Pollination: Plant or maintain ground cover in orchards or vineyards

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

50%
Certainty

10%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Study locations

Key messages

Pollination (0 studies)

Crop visitation (0 studies)

Pollinator numbers (0 studies)

Implementation options (1 study): One replicated site comparison from Greece found more bee species and more deposited pollen grains in managed olive orchards, compared to abandoned olive orchards, which differed in ground cover.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated site comparison in 2001 in olive orchards on the island of Lesvos, Greece, found more bee species and more deposited pollen grains in managed orchards (with tilled soils and ground cover dominated by annual plants), compared to unmanaged orchards (without tilled soils, and with ground cover dominated by perennial plants). Implementation options: More pollen grains were found on Cistus salvifolius in managed orchards, compared to abandoned orchards (38 vs 27 grains/stigma), but similar numbers of pollen grains were found on Asphodelus ramosus (33 vs 30 grains/stigma). More bee species were found in managed orchards, compared to abandoned orchards (19 vs 13 species/site), but similar numbers of individuals were found (231 vs 122 individuals/site). Methods: Three managed orchards were compared to three abandoned orchards (1 ha each). Bees were surveyed three times/site in March–May (three transects/site, 20 minutes/transect). Pollen grains were counted on 100 plants from each of two wildflower species (Asphodelus ramosus, a tall, perennial herb, and Cistus salvifolius, an evergreen shrub, both with large white flowers), which were collected after each bee survey.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Potts S.G., Petanidou T., Roberts S., O’Toole C., Hulbert A. & Willmer P. (2006) Plant-pollinator biodiversity and pollination services in a complex Mediterranean landscape. Biological Conservation, 129, 519-529.

Please cite as:

Shackelford, G. E., Kelsey, R., Robertson, R. J., Williams, D. R. & Dicks, L. V. (2017) Sustainable Agriculture in California and Mediterranean Climates: Evidence for the effects of selected interventions. Synopses of Conservation Evidence Series. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Mediterranean Farmland

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Pest regulation: Use no tillage in arable fields Action Link	Likely to be ineffective or harmful	12	Synopsis Link