Landscape conservation and orchard management influence carob tree yield through changes in pollinator communities

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307357
• Publication Date: 2025-02-14T18:39:57Z
• Authors: Carmelo Gómez-Mar...; Miguel A. Gonzále...; Indradatta deCast...; Peter Unglaub; Amparo Lázaro
• Keywords: Orchard; Ceratonia siliqua; Animal ecology

Worldwide pollinator declines are a major problem for agricultural production. However, understanding how landscape characteristics and local management influence crop production through its pollinators is still challenge. The carob tree ( Ceratonia siliqua ) pollinator-dependent Mediterranean of high economic importance in food pharmaceutical industries. To understand can be enhanced sustainable manner, we evaluated the effects (habitat loss) orchard (farming system: conventional vs. ecological; male-to-female ratio) on communities using data 20 orchards across Mallorca Island (Spain). We found that surrounded by greater proportion natural landcover received more visits wild bees butterflies fewer honeybees. Overall abundance was slightly higher ecological than orchards, but difference not significant. High ratio overall shaped composition, increasing hoverfly decreasing wasp fly abundance. Male-to-female showed hump-shaped relationships with fruit seed per female (peak at 0.7 males/female), although this quadratic relationship lost when most male-biased were removed from analyses. Total maximized 25-30% males. Seed weight (farmer’s highest value) increased conserved landscapes where prevailed, abundance; however, it decreased ratio, likely due to number-size trade-offs. Management strategies enhance may optimize sex ratios favor preserving landscapes.