The global decline in pollinator abundance and diversity is alarming, as it threatens both the balance of ecosystems and agricultural productivity. This project deals with evaluating the state of pollinating insects, especially bees and flies, in the north-western Mexican state of Baja California, where agricultural areas are expanding. The baseline data collected for plant-pollinator mutualisms will be used to propose land management and restoration strategies in areas where pollinator declines are witnessed, by targeting key pollinators and restoring the plant species that attract and sustain populations of these insects.

During this project data will be collected on natural ecosystems which are near or border agricultural systems. The data collected will include: insect species richness and abundance in both agricultural and natural systems, distance from both systems and vegetation composition of each site.

For data processing we will infer plant-insect relations, statistical comparison of richness and abundance from every site and we will build prediction model of species abundance and richness.

Finally, we will compile a list of most beneficial insects collected, be it by their role as pollinators, predators of parasites or other mutualisms. The list will include a general life description of every: information on nesting sites, preferred habitat and vegetation, etc.

The overall aim of this project is to assess insect pollinator composition and to infer population sizes. Using this new knowledge, we aim to inform the general populace of the benefits, be it in agriculture or natural systems, of insect pollinators. Which in turn well help mitigate the global tendencies of a decrease of insect pollinators.