Urban Farm DB
Research catalogue
Database research record2022·Global

A little does a lot: Can small-scale planting for pollinators make a difference?

Philip Donkersley, Sammy Witchalls, Elias H. Bloom, David W. Crowder

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment

Urban Farm DB summary

A meta-analysis of 31 studies and a 5-year study on small pollinator habitats (30 m²) at community gardens and farms (150,000 m²) assessed the effect of pollinator planting interventions. Pollinator conservation interventions increased species richness and abundance in almost all studies, with greatest increases from hedgerows (40 m²) and herbaceous interventions (500 m²). Small interventions (∼500 m²) can significantly benefit pollinators, but only when densely distributed at a landscape level, and future research is needed on their cumulative effects.