There are many ways to evaluate the health of a landscape. A new study suggests one way may be to listen to dancing honeybees. Of course, the bees aren’t dancing because they’re happy– rather, they use their signature waggle dance as a way to communicate to one another where the best food can be found.
Researchers in the U.K. “eavesdropped” on more than 5400 waggle dances from three honeybee colonies in order to determine which landscapes the bees preferred. While it may sound counter-intuitive, honeybees didn’t prefer organic farms. Organic farming involves frequent cutting and mowing, especially in the early years. So such farms likely lack the flowering plants that attract bees.
Indeed, honeybees gravitated towards Castle Hill, a nature reserve with a plethora of wildflowers. They also frequented farms covered by the U.K.’s Higher Level Stewardship schemes, which require a farm to designate areas for wildlife and wildflowers. Researchers hope that by paying attention to honeybee preferences, they can identify the characteristics that make a landscape hospitable not only to honeybees but to other pollinators like butterflies and bumblebees.
Some scientists aptly point out that honeybees are likely to prefer any landscape that is full of pollen and nectar. Plant and flower diversity is critical to a myriad of specialist species, so what works for the honeybee may provide only a glimpse of what’s best for overall ecosystem health.
Still, their waggle dances can help ecologists assess the effectiveness of agri-ecosystem schemes. And the European Union has invested billions in these efforts to boost the health of rural landscapes.
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Wondering about state of the environment? Just eavesdrop on bees
Dancing honeybees assess the health of the environment
Photo, posted July 4, 2008, courtesy of John via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.