Addressing declining pollinator populations through new mathematics

This workshop, sponsored by AIM and the NSF, will focus on advancing mathematical modeling frameworks and theory to address the urgent challenges posed by declining pollinator populations. Insect pollination is vital to terrestrial ecosystems and agriculture, with honeybee pollination in the United States alone valued at over $12 billion annually. Yet, substantial evidence shows that pollinator populations are in sharp decline, with honeybee colony losses reaching unprecedented levels — threatening agricultural sustainability and food security. These declines result from complex interactions among environmental factors (e.g., shifting climate patterns) and biological processes (e.g., exposure to agrochemicals such as insecticides and fungicides, parasitic infections, diseases, and habitat degradation).