Across 120 publications from 19 countries, ozone pollution decreased performance of beneficial invertebrates by more than 31%, while nitrogen oxides (NOx) decreased it by 24%. The results suggest that pollution’s negative effects most likely have to do with insects’ not being able to find food, such as honeybees’ having a harder time finding nectar.
This could mean less pollination. Given that three-quarters of leading food crops depend on animal pollination, air pollution “can actually decrease crop production,” says Jeffrey Riffell, an ecologist at the University of Washington who was not involved in the meta-analysis.
Disturbing these tiny creatures can have profound consequences on human well-being. This is why researchers are trying to better understand how increasing levels of pollution have led to a communication breakdown between pollinators and plants. Through hands-on work with insects and an analysis of bouquets of floral molecules, they are starting to identify which fragrant compounds are most essential to a functional ecosystem and which ones are most at risk.
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