Pollination service delivery is complex: Urban garden crop yields are best explained by local canopy cover and garden scale plant species richness

Pollination is an important ecosystem service to agriculture, however, the factors influencing pollination in urban food gardens are poorly understood. We investigated how features within environments, including floral resources and canopy cover, impacted (a) flower visitation seed production of a model plant (Brassica rapa) (b) total yields produce from Sydney, Australia. Floral plants was dominated by few common species, with honeybees responsible for 53.4% native stingless bees two hoverfly species accounting another 37.1% visitors; 28 other were collectively less than 10% visitation. While insect pollinators abundant, relationship between reproductive output weak not always positive. The success only marginally environmental features, while pollinator had small negative impact. However, crop across strongly influenced local cover garden scale richness. Synthesis applications. delivery complex; visitation, richness and/or resource availability may reflect positive, outcomes. Yields crops, whether dependent or not, more surrounding variables, broad measures diversity, pollination-related metrics. This implies policies support will likely differ those supporting require assessment management external factors.