Three essential criteria for preliminary site assessment for restoration of pollinator insect habitat

Abstract

Insect decline is a global problem primarily caused by human-driven habitat loss. Humans – and the ecosystems around us – are entirely dependent on insects at nearly all trophic levels and for many ecosystem functions, including the pollination of plants grown for crops, textiles, medicines, and other uses. Because human-caused habitat loss is a primary driver of insect decline, humans have the opportunity and responsibility to mitigate some of that habitat loss through habitat restoration. Choosing sites for habitat restoration can be a daunting task in terms of planning, cost, labor, and ecological outcomes. My paper establishes three essential criteria for preliminary assessments of potential pollinator insect habitat restoration sites: site longevity, site connectivity, and site structural complexity. These three criteria are the foundation for a successful site restoration to ensure a site provides suitable, usable habitat for long-term use by pollinator insects. Site longevity ensures the site will be available for long-term use and is an appropriate use of time and money. Site connectivity allows for travel between restoration sites and other patches of suitable habitat. It also relates to how a site is used by pollinator insects and how isolated a population of pollinator insects at that site would be – and therefore, how susceptible to local extinction a population would be. Site structural complexity is the topographical and floral diversity of a site, including the successional stages and vertical structure of the plant communities. Each of these criteria are co-equal in terms of importance: a restoration site cannot succeed unless all three are met.