1. Introducing areas of wildflower vegetation within crop fields has been shown to enhance pollinator activity and pollination services to crops, and findings in Europe showed an interaction effect between floral treatments and landscape context. Natural fynbos patches in the South African Cape Floristic Region (CFR) are potential reservoirs for beneficial insects that could enhance pollinator populations and crop pollination in commercial apple orchards. However, the effect of proximity to natural habitat and floral enhancement treatments on crop pollinators and yield are yet to be fully tested in southern temperate regions.
2. To elucidate the impact of enhanced floral resources to apple flower visitors and crop yield, we established small experimental patches of flowers in non-productive areas of commercial apple Malus domestica orchards in the CFR. Experimental orchards were embedded in landscapes with varying proportions of natural habitat within 1 km. We used pollinator exclusion experiments to determine the benefits of insect pollination on apple yield, quality and economic value.
3. We found that the primary pollinator of apple flowers in the region is the endemic Cape honey bee, Apis mellifera capensis. Floral plantings enhanced overall pollinator abundance and honey bee flower visitation within the orchards, and positively affected apple size and economic value. Increased landscape complexity had a significantly positive effect on wild bees but not on honey bees.
4. Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate that presence of floral plantings within orchards enhances pollinator activity within apple orchards and apple quality. This sustainable management practice may represent a profitable choice for growers, which could increase pollination services while reducing reliance on renting hives. These practices can indirectly contribute to increased landscape-scale resilience and connectivity while also benefiting pollinators within the remaining natural habitat.

中文翻译：

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靠近自然栖息地和花卉种植增加了南非苹果园的昆虫种群和授粉服务

1. 在农田中引入野花植被区域已被证明可以增强传粉媒介的活动和对作物的授粉服务，欧洲的研究结果表明花卉处理和景观环境之间存在相互作用。南非开普省植物区 (CFR) 的天然 fynbos 斑块是有益昆虫的潜在储存库，可以增强商业苹果园的传粉媒介种群和作物授粉。然而，靠近自然栖息地和花卉增强处理对作物授粉媒介和产量的影响尚未在南温带地区得到充分测试。
2. 为了阐明增强的花卉资源，对苹果花的游客和作物产量的影响，我们建立的商业苹果的非生产性领域花小实验补丁海棠斯蒂卡在CFR果园。实验果园嵌入在 1 公里范围内自然栖息地比例不同的景观中。我们使用传粉媒介排除实验来确定昆虫授粉对苹果产量、质量和经济价值的好处。
3. 我们发现该地区苹果花的主要传粉者是地方性的开普蜜蜂Apis mellifera capensis。花卉种植提高了果园内传粉媒介的整体丰度和蜜蜂花的访问量，并对苹果的大小和经济价值产生了积极影响。景观复杂性的增加对野生蜜蜂有显着的积极影响，但对蜜蜂没有。
4. 合成与应用。我们证明果园内花卉种植的存在增强了苹果园内的授粉活动和苹果品质。这种可持续的管理实践对于种植者来说可能是一个有利可图的选择，它可以增加授粉服务，同时减少对租用蜂箱的依赖。这些做法可以间接促进景观尺度的恢复力和连通性，同时也有利于剩余自然栖息地内的传粉媒介。