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Plant-pollinator-people interactions: a perspective from plants used by indigenous peoples and local communities in Latin America.

Rubem S. de Avila Jr,Leonardo Galetto,Adriana Correa-Benítez,A. Sáez,Ariel A. Césped-Llave,Carlos de Melo e Silva-Neto,G. N. Parra,Martina Gajardo,N. Arbulo,S. Salvarrey,Yanet Quispe-Delgado,Marina Basualdo

Published 2025 in Science of the Total Environment

ABSTRACT

Much of the plant-based food consumed by indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC) in Latin America consists of fruits and seeds, whose production depends on ecological interactions between plants and pollinators. These interactions are seriously threatened by anthropogenic impact, which could compromise the food security of these communities. This study conducted a systematic review of 82 plant species, including information on plant-pollinator interactions used by IPLC in Latin America. The reproductive vulnerability index (RVI) of each plant species, combining the degree of dependence on pollinators and its reproductive and sexual system, was also calculated. Our findings highlighted that many plants presented specialized pollination systems, with around 50 % depending exclusively on a specific group of pollinators. The bees are the main pollinator group, followed by flies. Native bees (non-Apis) were associated with the pollination of 40 % of the plant species, while Apis mellifera were exclusive pollinators of 10 % of the plants evaluated. The indigenous people particularly use a significant proportion of these plants. The RVI average value was 0.3, indicating moderate vulnerability for Latin America. Higher values were found in countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru, which have a high representation of traditional communities in their populations, with a plant-based survival. These findings support their crucial role of bees, mainly wild native bees, in the pollination ecosystem services linked to the food supply for IPLCs and highlight the urgent need to implement effective policies for pollinator conservation in Latin America.

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