Author(s): BALDOCHI, L. U.; FORTI, V.; F. ROSSI; CAMARGO, R. C. R.

Summary: The decline of pollinators has raised alarm, as it brings impacts to agriculture and challenges in maintaining biodiversity within ecosystems. The aim of this study was to analyze, through a systematic review, the state of the art of the main pollination strategies in olive trees(Olea europeae), highlighting the significance of bees in these agroecosystems. Through the search key (“Pollination*” OR “Pollinator” AND“Olive*” OR “Olea europeae*” AND “Bee*” OR “Bees*”) performed on the Web of Science database, it was possible to analyze and synthesizethe relevance of investigating this insect-plant relationship. Olive trees are anemophilous plants, meaning they are windpollinated and thereforenot dependent on entomophily. As a result, current studies have demonstrated the presence of bees with consistent visiting behavior to theirflowers. In this context, it was observed that the cultivation of olives with excessive use of pesticides creates a hostile environment for bees, bothsocial and solitary, which are known to seek nesting spaces and natural resources within this agroecosystem. This aspect is also considered arequirement for planning the landscape context for rural and ecological development. The presence of Olea europeae pollen in the honey foundwithin the nests was confirmed, indicating an important floral resource for maintaining bee biodiversity. This resource is often scarce, influencedby flower seasonality, local natural species, landscape patterns, and extensive olive monocultures. The abundance and species richness of bees inolive agroecosystems have been investigated as essential elements in biodiversity maintenance, serving as agents that contribute to pest anddisease control, thereby enabling improved productivity.

Publication year: 2024

Types of publication: Abstract in annals or event proceedings

Unit: Embrapa Environment

Keywords: Inseto Polinizador, Oleaceae, Polinização