Urban pollinators in Italy: linking green areas with species diversity, interaction networks and ecosystem services for sustainable urban planning

In the last decades, a global decline in biodiversity has been taking place due to the strong impact of anthropogenic activities. However, in large cities, refuge for pollinators persist and, from a One-Health and urban sustainability perspective, it is pivotal to implement suitable green areas to support functioning ecosystems and biodiversity. To characterise pollination services, monitoring activities have been implemented across six major Italian cities, selecting sites according to different green area sizes and fragmentation. The research aims to assess pollinators’ diversity and abundance, focusing on wild bees, and provide valuable information on pollination networks allowing a more comprehensive understanding of urban ecosystems. This took place in 2023, within the Spoke 5 activities (Urban Biodiversity) of the PNRR and NBFC plan. More than 6,000 samples of wild bees and hoverflies and their interactions have been collected. Integrative techniques to identify the insects and their interactions (i.e., pollen) have been applied, allowing a more comprehensive understanding of pollination networks in urban ecosystems. The study sheds light on the complex relationship between environment and regulating ecosystem services, contributing to the development of policies regarding management and implementation of food and nest resources for pollinators, for a more sustainable and healthful urban environment.