The widespread decline of insect pollinators poses a conservation concern and threatens both the pollination of wild plants and crops. Primary drivers of pollinator decline are habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, which to a large extent result from agricultural intensification. Numerous tools have been developed to aid decision-making relating to insect pollinators and pollination in agricultural landscapes. These tools provide valuable information for understanding the drivers of insect population changes in agricultural areas and projecting future population trends in response to various actions. However, there is currently no comprehensive list of available tools, and their usability (ease of use and acceptability for conducting tasks) for decision-making purposes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand what tools have been designed, their commonalities and their suitability for different decision context, to ensure the effectiveness of pollinator-friendly management and conservation actions. In this study, we present a systematic map methodology that will collate and catalogue relevant tools relating to insect pollinators and/or pollination in agricultural landscapes. We will conduct searches in bibliographic databases such as ‘Web of Science Core Collection’ and ‘Scopus’ using a tested search string. Additionally, we will manually search grey literature using web-based engines (Google Scholar and ProQuest) and websites. After removing duplicates, the search results will be screened sequentially based on predetermined eligibility criteria, including title, abstract, and full text. The extracted data will provide metadata for mapping the usability of the tools, utilising descriptive tables, statistics and figures. Usability will be assessed across three categories: the tool itself, the user and the user-context. The results from this mapping exercise can support researchers in synthesising progress in terms of pollinator-related tools, and direct research and development efforts to bridge the identified gaps and shortcomings. It will also have significant implications for managers, stakeholders and policymakers, by providing guidance on existing tools and supporting informed tool choices.
Abstract Insect pollinators are declining globally, partly due to agricultural intensification, which threatens biodiversity and ecosystem services. To help decision‐makers make informed choices, a variety of tools such as softwares, websites and frameworks have been developed to guide pollinator‐friendly management and conservation. However, the lack of a comprehensive overview of these tools limits stakeholders' ability to select and use them. We conducted a systematic mapping of bibliographic databases, grey literature and websites to create the first extensive database of tools explicitly or implicitly designed to inform pollinator and pollination management in agricultural landscapes. We assessed which pollinator groups and pollination services were addressed, the delivery methods used, their general focus, the geographical or ecological contexts in which they can be applied, and the extent to which they are designed for specific user groups. Our analysis revealed key gaps and patterns: Fewer tools focused on wild pollinators (including non‐bee pollinators), fewer tools addressed the underlying drivers of pollinator decline and many tools targeted unspecified stakeholders or pollinators. There was a geographical bias in tool availability, which mirrored data bias in pollinator decline research, with a focus on regulating pollination services. Many tools required advanced and technical skills, limiting accessibility for practitioners. Practical implications . Our database offers a practical resource for practitioners, land managers, researchers and policymakers, facilitating the identification of tools that are suited to their specific management context, as well as their skills and expertise. Our study also highlights priorities for future tool development that could increase the effectiveness and impact of pollinator conservation and management efforts in agricultural landscapes.