Speaker
Description
Agroecosystems, despite their tendency to be impoverished, can host various insect communities essential for ecosystem services. Crops, in particular, benefit from pollinating insects, which enhance both quantity and quality of yields. However, there is still a need to fully comprehend the identification of diversity, abundance and ecology of pollinating insects, especially wild bees. In Morocco, there are over 1,000 different species of solitary bee, of which more than 81 are endemic. The almond tree is among the crops that rely on pollination, is a highly valuable crop, ranking as the second most important crop after the olive tree in terms of economic significance. Therefore, understanding the basic pollination requirements of the main almond varieties is essential for promoting production. For this purpose, we conducted an evaluation of pollinator diversity and abundance, with a particular focus on solitary bees, within an almond orchard located in the Marrakech region. The results obtained unveiled a highly diverse population of solitary bees, with varying levels of abundance corresponding to different stages of flowering. Additionally, the pan traps revealed variations in abundance across different insect groups, with a notably high abundance of dipterans, followed by coleopterans, and then solitary bees. The findings from this study underscore the significant role that solitary bees will play as pollinators for almond crops to achieve optimal pollination.
