Data from: Crop production in the USA is frequently limited by a lack of pollinators

Most of the world’s crops depend on pollinators, so declines in both
managed and wild bees raise concerns about food security. However, the
degree to which insect pollination is actually limiting current crop
production is poorly understood, as is the role of wild species (as
opposed to managed honey bees) in pollinating crops, particularly in
intensive production areas. We established a nation-wide study to assess
the extent of pollinator limitation in seven crops at 131 locations
situated across major crop-producing areas of the USA. We found that five
out of seven crops showed evidence of pollinator limitation. Wild bees and
honey bees provided comparable amounts of pollination for most crops, even
in agriculturally-intensive regions. We estimated the nation-wide annual
production value of wild pollinators to the seven crops we studied at over
$1.5 billion; the value of wild bee pollination of all
pollinator-dependent crops would be much greater. Our findings show that
pollinator declines could translate directly into decreased yields or
production for most of the crops studied, and that wild species contribute
substantially to pollination of most study crops in major crop-producing
regions.