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Science 21 July 2006:
Vol. 313. no. 5785, pp. 351 - 354
DOI: 10.1126/science.1127863
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Reports

Parallel Declines in Pollinators and Insect-Pollinated Plants in Britain and the Netherlands

J. C. Biesmeijer,1* S. P. M. Roberts,2 M. Reemer,3 R. Ohlemüller,4 M. Edwards,5 T. Peeters,3,6 A. P. Schaffers,7 S. G. Potts,2 R. Kleukers,3 C. D. Thomas,4 J. Settele,8 W. E. Kunin1

Despite widespread concern about declines in pollination services, little is known about the patterns of change in most pollinator assemblages. By studying bee and hoverfly assemblages in Britain and the Netherlands, we found evidence of declines (pre-versus post-1980) in local bee diversity in both countries; however, divergent trends were observed in hoverflies. Depending on the assemblage and location, pollinator declines were most frequent in habitat and flower specialists, in univoltine species, and/or in nonmigrants. In conjunction with this evidence, outcrossing plant species that are reliant on the declining pollinators have themselves declined relative to other plant species. Taken together, these findings strongly suggest a causal connection between local extinctions of functionally linked plant and pollinator species.

1 Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology and Earth and Biosphere Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
2 Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK.
3 European Invertebrate Survey–Netherlands/National Museum of Natural History Naturalis, Postbus 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands.
4 Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5YW, UK.
5 Lea-side, Carron Lane, Midhurst, GU29 9LB, West Sussex, UK.
6 Department of Animal Ecology, Bargerveen Foundation, Radboud University of Nijmegen, Postbox 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, Netherlands.
7 Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Bornesteeg 69, 6708 PD Wageningen, Netherlands.
8 Umweltforschungszentrum–Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, Community Ecology (Biozönoseforschung), Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j.c.biesmeijer{at}leeds.ac.uk

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)