Pollinator declines are a global concern, and agriculture sits at the center of the challenge. As farms grow more efficient and landscapes become increasingly simplified, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are losing the diverse habitats they depend on. One widely promoted solution is planting native vegetation, but an important question remains: Can pollinator habitat embedded within conventional farming systems truly help if pesticides remain in the surrounding landscape?
A major new synthesis led by Dr. Amy Toth, a professor with a joint appointment in Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology and Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University, suggests the answer is yes.
The study examines prairie strips, diverse plantings of native grasses and flowering forbs strategically placed within corn and soybean fields. Drawing on more than a decade of field studies across Iowa, the research evaluates whether these habitats provide a net benefit to pollinators despite potential pesticide exposure.
“One of the most important takeaways is that even small changes in how land is managed can make a real difference,” Toth said. “It wasn’t a foregone conclusion that a small patch of prairie embedded in vast farmland could have a positive impact. But over more than a decade of research, we consistently found more abundant and diverse pollinators and stronger plant–insect interactions. That’s incredibly hopeful.”
Prairie strips are not conservation areas set aside from agriculture; they are embedded directly into some of the most intensively farmed landscapes in the world. While originally promoted for reducing soil erosion and improving water quality, researchers found that these strips also dramatically increase the availability of flowering plants in areas otherwise dominated by monoculture crops.
“As scientists, we couldn’t assume these habitats were automatically beneficial just because they look good on paper,” said Dr. Matthew O’Neal, professor in Iowa State’s Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology. “We needed to know whether the benefits actually outweigh the risks.”
The synthesis shows that prairie strips support more abundant and more diverse pollinator communities than fields without them. Native bees, monarch butterflies, and other insects benefit from improved forage, nesting habitat, and protection from tillage.
“Honeybees and wild bees are finding something they’ve been missing in these landscapes: continuous, high-quality food,” O’Neal explained. “And nutrition matters more than we used to realize.”
The research documents clear benefits for managed honeybees. Colonies located near prairie strips collected more pollen, grew larger, and showed higher winter survival rates compared with colonies in landscapes without strips. Wild bee communities were also more diverse and abundant, forming more resilient plant–pollinator interaction networks, an indicator of long-term ecological stability.
“These systems are doing more than just attracting bees,” O’Neal said. “They’re a source of food when the rest of the landscape does not.”
Because prairie strips are placed within conventionally managed fields, pesticide exposure was a central concern of the study. Researchers measured pesticide residues in plants, pollen, nectar, and soils within prairie strips and evaluated those levels against established toxicity thresholds.
“Pesticides are an important concern, and we took that seriously,” Toth said. “But our results show that while pesticides can be detected in prairie strips, exposure levels are generally low and not different from what pollinators experience in other crop-adjacent habitats. Overall, we’re seeing large benefits and relatively low costs.”
The findings also suggest that access to diverse, high-quality forage may help buffer pollinators from other stressors, including pesticides and pathogens. Rather than acting as ecological traps, prairie strips can function as refuges, providing forage and shelter within working agricultural landscapes.
One of the most significant conclusions of the synthesis is that prairie strips offer a realistic, scalable conservation solution for farms. Adoption of the practice continues to grow through federal conservation programs, driven by agronomic and environmental benefits that appeal to farmers and land managers alike.
“In landscapes where very little native habitat remains, even small patches can make a meaningful difference,” O’Neal said. “Prairie strips show that conservation doesn’t have to be separate from agriculture; it can be part of it.”
Looking ahead, the researchers emphasize the importance of continued study, particularly on pesticide effects across a broader range of wild pollinator species and on ways to optimize prairie strip design to ensure season-long flowering.
“Prairie strips show how individual farmers can be powerful partners in conservation,” Toth said. “These are voluntary actions, supported by science and conservation programs, that can make a meaningful difference. That kind of collaboration gives us a model for improving both environmental outcomes and long-term agricultural sustainability.”
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About the Research Team
The BioScience article was authored by a multidisciplinary national team including Iowa State University Professor Amy L. Toth (Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology); Research Scientist Ashley L. St. Clair (ISU); toxicologist Maura J. Hall (ISU Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine); ecologist Kate E. Borchardt (Ph.D., ISU, 2024); conservation scientist and data analyst Matthew D. Stephenson (ISU Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management); Professor John C. Tyndall (ISU Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management); and Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor Lisa A. Schulte (Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management), director of the Bioeconomy Institute and C-CHANGE Grass2Gas. Together, the team synthesized more than a decade of field studies, laboratory analyses, and landscape-scale research.