The contribution of non-managed social bees to coffee production: new economic insights based on farm-scale yield data

摘要: Fruit set and quality of highland coffee (Coffea arabica) have been experimentally shown to be higher with bee-mediated or manual pollen supplementation than autonomous self-pollination. Based on extrapolation from these small-scale experiments, very substantial monetary values for the pollination service recently suggested. However, previous research has not included direct measurement yield at a farm level in relation pollinator activity, testing if pollinators are only limiting fruit quality, but also profit. The extrapolations experiments may subject error, because resource reallocation during development, associated enhanced pollination, was neglected, many studies were restricted single farm, validity extrapolation. Here, we investigate relationship between community flower-visiting bees 21 farms Ecuador, where is grown under tree shade. Our data show, first time farm-scale, that positively related density non-managed, social per shrub, number inflorescences shrub. revealed fourfold increase bee an 80% 800% net revenues. Consequently, our study increased generated revenues hectare, so profit when abundant.