A first-of-its-kind experimental study has found that climate change reduces the abundance of wildflowers and causes them to produce less nectar and fewer and lighter seeds.

These changes also impact pollinating insects visiting the flowers: they have to visit more flowers, more frequently, to gather the required food.

Fewer flowers imply reduced reproductive fitness in plants, as well as fewer food resources for invertebrates that rely on these plants for food, habitat and shelter.

Overall, climate change may disturb the composition of wildflower species and their pollinators, impacting agricultural crop yields, researchers say.