Enhancing wild bee populations with wildflowers leads to crop yield changes
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EmailBrett Blaauw, a former doctoral student of Rufus Isaacs had some of his Ph.D. research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.
Brett Blaauw, a former doctoral student of Rufus Isaacs had some of his Ph.D. research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. His paper, titled “Flower plantings increase wild bee abundance and the pollination services provided to a pollination-dependent crop,” is one of the first to test the hypothesis that enhancing wild bee populations with wildflowers leads to changes in crop yield. Brett’s paper showed significant yield increases in the Michigan blueberry fields where he worked after three seasons of the wildflowers establishing, and the value of this increase was sufficient to pay for the initial cost of the plantings after four years. Linking biology, horticulture, and economics, this study helps inform the discussion about the benefits of habitat enhancement for pollinators in agricultural systems. Brett has also developed a short instructional video on how to establish these plantings. Read more at MSU Today. Brett is currently a post-doctoral researcher at Rutgers University working with Anne Nielsen.
