Honey-Guacamole: Assessment of pollination environmental service in avocado production in Michoacan, Mexico

Abstract

The effects of the pollination service provided by the natural areas adjacent to avocado crop areas in Michoacan, Mexico, were estimated. The effect is estimated by measuring the change in avocado crop productivity as the abundance of pollinators coming from neighboring natural areas changes. Pollinators’ abundance is approximated through an index estimated with the InVEST system whose parameters were adapted for the region under study. The change in productivity is extended to an economic value to provide an economic estimate of the environmental service. The results show that, in an area where the abundance of domesticated and wild pollinators is close to the mean, the harvested volume of avocado is 28% (+/- 23%) greater. Moreover, they show that this effect is only present when both wild and domesticated pollinators are available. Finally, some model limitations and public policy implications are provided.