Mapping the Relative Pollination Potential of Iran Using Multi-Criteria Evaluation and The Lonsdorf Model

Abstract

Since very little attention has been paid to pollination service in Iran, especially its mapping, there is little information about the areas where wild bees are present. Therefore, in this study, we used two models based on expert opinion that does not need the presence points of pollinating bees to estimate pollinating service. The Lonsdorf (Lonsdorf et al., 2009) model, simply considers the potential of land covers in providing nesting habitat and floral resources for mapping pollination services in different landscapes. In addition to considering the potential of land covers in providing pollination service, the multi-criteria evaluation model uses additional factors such as altitude, climate, roads, and rivers network. The results of the Lonsdorf model showed that the majority of Iran have a low potential for providing pollination service and only three percent of the northern and western parts of Iran have high potential. However, the results of the multi-criteria evaluation model showed that 23% of Iran has a high potential to provide pollination services that cover most of the northern and southern parts of the country. The difference in the results of the models was due to their attention to the factors affecting the probability of the presence of pollinators in Iran because the Lonsdorf model does not pay attention to factors such as altitude and climate in modeling, while these factors significantly affect the activity of bees. Therefore, the present study acknowledges the results of the multi-criteria evaluation model for pollination service mapping in Iran and emphasizes that the approach adopted in the Lonsdorf model for accurate estimation of pollination service is not complete and needs correction.

Features and Challenges of Agritourism: Evidence from Iran and Poland

“…Although agriculture contribution in GDP has declined during the last four decades (because of the economy transition into the industrial stage), it is still considered to be a key sector in the Iranian economy [46]. According to the Statistical Center of Iran [37], about 26 percent of the population lives in rural areas and they are mostly dependent on farming.…”