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. 2012;7(5):e37235.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037235. Epub 2012 May 22.

Insect pollinated crops, insect pollinators and US agriculture: trend analysis of aggregate data for the period 1992-2009

Nicholas W Calderone  1
Affiliations

Insect pollinated crops, insect pollinators and US agriculture: trend analysis of aggregate data for the period 1992-2009

Nicholas W Calderone. PLoS One. 2012.

Abstract

In the US, the cultivated area (hectares) and production (tonnes) of crops that require or benefit from insect pollination (directly dependent crops: apples, almonds, blueberries, cucurbits, etc.) increased from 1992, the first year in this study, through 1999 and continued near those levels through 2009; aggregate yield (tonnes/hectare) remained unchanged. The value of directly dependent crops attributed to all insect pollination (2009 USD) decreased from $14.29 billion in 1996, the first year for value data in this study, to $10.69 billion in 2001, but increased thereafter, reaching $15.12 billion by 2009. The values attributed to honey bees and non-Apis pollinators followed similar patterns, reaching $11.68 billion and $3.44 billion, respectively, by 2009. The cultivated area of crops grown from seeds resulting from insect pollination (indirectly dependent crops: legume hays, carrots, onions, etc.) was stable from 1992 through 1999, but has since declined. Production of those crops also declined, albeit not as rapidly as the decline in cultivated area; this asymmetry was due to increases in aggregate yield. The value of indirectly dependent crops attributed to insect pollination declined from $15.45 billion in 1996 to $12.00 billion in 2004, but has since trended upward. The value of indirectly dependent crops attributed to honey bees and non-Apis pollinators, exclusive of alfalfa leafcutter bees, has declined since 1996 to $5.39 billion and $1.15 billion, respectively in 2009. The value of alfalfa hay attributed to alfalfa leafcutter bees ranged between $4.99 and $7.04 billion. Trend analysis demonstrates that US producers have a continued and significant need for insect pollinators and that a diminution in managed or wild pollinator populations could seriously threaten the continued production of insect pollinated crops and crops grown from seeds resulting from insect pollination.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The author has declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Historical estimates of the value of honey bees to US agriculture.
1Includes both directly dependent crops (apples, almonds, cherries, oranges, squash, vegetable and legume seeds, etc.) and indirectly dependent crops (field crops and vegetables); 2present study.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Estimates for the US population.
Predicted values (pink) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation. Predicted – structural values (blue) are based solely on the structural elements of the model.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Total hectares in farms in the United States.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Value of cropland (2009 USD/hectare) in the United States.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Number of hectares of directly dependent crops in the United States.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DD = directly dependent.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Hectares of directly dependent crops as a percentage of total hectares in farms.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DD = directly dependent.
Figure 7
Figure 7. Number of hectares of indirectly dependent crops in the United States.
Predicted values (pink) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation. Predicted – structural values (blue) are based solely on the structural elements of the model. ID = indirectly dependent.
Figure 8
Figure 8. Hectares of indirectly dependent crops as a percentage of total hectares in farms.
Predicted values (pink) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation. Predicted – structural values (also blue) are based solely on the structural elements of the model. ID = indirectly dependent.
Figure 9
Figure 9. Total production (tonnes) of directly dependent crops.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DD = directly dependent.
Figure 10
Figure 10. Total production (tonnes) of indirectly dependent crops.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. ID = indirectly dependent.
Figure 11
Figure 11. Yield of directly dependent crops.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DD = directly dependent.
Figure 12
Figure 12. Yield of indirectly dependent crops.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. ID = indirectly dependent.
Figure 13
Figure 13. Hectares of directly dependent crops per person in the United States.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DD = directly dependent.
Figure 14
Figure 14. Tonnes of directly dependent crops per person in the United States.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DD = directly dependent.
Figure 15
Figure 15. Hectares of indirectly dependent crops per person in the United States.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. ID = indirectly dependent.
Figure 16
Figure 16. Tonnes of indirectly dependent crops per person in the United States.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. ID = indirectly dependent.
Figure 17
Figure 17. Total value of directly dependent crops.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DD = directly dependent.
Figure 18
Figure 18. Total value of indirectly dependent crops.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DID = indirectly dependent.
Figure 19
Figure 19. Value of directly dependent crops attributed to insect pollination.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DD = directly dependent.
Figure 20
Figure 20. Value of indirectly dependent crops attributed to insect pollination.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. ID = indirectly dependent.
Figure 21
Figure 21. Value of directly dependent crops attributed to honey bees (A. mellifera).
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DD = directly dependent.
Figure 22
Figure 22. Value of indirectly dependent crops attributed to honey bees (A. mellifera).
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. ID = directly dependent.
Figure 23
Figure 23. Value of indirectly dependent crops attributed to alfalfa leafcutter bees (M. rotundata).
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. ID = indirectly dependent.
Figure 24
Figure 24. Value of directly dependent crops attributed to other insects.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. DD = directly dependent.
Figure 25
Figure 25. Value of indirectly dependent crops attributed to other insects.
Predicted values (blue) include adjustments for serial autocorrelation and are the same as the predicted – structural values (also blue) based solely on the structural elements of the model. ID = indirectly dependent.
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