A recent study found that the overlap of the plants that supply one of the world's most popular flavors and the pollinators they depend on could be severed by changing global conditions.
What's happening?
According to an article on Phys.org published by Frontiers, scientists tested how a variety of climate scenarios could disrupt the link between wild vanilla plants and the insects that sustain them. Warmer global temperatures caused by human activity could expand the suitable habitat for several vanilla species, but the loss of pollinators puts the long-term viability of the plants at risk.
"Our study showed that climate change may lead to reduced overlap in suitable habitats for Vanilla species and their pollinators, thereby causing plant-pollinator decoupling and possibly affecting the survival of Vanilla populations," the researchers concluded in their paper.
Why is the relationship between pollinators and vanilla cultivation important?
From bees to butterflies and even hummingbirds, pollinators come in many shapes and sizes, and their work is absolutely critical to the ecosystem. They're also pivotal for some of the most popular staples worldwide. Vanilla is among the crops most dependent on pollination. According to Our World in Data, vanilla, cacao beans, and Brazil nuts would see a 90% reduction in crop yields without them.
As the study noted, vanilla planifolia and vanilla trigonocarpa rely on just a single pollinator, so habitat loss, disease, or other environmental factors could have a catastrophic impact.
"Cultivation benefits smallholder farming communities across the tropics, so there is an urgent need to enhance the resilience of vanilla farming systems," one of the authors of the paper, Dr. Charlotte Watteyn, said, per Phys.org.
What can be done to protect pollinators?
The best ways to aid those vital pollinators start at the local level and in our own homes. Rewilding a yard with native plants creates an ideal habitat while saving money and effort. The choice of plant also makes a big difference. For example, the USDA recommends planting milkweeds to benefit the monarch butterflies that depend on them.
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