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MacPhail VJ, Hatfield R, Colla SR. Bumble Bee Watch community science program increases scientific understanding of an important pollinator group across Canada and the USA. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303335. [PMID: 38776282 PMCID: PMC11111064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
In a time of increasing threats to bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus), it is important to understand their ecology and distribution. As experts are limited in resources to conduct field surveys, there is potential for community scientists to help. The Bumble Bee Watch (BBW) community science program involves volunteers taking photos of bumble bees in Canada and the USA and submitting them, along with geographic and optional plant information, to a website or through an app. Taxon experts then verify the bee species identification. The Bumble Bees of North America database (BBNA) stores data (no photographs) collected and identified by more traditional scientific methods over the same range. Here we compared BBW data to BBNA data over all years and just 2010-2020 to understand the scientific contribution of community scientists to the state of the knowledge about native bumble bees. We found that BBW had similar geographic and species coverage as BBNA. It had records from all 63 provinces, states, and territories where bumble bees occur (including four more than BBNA in 2010-2020), and represented 41 of the 48 species in BBNA (with ten more species than BBNA in 2010-2020). While BBW contributed only 8.50% of records overall, it contributed 25.06% of all records over 2010-2020. BBW confirmed the persistence of species and identified new locations of species, both inside and outside of the previously known extent of occurrences. BBW also contributed a wealth of ecological information, such as unique plant genera and species data for almost all the bee species. Thus, while BBW had fewer bee records than the BBNA database overall, it helped to fill in data gaps and provided novel information, complementing the traditional methods. This community science program is valuable in helping to inform conservation management for bumble bee species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria J MacPhail
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Hatfield
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Portland, Oregan, United States of America
| | - Sheila R Colla
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Pyke GH, Prendergast KS, Ren Z. Pollination crisis Down-Under: Has Australasia dodged the bullet? Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10639. [PMID: 37915803 PMCID: PMC10615657 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Since mid-1990s, concerns have increased about a human-induced "pollination crisis." Threats have been identified to animals that act as plant pollinators, plants pollinated by these animals, and consequently human well-being. Threatening processes include loss of natural habitat, climate change, pesticide use, pathogen spread, and introduced species. However, concern has mostly been during last 10-15 years and from Europe and North America, with Australasia, known as Down-Under, receiving little attention. So perhaps Australasia has "dodged the bullet"? We systematically reviewed the published literature relating to the "pollination crisis" via Web of Science, focusing on issues amenable to this approach. Across these issues, we found a steep increase in publications over the last few decades and a major geographic bias towards Europe and North America, with relatively little attention in Australasia. While publications from Australasia are underrepresented, factors responsible elsewhere for causing the "pollination crisis" commonly occur in Australasia, so this lack of coverage probably reflects a lack of awareness rather than the absence of a problem. In other words, Australasia has not "dodged the bullet" and should take immediate action to address and mitigate its own "pollination crisis." Sensible steps would include increased taxonomic work on suspected plant pollinators, protection for pollinator populations threatened with extinction, establishing long-term monitoring of plant-pollinator relationships, incorporating pollination into sustainable agriculture, restricting the use of various pesticides, adopting an Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management approach, and developing partnerships with First Nations peoples for research, conservation and management of plants and their pollinators. Appropriate Government policy, funding and regulation could help.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham H. Pyke
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East AsiaKunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversityRydeNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Kit S. Prendergast
- School of Biological Sciences & BiotechnologyMurdoch UniversityPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Zong‐Xin Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East AsiaKunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
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3
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Cruz SM, Grozinger CM. Mapping student understanding of bees: Implications for pollinator conservation. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M. Cruz
- Department of Communication Arts & Sciences Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
| | - Christina M. Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
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4
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Anderson AG, Costner L, Best L, Langellotto GA. The bee fauna associated with Pacific Northwest (USA) native plants for gardens. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron G. Anderson
- Department of Horticulture Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Lucas Costner
- Department of Horticulture Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Lincoln Best
- Department of Horticulture Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
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5
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The potential consequences of 'bee washing' on wild bee health and conservation. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 18:30-32. [PMID: 35399591 PMCID: PMC8989764 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Concern around declining bee populations globally has become an environmental issue of mainstream importance. Policymakers, scientists, environmental non-government organizations, media outlets and the public have displayed great interest in conservation actions to support pollinators. As with many environmental causes, green washing, or in this case ‘bee washing’, has become rampant. Bee washing can lead to multiple negative consequences, including misinformation, misallocation of resources, increasing threats and steering public understanding and environmental policy away from evidence-based decision-making. Here I will discuss the multiple potential consequences of bee washing on efforts to conserve declining wild bees and promote wild bee health. Concern around declining bee populations globally has become an environmental issue of mainstream importance. Policymakers, scientists, environmental non-government organizations, media outlets and the public have displayed interest in conservation action to support pollinators. ‘Bee washing’, has become rampant. Narratives and actions tend to focus on low-hanging fruit, actions which are easy to address and/or the selling of commercial items where industry benefits but the species of concern do not. Negative consequences include misinformation, misallocation of resources, increasing threats and steering environmental policy away from evidence-based decision-making.
