In the last decades, pollinators have drastically declined as a consequence of anthropogenic activities that have local and global impacts. The food industry has been expanding intensive agriculture crops, many of them dependent on animal pollination, but simultaneously reducing native pollinator habitats. Chile is a good example of this situation. Chile is becoming an agro-alimentary powerhouse in Latin America, where intensive agriculture expansion is performed at the expense of natural lands, posing a major threat to biodiversity. Here, we discussed the drivers responsible for the decline of pollinators (including habitat loss, pesticides, invasive species, and climate change) and its synergistic effects. This is particularly critical considering that Chile is a hotspot of endemic bee species locally adapted to specific habitats (e.g., Mediterranean-type ecosystems). However, there is a lack of data and monitoring programs that can provide evidence of their conservation status and contribution to crop yields. Based on our analysis, we identified information gaps to be filled and key threats to be addressed to reconcile crop production and biodiversity conservation. Addressing the local context is fundamental to undertake management and conservation actions with global impact.

On September 16, 2015, an earthquake occurred in Chile, causing a tsunami (T16S) that impacted Coquimbo Bay, where the Punta Teatinos, Elqui River Mouth, and El Culebrón wetlands are located. Changes in the flat topography produced by the T16S in these wetlands are described using Google Earth Pro v. 7.3.2.5491 and in waterbird richness, with data obtained from eBird. The richness of the accumulated species (S = 43), the similarity of the richness (analysis of conglomerates and similarity index of Sorensen) and differences between means of waterbird richness before and after T16S were analyzed statistically. The similarity in the composition of water birds before and after T16S were, Punta Teatinos (0.83), Mouth of the Elqui River (0.86) and El Culebrón (0.91), the latter was the most affected in its flat topography but showed higher similarity before and after T16S. No statistical differences in the mean of waterbird richness were found before and after T16S. The three wetlands were highly resilient. The original flat topography, the vegetation structure and the water bird richness recovered in a year. It is considered that water birds and these wetlands are resilient to disturbances.

Characterizing insect communities in pollinator-dependent crops helps determine the potential pollinator effectiveness and their effects on crop yield. Few studies have examined pollinator communities and their services to crops in South America. Furthermore, optimal sampling methods for these communities in the crop habitat have received little attention. Pan traps are one of the simplest and most widely used sampling methods to assess insect diversity. We compared different pan trap arrangements to describe potential pollinator communities in two commercial crops (blueberry and canola) in Southern Chile. We compared communities in the crops and assessed how sampling position (border or center) and pan trap color (blue, white, or yellow) affected sample composition. Species composition was significantly different between crops. Furthermore, trap color affected sample composition in blueberry, but trap position did not, whereas color had no significant effect on canola, but trap position did. In all cases, yellow pans captured the largest number of species. Hymenoptera explained most of the differences in sampling efficiency because of the differential responses across species. We suggest that pan trap assessments of the diversity in potential pollinator insects depend on crop characteristics, including planting configuration and floral morphology. Therefore, comparative studies should include pans of different colors positioned at various locations within the crop.