Backyard buzz: human population density modifies the value of vegetation cover for insect pollinators in a subtropical city

Abstract Urbanisation drives overall declines in insect pollinators. Although urban green spaces can provide suitable habitat for pollinators much remains to be learned about how landscapes either promote or negatively impact We investigated backyard design, local (100 m) and landscape (500 scale vegetation cover human population density were associated with non-eusocial native bee species, eusocial bees ( Apis mellifera Tetragonula spp .), hoverflies, residential of the subtropical city Brisbane, Australia. found that associations between abundance moderated by density, but direction this effect differed species. Non-eusocial was positively tree at scales when densities low, so high densities. suggest may because quality deteriorates as increases. In contrast, increasing grass shrubs low levels This affinity humans could partly explained domesticated “kept” hives. no gradients on species richness. Hoverfly related scales. At scale, both richness hoverfly abundances flower abundance. Backyards more had higher bees. Our results thus support idea greening densely populated areas multiple spatial benefit a range