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Stout JC, Dicks LV. From science to society: implementing effective strategies to improve wild pollinator health. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210165. [PMID: 35491595 PMCID: PMC9058532 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a substantial increase in scientific, public and political interest in pollinator health and many practical conservation efforts, incorporating initiatives across a range of scales and sectors, pollinator health continues to decline. We review existing pollinator conservation initiatives and define their common structural elements. We argue that implementing effective action for pollinators requires further scientific understanding in six key areas: (i) status and trends of pollinator populations; (ii) direct and indirect drivers of decline, including their interactions; (iii) risks and co-benefits of pollinator conservation actions for ecosystems; (iv) benefits of pollinator conservation for society; (v) the effectiveness of context-specific, tailored, actionable solutions; and (vi) integrated frameworks that explicitly link benefits and values with actions to reverse declines. We propose use of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) conceptual framework to link issues and identify critical gaps in both understanding and action for pollinators. This approach reveals the centrality of addressing the recognized indirect drivers of decline, such as patterns of global trade and demography, which are frequently overlooked in current pollinator conservation efforts. Finally, we discuss how existing and new approaches in research can support efforts to move beyond these shortcomings in pollinator conservation initiatives. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane C Stout
- School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Lynn V Dicks
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
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7
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Abstract
AbstractInvertebrates comprise the most diversified animal group on Earth. Due to their long evolutionary history and small size, invertebrates occupy a remarkable range of ecological niches, and play an important role as “ecosystem engineers” by structuring networks of mutualistic and antagonistic ecological interactions in almost all terrestrial ecosystems. Urban forests provide critical ecosystem services to humans, and, as in other systems, invertebrates are central to structuring and maintaining the functioning of urban forests. Identifying the role of invertebrates in urban forests can help elucidate their importance to practitioners and the public, not only to preserve biodiversity in urban environments, but also to make the public aware of their functional importance in maintaining healthy greenspaces. In this review, we examine the multiple functional roles that invertebrates play in urban forests that contribute to ecosystem service provisioning, including pollination, predation, herbivory, seed and microorganism dispersal and organic matter decomposition, but also those that lead to disservices, primarily from a public health perspective, e.g., transmission of invertebrate-borne diseases. We then identify a number of ecological filters that structure urban forest invertebrate communities, such as changes in habitat structure, increased landscape imperviousness, microclimatic changes and pollution. We also discuss the complexity of ways that forest invertebrates respond to urbanisation, including acclimation, local extinction and evolution. Finally, we present management recommendations to support and conserve viable and diverse urban forest invertebrate populations into the future.
