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Sown wildflower meadows: Can they replace natural meadows in urban spaces for bees, butterflies, and hoverflies?

Zajdel, Barbara1; Dylewski, Łukasz2; Jojczyk, Agata1; Banaszak-Cibicka, Weronika2; Kucharska, Kornelia1; Borański, Mikołaj3; Gąbka, Jakub1

Research facility: University of Warsaw
Published Oct 10, 2024 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.pzgmsbcx6

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Oct 10, 2024 version files 21.22 KB

Abstract

The decline in pollinator populations is partly due to human practices that have contributed to the loss of wild and flower-rich habitats. In cities, especially city centers, urban green spaces, which are usually small, are often sown with wildflower meadows. The study compared the number and species richness of three main groups of pollinating insects (wild bees, butterflies, and hoverflies) for two types of meadows in Warsaw: sown wildflower meadows and natural meadows. The research results showed that there was no difference in the composition of insect-pollinated plants between the meadow types. There was also no difference between the meadow types concerning the species richness of butterflies, bees, and, hoverflies. However, it was confirmed that the number of butterflies was twice as high in natural meadows than it was in sown floral meadows, while in the case of wild bees and hoverflies, no such differences were found. The study confirmed that areas sown with wildflowers, usually of small areas, concentrate on pollinating insects and have a similar value for pollinators as larger areas of natural meadow. Sown wildflower meadows, if properly cared for, can ensure the richness of melliferous plant species and thus positively affect the diversity and number of pollinators. Sown meadows can compensate insects for the absence of large, natural meadows, especially in the fragmented spaces in cities.