bumblebees

Bumblebees And Climate Change | Earth Wise

July 26, 2022 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Pollinators, such as bees and bats, are vital for global food production. They provide an ecological service that’s necessary for the reproduction of nearly 75% of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of global food crops.

According to a new study by researchers from Simon Fraser University in Canada, temperature changes have negatively impacted most bumblebee species during the past 120 years. The research, which was recently published in the journal Biology Letters, found that these changes in temperature had more of a negative impact than other factors such as precipitation or floral resources.

The research team analyzed existing data on 46 bumblebee species across North America between 1900 and 2020. The researchers created two occupancy models – one that was focused on time and the other that focused on environmental factors – to see how climate change and land-use variables impacted species’ occupancy. They found that six bumblebee species decreased through time, 22 increased, and 18 remained stable.

Temperature changes had primarily negative impacts on bumblebees. In fact, 37 of the 46 species studied exhibited declines or less positive occupancy increases under observed changes in temperature when compared with temperatures remaining constant. Approximately half of the bumblebee species were negatively impacted by changes in precipitation or floral resources while the other half were positively impacted.

Bumblebee populations are changing as a consequence of climate change.

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The American Bumblebee

Climate change negatively impacting bumble bees: Study

Photo, posted July 14, 2019, courtesy of Dmitry Grigoriev via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Native Bees In A Honeybee World | Earth Wise

September 21, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

There is a great deal of attention on the plight of bees and other pollinators. Much of that focuses on the problems plaguing the large, domesticated honeybee colonies that are trucked from region to region to pollinate everything from almonds to fruit trees. Managed bee colonies have recently been losing more than 40% of their population over the course of a year. But overall, honeybees are still relatively safe. They are a globally distributed, domesticated species and are not remotely threatened with extinction.

But another group of bees – native bees – faces a different range of threats, most linked to habitat loss. Worldwide, roughly 20,000 native bee species have evolved over millions of years to thrive in countless habitats, where they have specialized in pollinating specific flowers and plants – in some cases just a single plant.

Scientists have estimated that, globally, 1 in 6 bee species is regionally extinct. In the United States there are about 4,000 native bee species, most of which are solitary bees that nest in the ground or cavities, with many that require just one or a few plant species for sustenance. At least 23 percent of U.S. native bees have declined, with bees in areas with heavy commodity-crop production particularly hard hit due to habitat loss and pesticide use. Other threats to native bees include climate-driven sea-level rise and increased temperatures, loss of host plants, and competition and disease from non-native honeybees. 50% of Midwestern native bee species disappeared from their historic ranges in the last 100 years. Four of our bumblebee species declined 96% in the last 20 years, and three species are believed to already be extinct.

Native bees are in big trouble.

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Backyard Battle: Helping Native Bees Thrive in a Honeybee World

Photo, posted December 2, 2017, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The American Bumblebee

May 29, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Pollinators, such as bees and bats, are vital for global food production. They provide an ecological service that’s necessary for the reproduction of nearly 75% of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s food crops.

Bumblebees are among the most important plant pollinators. They pollinate many food crops, including apples, tomatoes, blueberries and legumes, as well as countless types of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. But researchers have documented declines in both the abundance and range of many bumblebee species.

The American bumblebee, which is native to North America, is one of them. The species can currently be found in eastern Canada, throughout much of the Eastern United States, and much of Mexico.

According to a new study led by York University and recently published in the Journal of Insect Conservation, the American bumblebee is critically endangered, and it faces imminent local extinction from Canada. This is considered the highest and most at-risk classification before extinction.

The researchers used data from three sources in their study: the Bumble Bee Watch (which is a citizen science project), the Bumble Bees of North America database (that has records dating back to the late-1800s), and their own field survey work. They used the IUCN’s Red List assessment criteria to evaluate the status of the American bumblebee within its Canadian range.

The research team found that the species’ area of occurrence has decreased by approximately 70% and its relative abundance dropped by 89% from 2007-2016 when compared to 1907-2006.

The American bumblebee can still be found throughout its Canadian range. But immediate conservation action is desperately needed.

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Disappearing bumblebee species under threat of extinction

Photo, posted August 22, 2011, courtesy of Rachel Elaine via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Neonics And Honey

November 16, 2017 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The use of neonicotinoid pesticides or neonics has long been suspected as harmful to bees and a major factor in the widespread decline of honeybee and wild bee populations. A study published in Science last June provided strong evidence that neonics are indeed a real problem for bees.

[Read more…] about Neonics And Honey

Saving Bees With Software

April 11, 2017 By EarthWise

The worldwide decline in the population of bees and other pollinators has impelled farmers to do what they can to encourage and nurture bees on their land. Protecting bees is important because pollinators are essential for growing many foods including coffee, cacao, almonds and many other fruits and vegetables.

Bumblebees And The Climate Squeeze

September 3, 2015 By EarthWise

Bumblebees face their share of hazards – habitat loss, disease, and harmful pesticides among them. New research shows that climate change is also a significant threat to bumblebee populations in Europe and North America. In fact, University of Ottawa scientists suggest that, for these bumblebees, climate change may be the biggest threat of all.