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de Graaf D, Bencsik M, De Smet L, Neumann P, Schoonman M, Sousa JP, Topping C, Verbeke W, Williams J, van Dooremalen C. B-GOOD: Giving Beekeeping Guidance by cOmputatiOnal-assisted Decision making. RESEARCH IDEAS AND OUTCOMES 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/rio.8.e84129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A key to healthy beekeeping is the Health Status Index (HIS) inspired by EFSA’s Healthy-B toolbox which we will make fully operational, with the active collaboration of beekeepers, by facilitating the coordinated and harmonised flow of data from various sources and by testing and validating each component thoroughly. We envisage a stepby-step expansion of participating apiaries, and will eventually cover all EU biogeographic regions. The key to a sustainable beekeeping is a better understanding of its socio-economics, particularly within local value chains, its relationship with bee health and the human-ecosystem equilibrium of the beekeeping sector and to implement these insights into the data processing and decision making. We will fully integrate socio-economic analyses, identify viable business models tailored to different contexts for European beekeeping and determine the carrying capacity of the landscape. In close cooperation with the EU Bee Partnership, an EU-wide bee health and management data platform and affiliated project website will be created to enable sharing of knowledge and learning between scientists and stakeholders within and outside the consortium. We will utilise and further expand the classification of the open source IT-application for digital beekeeping, BEEP, to streamline the flow of data related to beekeeping management, the beehive and its environment (landscape, agricultural practices, weather and climate) from various sources. The dynamic bee health and management data platform will allow us to identify correlative relationships among factors impacting the HSI, assess the risk of emerging pests and predators, and enable beekeepers to develop adaptive management strategies that account for local and EU-wide issues. Reinforcing and establishing, where necessary, new multi-actor networks of collaboration will engender a lasting learning and innovation system to ensure socialecological resilient and sustainable beekeeping.
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9
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DiDonato S, Gareau BJ. Be(e)coming pollinators: Beekeeping and perceptions of environmentalism in Massachusetts. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263281. [PMID: 35286308 PMCID: PMC8920284 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In an era of mass extinction and biodiversity crisis, it is increasingly crucial to cultivate more just and inclusive multispecies futures. As mitigation and adaption efforts are formed in response to these crises, just transitions forward require intentional consideration of the hybrid entanglement of humans, human societies, and wider landscapes. We thus apply a critical hybridity framework to examine the entanglement of the pollinator crisis with the cultural and agricultural practice of hobbyist beekeeping. We draw on ethnographic engagements with Massachusetts beekeepers and find apiculture to be widely understood as a form of environmentalism-including as both a mitigation to and adaptation for the pollinator crisis. Illustrating how power-laden socioecological negotiations shape and reshape regional environments, we then discuss how this narrative relies on the capitalistic and instrumental logics characteristic of Capitalocene environmentalisms. These rationalities, which obscure the hybridity of landscapes, consequently increase the likelihood of problematic unintended consequences. Also present, however, is a deeper engagement with hybrid perspectives, with some beekeepers even offering pathways toward inclusive solutions. We conclude that if more just and biodiverse futures are to be realized, beekeeping communities must foster increasingly hybrid visions of apiculture as situated within socioecological and contested landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra DiDonato
- Sociology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States of America
| | - Brian J. Gareau
- Sociology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States of America
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10
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Iwasaki JM, Hogendoorn K. How protection of honey bees can help and hinder bee conservation. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 46:112-118. [PMID: 34091098 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators are globally recognised for their role in ecosystem function and reports of pollinator declines are a source of public and academic concern. However, pollinator decline is often erroneously interpreted as if crop pollination services are under threat, which can lead to misguided efforts to protect introduced and/or widespread crop pollinating species that are not in decline, without addressing the needs of other imperilled species. The honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) in particular has widespread recognition for its role as an integral agricultural pollinator and is the focus of many pollinator campaigns. However, we argue outside of their native range that honey bees are inappropriate as umbrella or flagship species for the conservation of pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay M Iwasaki
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia.
