Bee, flower diversity falls sharply in Europe: study

 

Thu Jul 20, 5:52 PM ET

 

The diversity of bees and the flowers they pollinate has fallen drastically in Britain and the Netherlands over the last 25 years, a study said.

 

"We are shocked by the decline in plants as well as the bees," Koos Biesmeijer of the University of Leeds, the lead author of the study published in Science magazine.

 

"If this pattern is replicated elsewhere, the 'pollinator service' we take for granted could be at great risk. And with it the future for the plants we enjoy in our countryside," said the researcher.

 

The study -- conducted in Britain, the Netherlands and Germany -- is believed to be the first of its kind staged in Europe. It found that bee diversity fell by almost 80 percent in hundreds of sites that came under revue.

 

The economic value of pollination worldwide is thought to be between 20 billion and 50 billion pounds (36 billion and 92 billion dollars) each year, the study said.

 

The research said that a decline in the number of pollinating bees would not be so damaging if it had been offset by growth in the number of other pollinating insects in the their place.

 

But this was not the case -- the hoverflies population, for example, grew only marginally over the same period of time, said the study.

 

Researchers said it was too early to tell if the bee decline was leading to the plant decline, or vice versa, or if the two were locked in a "vicious cycle" of cause and effect.

 

"Whatever the cause, the study provides a worrying suggestion that declines in some species may trigger a cascade of local extinctions amongst other associated species," Biesmeijer said.

I'd heard about this, it's actually making the TV news here. Less bees means more choice for each bee. They will always go for the biggest gain for least effort, and so will go to the plants with most nectar.

High bee population means more pressure on these plants, so bees have to make more effort to get nectar and will go to the lower producing plants. Natural selection, those plants which produce most nectar will have a survival advantage.

Bee populations run in cycles anyway, the comparitive abundance of food will mean a higher survival rate in the grubs, and a rise in population. Provided this happens before the drop in population in other plants, everything should be ok.....my roses will be anyway!

some species of bee and other pollinators are so small that they would drown in the nectar of the larger blooms...and of course, one could always hand pollinate to keep the garden going...lol

The wind will pollinate as so will a fan in the green house. Meg and Jen uses very fine artists brushes too.

speaking of greenhouses.....can one build a greenhouse over a small (8x10') raised bed ....and garden all winter? I'm thinking in TN

yup really cheap all the way to ridiculously expensive.

If you go cheap let me know and we will show you several ways of building

hmmm...I wonder if I should try this year here...practice for TN and a real garden. I'm battling powdery mildew on my squach and cukes from all the rain...I'm afraid to spray anything...mostly because I dont want to kill the few lady bugs I have.

use a straight fungicide and you can ask at gardenweb.com for more details.

Do you have a farm and ranch store near you?

we have some garden centers...besides home depot...not really farming centers unless I travel. I brought some leaves to the local center...thats how I found out I have the mildew....I bought a bottle of fungicide. I sprayed once but have been afraid to do it again because I have other pests...saw little red spiders and something is eating holes in my leaves....and I want to encourage the lady bugs. I just found some info and a recipe for powdery mildew using baking soda, epsom salt and plant oil. Maybe that will work.