Simple species counting is not enough when accounting for our ecosystem, it is too simplistic. It is argued that biodiversity is much more than counting a number of species within a system that allow it to function to produce ecosystem services. It was found that the equivalent of millions of years of pollinator evolution was lost. This data was lost in highly altered agricultural environments. These environments decreased pollination services above and beyond what would have been expected from simple species counting. Filling this knowledge gap is vital to our evolutionary history and our future. The species count may fail to protect ecosystem functions and the full diversity of life from which they are derived. Information taken from report titled “Agriculturally dominated landscapes reduce bee phylogenetic diversity and pollination services” in Science.
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