| | - Katja Hogendoorn
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
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11
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Zaragoza-Trello C, Vilà M, Bartomeus I. Interaction between warming and landscape foraging resource availability on solitary bee reproduction. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2536-2546. [PMID: 34143425 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Solitary bees comprise around 90% of bee species, playing an essential role in both wild and crop plant pollination. Bee populations are jeopardized by different global change pressures such as climate change and landscape transformation. However, the interactive effects of global change components have been little explored, especially for solitary bees. We conducted a factorial experiment using artificial nest-traps to analyse the combined effect of climate warming and landscape transformation on Osmia bicornis reproduction and offspring body size. The number of bee cocoons increased with temperature and flower abundance in the landscape. However, the sex ratio was biased towards males with warming, especially at low flower abundances. Male body size increased with temperature. Conversely, female body sizes showed strong interactive responses, increasing in size with high flower abundance in the landscape, but only at low temperatures. The abortion rate of larvae and parasitization were not significantly affected by neither flower abundance nor temperature. Because the body size of females in O. bicornis is key for the next generation's progeny success, our results indicate that the simultaneous exposure to a shortage of floral resources and high temperatures may have adverse direct fitness effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Montserrat Vilà
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.,Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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12
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Burns KL, Fitzpatrick Ú, Stanley DA. Public perceptions of Ireland’s pollinators: A case for more inclusive pollinator conservation initiatives. J Nat Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.125999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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13
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Sponsler DB, Bratman EZ. Beekeeping in, of or for the city? A socioecological perspective on urban apiculture. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B. Sponsler
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology BiocenterUniversity of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
- Department of Botany The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Philadelphia PA USA
| | - Eve Z. Bratman
- Department of Earth & Environment Franklin & Marshall College Lancaster PA USA
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14
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Des Roches S, Brans KI, Lambert MR, Rivkin LR, Savage AM, Schell CJ, Correa C, De Meester L, Diamond SE, Grimm NB, Harris NC, Govaert L, Hendry AP, Johnson MTJ, Munshi‐South J, Palkovacs EP, Szulkin M, Urban MC, Verrelli BC, Alberti M. Socio-eco-evolutionary dynamics in cities. Evol Appl 2021; 14:248-267. [PMID: 33519968 PMCID: PMC7819562 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cities are uniquely complex systems regulated by interactions and feedbacks between nature and human society. Characteristics of human society-including culture, economics, technology and politics-underlie social patterns and activity, creating a heterogeneous environment that can influence and be influenced by both ecological and evolutionary processes. Increasing research on urban ecology and evolutionary biology has coincided with growing interest in eco-evolutionary dynamics, which encompasses the interactions and reciprocal feedbacks between evolution and ecology. Research on both urban evolutionary biology and eco-evolutionary dynamics frequently focuses on contemporary evolution of species that have potentially substantial ecological-and even social-significance. Still, little work fully integrates urban evolutionary biology and eco-evolutionary dynamics, and rarely do researchers in either of these fields fully consider the role of human social patterns and processes. Because cities are fundamentally regulated by human activities, are inherently interconnected and are frequently undergoing social and economic transformation, they represent an opportunity for ecologists and evolutionary biologists to study urban "socio-eco-evolutionary dynamics." Through this new framework, we encourage researchers of urban ecology and evolution to fully integrate human social drivers and feedbacks to increase understanding and conservation of ecosystems, their functions and their contributions to people within and outside cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Des Roches
- Department of Urban Design and PlanningUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Kristien I. Brans
- Department of BiologyLaboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and ConservationKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Max R. Lambert
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - L. Ruth Rivkin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaONCanada
- Centre for Urban EnvironmentsUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaONCanada
| | - Amy Marie Savage
- Department of BiologyCenter for Computational and Integrative BiologyRutgers UniversityCamdenNJUSA
| | - Christopher J. Schell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and SciencesUniversity of Washington TacomaTacomaWAUSA
| | - Cristian Correa
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos NaturalesInstituto de Conservación Biodiversidad y TerritorioUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
- Centro de Humedales Río CrucesUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
| | - Luc De Meester
- Department of BiologyLaboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and ConservationKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Institute of BiologyFreie UniversitätBerlinGermany
- Leibniz Institut für Gewasserökologie und BinnenfischereiBerlinGermany
| | - Sarah E. Diamond
- Department of BiologyCase Western Reserve UniversityClevelandOHUSA
| | - Nancy B. Grimm
- School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - Nyeema C. Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Lynn Govaert
