Las razones de por qué Chile debe detener la importación del abejorro comercial Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus) y comenzar a controlarlo

Social insects, i.e. ants, bees, wasps and termites, are key components of ecological communities, and are important ecosystem services (ESs) providers. Here, we review the literature in order to (i) analyse the particular traits of social insects that make them good suppliers of ESs; (ii) compile and assess management strategies that improve the services provided by social insects; and (iii) detect gaps in our knowledge about the services that social insects provide. Social insects provide at least 10 ESs; however, many of them are poorly understood or valued. Relevant traits of social insects include high biomass and numerical abundance, a diversity of mutualistic associations, the ability to build important biogenic structures, versatile production of chemical defences, the simultaneous delivery of several ESs, the presence of castes and division of labour, efficient communication and cooperation, the capacity to store food, and a long lifespan. All these characteristics enhance social insects as ES providers, highlighting their potential, constancy and efficiency as suppliers of these services. In turn, many of these traits make social insects stress tolerant and easy to manage, so increasing the ESs they provide. We emphasise the need for a conservation approach to the management of the services, as well as the potential use of social insects to help restore habitats degraded by human activities. In addition, we stress the need to evaluate both services and disservices in an integrated way, because some species of social insects are among the most problematic invasive species and native pests. Finally, we propose two areas of research that will lead to a greater and more efficient use of social insects as ES providers, and to a greater appreciation of them by producers and decision‐makers.

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“…•Bees: mentioned in religious stories, Bombus dahlbomii in Mapuche culture (Preston, 2006; Smith‐Ramírez et al ., 2018).…”

Section: Overview and Value Of Ecosystem Services Provided By Social mentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

et al. 2020

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“…B. dahlbomii was a source of medicinal honey and considered a sacred being by Mapuche, one of the First Nations people of Chile [230]. Scientists have demonstrated that Introduced bumblebee species are displacing native B. dahlbomii in Chile and Argentina, colonizing natural areas in most of the southern cone of South America, and have urged authorities to ban the imports of these IA-managed pollinators [231,232]. Even though this is a concerning situation, government policy still allows the importation of buff-tailed bumblebees for IA crop pollination in Chile [231].…”

Section: Managed Pollinatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scientists have demonstrated that Introduced bumblebee species are displacing native B. dahlbomii in Chile and Argentina, colonizing natural areas in most of the southern cone of South America, and have urged authorities to ban the imports of these IA-managed pollinators [231,232]. Even though this is a concerning situation, government policy still allows the importation of buff-tailed bumblebees for IA crop pollination in Chile [231]. In the Mediterranean region of central Chile, a bee biodiversity hotspot [65], avocado orchards have been recorded to be profusely visited by managed A. mellifera, while five native bees species have also been reported visiting this crop [233].…”

Section: Managed Pollinatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agroecological Strategies to Safeguard Insect Pollinators in Biodiversity Hotspots: Chile as a Case Study

et al. 2021

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Industrial agriculture (IA) has been recognized among the main drivers of biodiversity loss, climate change, and native pollinator decline. Here we summarize the known negative effects of IA on pollinator biodiversity and illustrate these problems by considering the case of Chile, a “world biodiversity hotspot” (WBH) where food exports account for a considerable share of the economy in this country. Most of Chile’s WBH area is currently being replaced by IA at a fast pace, threatening local biodiversity. We present an agroecological strategy for sustainable food production and pollinator conservation in food-producing WBHs. In this we recognize native pollinators as internal inputs that cannot be replaced by IA technological packages and support the development of agroecological and biodiversity restorative practices to protect biodiversity. We suggest four fundamental pillars for food production change based on: (1) sharing the land, restoring and protecting; (2) ecological intensification; (3) localized knowledge, research, and technological development; and (4) territorial planning and implementation of socio-agroecological policies. This approach does not need modification of native pollination services that sustain the world with food and basic subsistence goods, but a paradigm changes where the interdependency of nature and human wellbeing must be recognized for ensuring the world’s food security and sovereignty.

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“…B. dahlbomii was a source of medicinal honey and considered a sacred being by Mapuche, one of the First Nations people of Chile 230 . Scientists have demonstrated that Introduced bumblebee species are displacing native B. dahlbomii in Chile and Argentina, colonizing natural areas in most of the southern cone of South America, and have urged authorities to ban the imports of these IA-managed pollinators 231,232 .…”

Section: Managed Pollinatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even though this is a concerning situation, government policy still allows the importation of bufftailed bumblebees for IA crop pollination in Chile 231 .…”

Section: Managed Pollinatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agroecological Strategies to Safeguard Insect Pollinators in Biodiversity Hotspots: Chile as a Case Study

Henríquez-Piskulich¹,

Schapheer²,

Vereecken³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Industrial agriculture (IA) is the predominant model of food production since the Green Revolution in the 1950s. IA has been recognized among the main drivers of biodiversity loss, climate change and native pollinator decline. This is controversial, given that native agricultural pollinators are an important resource biota already contributing to crop yield, especially in areas defined as "world biodiversity hotspots” (WBH). These areas often overlap with agricultural zones hosting a significant proportion of cultivated land, mainly through intensive agricultural practices. Pollinator biodiversity and pollination services in these places are currently under threat due to the negative consequences of IA. The dual role of insects as key players allowing the maintenance of the natural ecosystem, as well as main crop pollinators, is particularly exacerbated and urgently requires conservation actions in WBH and food-producing zones. Here we summarize the known negative effects of IA on pollinator biodiversity and illustrate these problems by considering the case of Chile. Food exports represent a considerable part of the economy in this OECD “developing country” in the “Global South”, and a large part of its surface has been highlighted as a unique WBH. This area is currently being replaced by IA businesses at a fast pace, threatening local biodiversity. We present agroecological strategies for sustainable food production and pollinator conservation in food-producing WBHs like Chile. These alternatives recognize native pollinators as internal inputs that cannot be replaced by IA technological packages or external inputs and support the development of agroecological and biodiversity restoration practices to protect their existing biodiversity. We suggest a strategy that integrates four fundamental pillars for producing food in a sustainable way, recognizing biodiversity and local cultural heritage: 1) Share the land, restore and protect; 2) Ecological intensification; 3) Localized knowledge, research and technological development; and 4) Territorial planning and implementation of socio-agroecological policies. We suggest that this approach does not need greater modification of native pollination services that sustain the world with food and basic subsistence goods, but a paradigm change where the interdependency of nature and human wellbeing are recognized for ensuring the present and future of the world’s food security and sovereignty as well as considering the reduction of consumerism and food waste.

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Las razones de por qué Chile debe detener la importación del abejorro comercial Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus) y comenzar a controlarlo

Cited by 23 publications

References 30 publications

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

Agroecological Strategies to Safeguard Insect Pollinators in Biodiversity Hotspots: Chile as a Case Study

Agroecological Strategies to Safeguard Insect Pollinators in Biodiversity Hotspots: Chile as a Case Study

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