Climate Change and Threat to Pollinators
摘要
Pollinators, including both managed species like Apis mellifera and wild pollinators such as bees, butterflies, birds, and bats, are vital for maintaining biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, and global food security. These organisms enable the reproduction of approximately 87% of flowering plants and are responsible for the pollination of 75% of major food crops. However, pollinator populations are facing unprecedented declines, with climate change identified as a significant and accelerating driver of this crisis. Rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and other climate-induced factors are disrupting the delicate relationships between pollinators and plants, leading to temporal and spatial mismatches, habitat loss, and reduced pollination efficiency. Additionally, climate change exacerbates the impacts of other anthropogenic stressors, including habitat fragmentation, pesticide exposure, and the spread of invasive species and pathogens. These disruptions have profound ecological and economic implications, as reduced pollination threatens agricultural productivity and food security, particularly in regions heavily reliant on pollinator-dependent crops. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the multifaceted impacts of climate change on pollinator behavior, physiology, distribution, and interactions with plants. It also examines the cascading effects on plant-pollinator networks and outlines adaptive strategies for mitigating these impacts, with a focus on conservation practices that enhance ecosystem resilience and ensure sustainable pollination services in a changing climate.