Crop pollination by native honey bees (Apis cerana) at risk due to agricultural intensification

Agricultural intensification in Lao PDR has been steadily increasing, leading to the conversion of large natural habitats into intensively managed agricultural landscapes. Despite this, the impact of agricultural intensification on native pollinators, particularly honey bees, remains poorly understood. This study investigates the effects of varying agricultural intensities on native honey bee populations in central Lao PDR, focusing on two contrasting agricultural systems: lower and higher agricultural intensity. Sampling was conducted across ten plots (30 x 50 m), spaced 300 m apart, with a 3 km distance between the two agricultural landscapes. The present study demonstrate that agricultural landscape intensity significantly influenced native honey bee abundance, with higher populations observed in lower agricultural intensity areas. While the diversity of flowering plant resources did not significantly differ between the two agricultural landscapes, native honey bee populations were more strongly impacted by agricultural intensity than by plant diversity. In areas of lower agricultural intensity, native honey bee populations were capable of fully supporting crop pollination needs. In contrast, higher agricultural intensity areas exhibited a significant decline in native bee abundance, resulting in insufficient pollination services provided by native bees alone. This highlights the importance of maintaining biodiversity within agricultural systems to ensure stable and resilient pollination services. Given the observed year-to-year variation in native bee populations, further efforts are needed to conserve specialized native bee species and other pollinators across both agricultural landscapes. These findings underscore the need for sustainable agricultural practices that support pollinator health, essential for maintaining ecosystem services and food security