IN YOUR ORCHARD
THE BEE BOX The Benefits of Hedgerows in Your Orchard
Bee pollination is essential for the production of many crops, including almonds. The total annual value of pollination services across all crops is estimated at $4.2 billion globally. 1 Adopting practices that support pollinators provides both environmental and financial benefits, and studies have shown that incorporating pollinator habitat in orchards decreases input costs and increases productivity in almonds. 1-5, 14-16 The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) defines a hedgerow as dense perennial vegetation in a linear design established to achieve a conservation purpose. Building on this definition, hedgerows can be intentionally planned to function as high-quality pollinator habitat by careful selection of plant species and structural features that support both foraging and nesting needs throughout the year. Hedgerows can incorporate a diverse mix of shrubs, grasses, and flowering forbs that provide continuous blooms from early spring through late fall. Early-season blooming species support emerging bees, while mid- and late-season flowers sustain pollinators when other resources are scarce. Prioritizing native plants
adapted to local soil and climate conditions improves establishment success and ensures compatibility with native pollinator species. Beyond floral resources, hedgerows can be structured to provide essential nesting habitat. Many native bees are ground-nesters, so leaving patches of bare, well-drained soil within or adjacent to the hedgerow is critical. Other bees nest in cavities, which can be supported by incorporating plants with hollow or pithy stems and by maintaining some woody debris or standing dead stems. Layering vegetation—from low- growing grasses to taller shrubs—also creates sheltered microclimates that protect pollinators from wind, temperature extremes, and pesticide drift. Hedgerows are often incorporated along field edges, waterways, or contours where they can connect fragmented habitats and serve as movement corridors for pollinators. Integrating these elements transforms a standard conservation hedgerow into a multifunctional system that enhances biodiversity, supports crop pollination, and contributes to overall farm resilience.
1 Reilly, J. R., Artz, D. R., Biddinger, D., Bobiwash, K., Boyle, N. K., Brittain, C., Daniels, J., Elle, E., Ellis, J.D., Fleisher, S.J., Gillespie, R.L., Gundersen, K.B., Gut, L., Hoffman, G., Joshi, N., Lundin, O., Mason, K., McGrady, C.M., Peterson, S.S., Pitts-Singer, T.L., Rao, S., Rothwell, N., Rowe, L., Ward, K.L., Williams, N.M., Wilson, J.K., Isaacs, R., and Winfree, R. Crop production in the USA is frequently limited by a lack of pollinators. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 287(1931), 20200922. (2020). 2 Dolezal, A. G., St. Clair, A. L., Zhang, G., Toth, A. L., & O’Neal, M. E. Native habitat mitigates feast–famine conditions faced by honey bees in an agricultural landscape. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(50), 25147-25155. (2019) 3 Brittain, C., Williams, N., Kremen, C., & Klein, A. M. Synergistic effects of non-Apis bees and honey bees for pollination services. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 280(1754), 20122767. (2013). 4 Alomar, D., Gonzalez-Estevez, M., Traveset, A., Lazaro, A. The intertwined effects of natural vegetation, local flower community, and pollinator diversity on the production of almond trees. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 264, 34-43. (2018). 5 Klein, A. M., Brittain C., Hendrix S. D., Thorp R., Williams N., and Kremen C. Wild pollination services to California almond rely on semi-natural habitat. Journal of Applied Ecology, 49(3), 723-732. (2012).
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ALMOND FACTS
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