Pollinators in Tropical Forests

Pollinators play a vital role in sustaining biodiversity and ensuring ecological balance, particularly in forests of tropical region. They involve in reproduction of approximately 75% of global crop plants and about 94% of flowering plant species in tropical ecosystems. Among them, bees are the most significant group, responsible for around 66% of pollination in tropical regions, facilitating the reproduction of numerous tree species across various families and genera. This chapter explores the diversity of pollinators in tropical forests, their ecological and economic importance, the threats they face, and the implications for food security. Despite their critical role, over recent decades due to habitat loss, climate change, the spread of pests and diseases, and the widespread use of chemical pesticides, pollinators are declining rapidly. However, both scientific research and traditional ecological knowledge offer a range of strategies for pollinator conservation and the restoration of pollination services essential to ecosystem resilience and sustainable agriculture.