Interactions between pollinators and people in private urban greenspaces

Abstract

Habitat loss, including increasing urbanisation, is a key driver of pollinating insect decline. Allotments and residential gardens, collectively occupying a considerable proportion of urban areas in the UK, can improve habitat heterogeneity of urban landscapes, acting as pollinator hotspots. Management of these private urban green spaces is driven by social factors which influence ecological features and thus potentially pollinator community structure; however, these mechanisms and their effects on pollinator biodiversity are still relatively unknown.
I used a multidisciplinary research design to assess how social drivers structure pollinator communities in private urban green spaces. I sampled sites along a socio-economic status (SES) gradient in 55 allotment plots and 55 residential gardens in Newcastle upon Tyne (UK). Surveys for plant-pollinator interactions and floral resources were conducted along linear transects in each site. Social surveys of plot holders and garden owners collected information about garden management, socio-demographic features, biodiversity perception and psychological wellbeing.
The study found evidence supporting the existence of the luxury effect (i.e., greater species richness in higher SES areas) for flowering plants in allotments and gardens, and for pollinators in allotments only. Garden management intensity was higher in allotments, negatively related to bees. More pollinator-friendly features were present in higher SES allotments, and had a positive effect on the actual and perceived pollinator richness in residential gardens. No link was found between actual and perceived pollinator richness, and psychological wellbeing was related to socio-demographic and management factors rather than by actual or perceived biodiversity.
Exploring social drivers on pollinator communities is essential to guide conservation strategies, especially in cities. Results from my research provide evidence to inform future management approaches to improve gardens and allotments as suitable habitats for pollinators, encouraging citizens to adopt pollinator-friendly behaviours in private green spaces, and facilitating the design and implementation of conservation practices and policies.

Date of Award	30 Sept 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Northumbria University
Supervisor	Katherine Baldock (Supervisor), Alister Scott (Supervisor) & Mark Goddard (Supervisor)