The pollinating network of pollinators and the service value of pollination in Hanzhong City, China

Chang, X. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7192-0396, Yan, X., Lv, F., Zhang, Y. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9964-9381, Breeze, T. D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8929-8354 and Li, X. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2285-0116 (2025) The pollinating network of pollinators and the service value of pollination in Hanzhong City, China. Insects, 16 (12). 1223. ISSN 2075-4450 doi: 10.3390/insects16121223

Abstract/Summary

Pollinating insects are the most important pollinators in nature; they pollinate vegetables, fruits, oil crops, and wild plants, so that crop yields can be increased, wild plants can live and reproduce, and human food security and ecosystem stability are maintained. To identify the pollination network of plants–insects and the pollination service value in Hanzhong City, the methods of random net capture and transect counting in field work were used. The agricultural statistical data from Hanzhong City in 2023 was combined in the analysis. The results showed that Hanzhong City is rich in pollinator resources, with a total of 80 species of pollinators and 59 species of pollinating crops and wild nectar plants. The abundant pollinator resources provide sufficient pollination services for the production of local vegetables, fruits, and oil crops. The characteristics of the pollination networks are obvious, showing the structural characteristics of low connectivity, medium nesting, and low network specialization. In 2023, the pollination service value of pollinators in Hanzhong City was CNY 3524–4878 billion, accounting for 10.02–13.87% of the city’s agricultural output value of the year. Suggestions for the protection of pollinators in Hanzhong City: Reduce the use of pesticide, support beekeeping, intercrop nectar plants, and rationally plant crops.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/127472
Identification Number/DOI	10.3390/insects16121223
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Sustainable Land Management > Centre for Agri-environmental Research (CAER)
Publisher	MDPI AG
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item