneous farmland of western Poland.

ABSTRACT: Loss of suitable seminatural habitats and homogenization of crop types have led to the population decline of pollinating insects in farmland. As these insects support crop production, many practical efforts aim to sustain pollinator diversity which is especially challenging in intensively managed and homogeneous farmland. However, there are ongoing changes of the farmland toward its multifunctionality that includes, for example, wind farm development. Windmills are often built within crops; thus, we examined if the noncropped area around windmills can be valuable habitats for wild plants and pollinating insects: bees, butterflies, and flies. Species richness, abundances, and species diversity index of plants and pollinators around windmills were similar to those found in grassland patches

SUBMITTER: Pustkowiak S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5846843 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature