American, European bumblebees feeling climate sting

The pervasive collapse of honeybee colonies, in particular, has captured national attention.

Until now, “scientists have been fairly relaxed about the effects of climate change, arguing that since pollinators can fly, if confronted by changing and hostile conditions, they would simply move to more suitable conditions, perhaps shifting northwards”, said Norman Carreck, science director of the global Bee Research Association. None were found to be relevant to the bumblebee range losses. “Bumblebee species are responding quite similarly across continents since climate change began to really accelerate from 1975”.

A study led by Canadian researchers shows that bumblebees are disappearing in many areas where they lived several decades ago, and climate change is to blame. “The result is dramatic losses of bumblebee species from the hottest areas across Europe and North America”. Jeremy Kerr, a biologist from the University of Ottawa, decided to narrow his bee observations to bumblebees, which are easily identified by their big, fuzzy shape. The loss in the species range meant that their populations had declined and were on the road to extinction.

Not all entomologists agree with the findings, saying that the paper offers evidence of a correlation between climate change and waning bumblebee population ranges, but does not make the case that warming temperatures are the main cause. “The bees are losing range on their southern margin and failing to pick up territory at the northern margin-so their habitat range is shrinking”. The study found that certain species of bees have already vanished entirely.

“One of the important things to me was how many species are being impacted by climate change”.

Study co-author Paul Galpern, reminds “Bumblebee species play critical roles as wild pollinators, not just for crops but of all sorts of plants”.

“There certainly is a threat to human agriculture”, he said.

Bees are essential to the ecosystem, pollinating plants such as crops and wildflowers.

Since bumblebees are known to be vulnerable to other environmental influences, the researchers wanted to be sure that climate change was the culprit behind their geographic shifts. This analysis also showed that warming is having more of an impact on them as compared to land use or pesticides.

He also said that his team was surprised to learn that the changes in bumblebee populations were happening at the same pace on both continents.

The Cullem’s bumblebee and the Short-haired species which no longer exist in the United Kingdom, are not the only ones who have caused concern.

“They’re both doing pretty well here, and the proportions are nearly exactly the same as historical data, so that’s a good sign”, Beckham said.

Instead, their range areas are being squeezed and their populations dwindling, say experts.