Gardens benefit bees and enhance pollination in intensively managed farmland

The recent loss of pollinating insects and out-crossing plants in agricultural landscapes has raised concern for the maintenance of ecosystem services. Wild bees have been shown to benefit from garden habitats in urban and suburban areas. We investigated the effects of distance from garden habitats on wild bees and seed set of a native out-crossing plant Campanula persicifolia, in intensively managed agricultural landscapes in Southern Sweden. Bee abundance and species richness, as well as plant seed set, were higher closer to gardens (<15 m) than further away (>140 m). This highlights private gardens as a landscape wide resource for pollinators but also the lack of sufficient pollination of wild plants in contemporary agricultural landscapes.

► We investigated if distance from gardens affected abundance of wild bees.
► We also investigated the effect on seed set of a native out-crossing plant.
► We found more bees close to gardens than farther out in the landscape.
► We also found a higher seed set in the near gardens.
► Our results imply lack of pollination of wild plants in contemporary farmland.