A new study has found that air pollution is preventing pollinators finding flowers because it degrades the scent.

Ground-level ozone alters floral odors, reducing honeybees’ ability to recognize scents by up to 90%, impacting pollination and potentially affecting food production and biodiversity.

A research team comprising the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the Universities of Birmingham, Reading, Surrey and Southern Queensland, found that ozone substantially changes the size and scent of floral odour plumes given off by flowers, and that it reduced honeybees’ ability to recognise odours by up to 90% from just a few metres away.

The implications of this research are substantial. Honeybees, along with other pollinators, play a vital role in pollinating many plant species, including those that provide human food sources. Any disruption in their ability to locate and interact with flowers can have cascading effects on ecosystems, agricultural productivity, and biodiversity.

Efforts to reduce ground-level ozone pollution are crucial to protect not only honeybees but also the broader environment. Strategies may include reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, improving air quality regulations, and promoting sustainable land use and transportation practices to minimize ozone formation. Such measures are essential for ensuring the health and resilience of pollinator populations and the ecosystems they support.

The findings indicating that ozone negatively affects floral odors and honeybee foraging abilities have important implications for both wildflower abundance and crop yields. Here’s how ozone can impact these aspects:

1. Wildflower Abundance: Wildflowers often rely on pollinators like bees for their reproduction. When honeybees and other pollinators have difficulty finding and foraging on wildflowers due to ozone-induced changes in floral odors, it can reduce the pollination success of these plants. This, in turn, can lead to lower wildflower abundance, affecting the overall biodiversity of ecosystems.
2. Crop Yields: Ozone is known to have detrimental effects on plant growth and crop production. Elevated levels of ground-level ozone can damage plant tissues, reduce photosynthesis, and limit the overall productivity of agricultural crops. If honeybees and other pollinators are also facing challenges due to ozone, it can compound the negative impact on crop yields. Reduced pollination can result in lower fruit and seed set for many crops, ultimately leading to decreased agricultural productivity.

This research underscores the interconnectedness of the environment, with air pollution affecting not only plants directly but also the animals that rely on them for food and habitat. It highlights the importance of addressing air quality issues, including ground-level ozone pollution, to safeguard both natural ecosystems and agricultural systems.

Efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of ozone on wildflowers, crop yields, and pollinators may include:

• Implementing air quality regulations to reduce ozone precursor emissions from industrial and transportation sources.
• Developing ozone-tolerant crop varieties through breeding and biotechnology.
• Promoting sustainable agricultural practices that support pollinator populations.
• Creating and preserving natural habitats that provide food and shelter for pollinators.

Addressing these challenges requires a multidisciplinary approach that combines air quality management, agriculture, and conservation efforts to protect both the environment and food production systems from the harmful effects of ozone pollution.

Dr. Ben Langford’s statement underscores the critical importance of pollinators like insects and the services they provide to both natural ecosystems and human agriculture. Pollination is essential for the reproduction of many plant species, including food crops, and it directly impacts the production of various goods, from food to textiles and medicines.

The research conducted by Dr. Langford and the team, using a wind tunnel to study the effects of ozone on floral odor plumes, sheds light on how air pollution can disrupt the intricate relationship between plants and pollinators.

Understanding the adverse effects of ozone on pollination is essential for maintaining and preserving pollination services. With a significant percentage of our food crops and wild flowering plants relying on animal pollination, any disruption in this process can have far-reaching consequences for food security and ecosystem health.

The research highlights that ozone not only changes the scent of floral odor plumes but also reduces their size. This means that pollinators like bees may have a harder time detecting and navigating toward flowers when ozone levels are elevated. This can reduce their foraging efficiency and the likelihood of successful pollination.

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The study also reveals that ozone can lead to substantial chemical changes in the scent of floral odor plumes. Some compounds within the scent may react away more quickly than others in the presence of ozone. This can alter the overall composition of the scent and potentially make it less recognizable or attractive to pollinators.

These findings further emphasize the importance of addressing air pollution, particularly ground-level ozone, to protect not only the health of pollinators but also the broader ecosystem services they provide. Reducing air pollutant emissions and improving air quality can help mitigate the negative impacts on plant-pollinator interactions, ultimately benefiting agriculture, biodiversity, and human well-being.

The study’s findings regarding the impact of ozone on honeybee recognition of floral odors and their ability to locate specific flowers are significant.

Honeybees were trained to recognize a specific floral odor blend. This training is important because pollinating insects, like honeybees, often associate the unique blend of chemical compounds in a flower’s scent with the amount of nectar it provides. This association helps them find the same species of flower in the future.

The study found that as honeybees moved further away from the source of the floral odor plume (6 meters and 12 meters), their ability to recognize the odor declined. At the center of the plume, 52% of honeybees could still recognize the odor at 6 meters, but this decreased to 38% at 12 meters. At the plume’s edge, where degradation was faster, only 32% of honeybees recognized the odor from 6 meters away, and just a small fraction recognized it from 12 meters away.

The research suggests that ozone’s effects on floral odors can extend to other odor-controlled behaviors in insects. This could include activities such as attracting mates, which often rely on specific chemical cues. If ozone alters the composition and detectability of these chemical cues, it can disrupt various aspects of an insect’s life cycle, including reproduction and foraging.

Overall, these findings provide insights into the broader ecological consequences of air pollution, particularly ground-level ozone, on insect pollinators like honeybees. Disruptions in their ability to recognize and respond to floral odors can have cascading effects on plant-pollinator interactions, ecosystem health, and agricultural productivity.

Efforts to mitigate the impact of ozone on insect pollinators should consider not only the direct effects on foraging but also the potential consequences for other crucial behaviors in their life cycle. This research underscores the importance of addressing air quality issues to protect both natural ecosystems and the agricultural systems that rely on pollinators.

The funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for this research highlights the recognition of the importance of understanding the impact of air pollution on ecosystems and biodiversity. The publication of this research in the journal Environmental Pollution provides valuable insights into the effects of air pollution, specifically ground-level ozone, on pollinators like bees and their crucial role in ecosystems.

Professor Christian Pfrang’s concluding remarks emphasize the urgency of addressing air pollution to protect not only human health but also biodiversity and food production.

The research findings serve as a clear demonstration of how air pollution, including ozone, hinders the ability of pollinating insects like bees to carry out their essential role. This impact on pollinators can have far-reaching consequences for food production and biodiversity.

Professor Pfrang’s statement serves as a call to action to address air pollution and its detrimental effects. Recognizing the harm it poses to ecosystems, food security, and the climate underscores the need for proactive measures to reduce air pollutant emissions and improve air quality.

By taking action on air pollution, society can help safeguard not only food production but also the diversity of plant and animal species that rely on pollinators for reproduction. This is crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems and ensuring the availability of food resources.

The research funded by NERC and published in Environmental Pollution contributes to the growing body of knowledge about the environmental impacts of air pollution. It serves as a reminder that addressing air quality concerns is essential for the well-being of both ecosystems and human societies, reinforcing the interconnectedness of environmental and public health issues.

Source:

University of Birmingham via Technology Networks

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