How does biodiversity impact the garden?

October 7, 2026

What role does natural vegetation play in a productive orchard? For the avocado grower, the question connects field management with a crucial process: pollination.

The study “Proximity to natural habitats favors floral visitor diversity and pollination services in avocado orchards,” conducted by a team of researchers from the Ceres Center (Quillota, Chile) in conjunction with the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, INIA La Cruz, and the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, provides evidence for this discussion. The analysis was published in 2025 in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

The research was conducted in three avocado orchards in central Chile between 2020 and 2022. The team observed insects visiting the flowers, from the orchard's edge up to 300 meters inland. They compared areas adjacent to natural vegetation with areas near other crops or on-farm infrastructure, such as water reservoirs. During flowering, all three orchards also had beehives installed to support pollination.

Effect of natural habitats on the abundance of floral visitors

Trees located adjacent to natural vegetation recorded approximately 2.55 times the number of wild insects and flower visits observed at almost all other evaluated sites. Furthermore, more distinct species and a greater diversity of floral visitors were found.

These results show a greater presence and activity of insects near natural vegetation, but do not allow us to affirm that those trees produced more avocados.

Importance of wild insects in avocado fruit set

In 2022, the research team compared fruit set in flowers accessible to insects with those protected by mesh bags. Fruit set was significantly reduced in the isolated samples. Furthermore, a positive association was found between hoverfly abundance (a group of flies) and fruit set.

Management of native vegetation and conservation on fruit farms

Although more wild insects and flower visits were observed alongside natural vegetation, the study did not detect a significant difference in fruit set attributable to the habitat type at the edge. Furthermore, it assessed initial fruit formation without measuring how many fruits reached harvest.

Talking about a “less clean” garden can be misleading. The idea is to preserve areas of natural vegetation that can provide food and shelter for insects, as part of a planned management of the property. This involves deciding which areas to protect and how to integrate them into the productive activity.

For the producer, the key is to evaluate the function of each area within the property. Before removing vegetation deemed irrelevant to the crop, it's essential to consider whether that area is part of the environment that supports the flowering plants. Furthermore, any changes must have clear objectives and be monitored: what is being preserved, where, and how the results will be assessed.

From pollination to commercial yield: Harvest assessment

The remaining question is how much of this increased insect activity translates into harvested fruit. To answer this, we must distinguish three stages: visitor presence, fruit set, and commercial yield.

This distinction also helps in evaluating an intervention in the field. Observing more insects can be a useful indicator, but the overall productivity balance requires monitoring the results until harvest.

Biodiversity thus opens a conversation about orchard design and management. The challenge is to incorporate this perspective with measurements, avoiding turning a favorable signal for pollination into a promise of higher production.