White clover, Trifolium repens, is a legume used widely in agriculture due to its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and improve soil fertility. Due to increasing cost of artificial fertiliser and concern over environmental impact, growing white clover in permanent grassland or in rotation with arable crops can potentially reduce cost and impact while maintaining productivity. White clover is also a source of pollen and nectar for pollinators and may contribute to alleviating floral resource shortages, which is one cause of pollinator decline. However, recent work has shown that agricultural plants grown in dense patches or monocultures can affect competition for floral resources by causing pollinators to aggregate and spillover into surrounding areas. Pollinator spillover can occur spatially by affecting density in nearby areas, or temporally, by affecting pollinator abundance at different times in relation to flowering. Here we examine whether growing and cutting of white clover in fields causes local pollinator spillover by surveying insects in landscapes around three fields planted with white clover and perennial ryegrass per summer over two years. Pollinator abundance was quantified in the fields and on bramble (Rubus fruticosus) in areas which were adjacent (<20 m) or distant (>1 km) before and after the fields were cut for hay. Honeybees and bumblebees, the main pollinators foraging on white clover, were 147% more abundant in adjacent survey areas after hay cut, indicating that mass-flowering of white clover planted with grass can cause spillover of pollinators. Implementing extensive management practices, such as reducing cutting frequency or grazing intensity, will extend the availability of floral resources produced by white clover.

白三叶草、三叶草, 是一种广泛用于农业的豆科植物，因为它能够固定大气中的氮并提高土壤肥力。由于人工肥料成本增加和对环境影响的担忧，在永久性草地或与可耕作物轮作种植白三叶草可能会降低成本和影响，同时保持生产力。白三叶草也是传粉者的花粉和花蜜来源，可能有助于缓解花卉资源短缺，这是传粉者减少的一个原因。然而，最近的研究表明，密集种植或单一栽培的农业植物会导致传粉者聚集并扩散到周围地区，从而影响对花卉资源的竞争。传粉者溢出可以通过影响附近区域的密度在空间上发生，或者在时间上发生，通过影响与开花有关的不同时间的传粉媒介丰度。在这里，我们通过调查两年多来每年夏天种植白三叶草和多年生黑麦草的三个田地周围景观中的昆虫，检查在田间种植和砍伐白三叶草是否会导致当地传粉媒介溢出。传粉者的丰度在田间和荆棘上被量化（Rubus fruticosus ) 在收割干草之前和之后相邻 (<20 m) 或较远 (>1 km) 的区域。蜜蜂和大黄蜂是在白三叶草上觅食的主要传粉者，在干草收割后，邻近调查区域的数量增加了 147%，这表明白三叶草大量开花会导致传粉者外溢。实施广泛的管理措施，例如减少采伐频率或放牧强度，将扩大白三叶草生产的花卉资源的可用性。