Pollinators and pollination in changing agricultural landscapes : investigating the impacts of bioenergy crops

Abstract

Pollinators, and the pollination services they provide, are essential for the reproduction of the majority of angiosperms, but also for a wide variety of crops. However pollinators are increasingly threatened by many human activities including land use change and agricultural intensification. A major shift in agricultural land use is beginning with the widespread promotion and cultivation of bioenergy crops as an alternative fuel source to combat climate change, with potentially major implications for biodiversity. The aim of this thesis was to examine the impacts of changes in agricultural regions, specifically the growth of bioenergy crops, on pollinators and pollination services in Ireland.