Pollinators—particularly wild bees—are essential to agricultural productivity, ecosystem resilience, and global food security. However, pollinator populations face widespread decline due to habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate change, and intensive monoculture. Agroforestry, the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into agricultural systems, offers a viable, ecologically grounded approach to reversing this trend. Increasing evidence suggests that agroforestry can significantly improve pollinator abundance, diversity, and the quality of pollination services for adjacent crops.

The Problem: Pollinator Decline and Agricultural Risk

Over 75% of leading global food crops benefit from animal pollination, and the majority of that work is done by bees. Yet, many species—especially native solitary bees—are in decline due to loss of nesting and foraging habitat, pesticide exposure, and disease pressures. This decline undermines crop yield and quality, especially for pollinator-dependent crops such as almonds, apples, berries, and tomatoes

Agroforestry as a Multifunctional Solution

Agroforestry systems provide more than carbon sequestration and soil health benefits—they also offer critical ecological functions that support pollinator populations. By integrating trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants into crop and livestock systems, agroforestry enhances the structure and diversity of the agricultural landscape. This multi-functionality results in a range of pollinator-friendly outcomes:

1. Continuous Floral Resources

Agroforestry systems often include a variety of woody perennials and herbaceous species that flower at different times throughout the growing season. This phenological diversity ensures that pollinators have access to nectar and pollen over extended periods. Continuous bloom supports a wider range of bee species and helps maintain populations year over year.

Implication: Diverse agroforestry plantings stabilize pollinator presence during both peak and shoulder seasons for crops.

2. Improved Nesting Habitat

Unlike honey bees, many native bee species are solitary and require specific nesting conditions—bare ground, dead wood, hollow stems, or plant stalks. Agroforestry practices such as hedgerows, silvopasture, and riparian buffers offer essential nesting substrates that are often absent in conventional monocultures.

Implication: Enhancing nesting availability near crop fields improves pollinator residence time and spatial coverage.

3. Microclimate and Windbreak Benefits

Trees in agroforestry systems reduce wind speed, which is beneficial for bee flight, especially for small-bodied species that are otherwise inhibited by turbulence. In addition, tree canopies can buffer extreme temperatures and provide shelter from rainfall, extending the foraging windows for bees.

Implication: Better microclimates contribute to more reliable pollination even under variable weather conditions.

4. Landscape Connectivity and Biodiversity Support

Agroforestry contributes to landscape heterogeneity, which is a key predictor of pollinator diversity and resilience. Corridors of trees and shrubs link fragmented habitats, allowing gene flow and recolonization after disturbance. Biodiverse systems are more resilient to pests, disease, and climate variability.

Implication: A connected, heterogeneous landscape increases pollination stability and reduces vulnerability to pollinator loss.

5. Improved Crop Pollination and Yield

Multiple studies indicate that agroforestry systems enhance crop pollination by increasing both the abundance and functional diversity of bees. Diverse pollinator communities tend to deliver more effective pollination services, leading to larger, more uniformly developed fruits.

Implication: Investing in pollinator habitat can yield measurable economic benefits for farmers.

Conclusion

Agroforestry is more than a climate solution—it is an ecological infrastructure for biodiversity. By supporting pollinators, agroforestry simultaneously strengthens crop productivity, ecosystem function, and farm resilience. For regions like the Pacific Northwest, where climate-smart agriculture and native pollinator health are priorities, agroforestry offers an elegant intersection of economic and ecological goals.

Agroforestry as a Pollinator Strategy: Enhancing Bee Habitat and Crop Yields