Overview

• Researchers modeled habitat distributions for eleven wild Vanilla species and seven specialized bee pollinators under two emissions scenarios to project changes by mid-century.
• All seven bee species are projected to lose suitable habitat by 2050 under both moderate and high-emission pathways, jeopardizing their role in pollination.
• Overlap between Vanilla species and their pollinators is predicted to shrink dramatically, with convergence falling by as much as 90 percent for some orchids.
• Climate shifts drive divergent outcomes for wild vanilla ranges, with seven species potentially expanding up to 140 percent and four contracting by more than half.
• Authors emphasize urgent conservation of wild vanilla populations and pollinator interactions to safeguard the genetic reservoir needed for future crop resilience.