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Department of Aquatic EcologySwiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyDuebendorfSwitzerland
| | - Andrew P. Hendry
- Department of BiologyRedpath MuseumMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
| | - Marc T. J. Johnson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaONCanada
- Centre for Urban EnvironmentsUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaONCanada
| | - Jason Munshi‐South
- Department of Biological Sciences and Louis Calder CenterFordham UniversityArmonkNYUSA
| | - Eric P. Palkovacs
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta CruzCAUSA
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New TechnologiesUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Mark C. Urban
- Center of Biological Risk and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsCTUSA
| | - Brian C. Verrelli
- Center for Life Sciences EducationVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVAUSA
| | - Marina Alberti
- Department of Urban Design and PlanningUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
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15
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Ford AT, Ali AH, Colla SR, Cooke SJ, Lamb CT, Pittman J, Shiffman DS, Singh NJ. Understanding and avoiding misplaced efforts in conservation. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2020-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Conservation relies on cooperation among different interest groups and appropriate use of evidence to make decisions that benefit people and biodiversity. However, misplaced conservation occurs when cooperation and evidence are impeded by polarization and misinformation. This impedance influences actions that directly harm biodiversity, alienate partners and disrupt partnerships, waste resources, misinform the public, and (or) delegitimize evidence. As a result of these actions, misplaced conservation outcomes emerge, making it more difficult to have positive outcomes for biodiversity. Here we describe cases where a failed appreciation for cooperation, evidence, or both have eroded efforts to conserve biodiversity. Generally, these case studies illustrate that averting misplaced conservation requires greater adherence to processes that elevate the role of evidence in decision-making and that place collective, long-term benefits for biodiversity over the short-term gains of individuals or groups. Efforts to integrate human dimensions, cooperation, and evidence into conservation will increase the efficacy and success of efforts to conserve global biodiversity while benefiting humanity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T. Ford
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Abdullahi H. Ali
- Hirola Conservation Programme, PO Box 1774, Garissa 70100, Kenya
| | - Sheila R. Colla
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Steven J. Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Clayton T. Lamb
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Jeremy Pittman
- School of Planning, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - David S. Shiffman
- New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale, AZ 85051, USA
| | - Navinder J. Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
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16
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Vierssen Trip N, MacPhail VJ, Colla SR, Olivastri B. Examining the public's awareness of bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidae: Anthophila) conservation in Canada. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nyssa Vierssen Trip
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change York University Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Victoria J. MacPhail
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change York University Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Sheila R. Colla
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change York University Toronto Ontario Canada
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17
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Public Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Invasive Forest Pest Prevention Programs in Urban Areas. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11101056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Invasive forest pests can cause environmental and economic damage amounting to billions of dollars (US) in lost revenues, restoration and response costs, and the loss of ecosystem services nationwide. Unfortunately, these forest pests do not stay confined to wildland forest areas and can spread into suburban and urban areas, imposing significant costs on local governments, homeowners, and management agencies. In this study, a contingent valuation experiment is used to estimate Florida residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) a monthly utility fee that would protect urban forests from invasive pests by implementing a monitoring and prevention program for their early detection and eradication. On average, the respondents are WTP US $5.44 per month to implement the surveillance program, revealing an aggregate WTP in the order of US $540 million per year. The results also reveal that respondents are sensitive to the scope of the program, with higher rates of participation and higher WTP for a program that is more effective at preventing forest pest invasions.
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18
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Hall DM, Martins DJ. Human dimensions of insect pollinator conservation. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 38:107-114. [PMID: 32375115 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Insect pollinators are becoming visible to societies. Many peer-reviewed papers evidence biophysical and ecological aspects of managed and non-managed insect pollinators. Evidence on stressors of declines yield peer-reviewed calls for action. Yet, insect pollinator declines are inherently a human issue, driven by a history of land-use trends, changes in technologies, and socio-cultural perceptions that unwittingly cause and perpetuate declines. Conservation requires integrating social and ecological understandings to reconfigure human behaviors across societies' sectors. We review recent literature on the social and cultural dimensions of insect pollinators. People now like bees. We discuss the social challenges and opportunities that accompany this newfound public enthusiasm. These include the generalization of honey bees as representative of bee diversity and pollinator conservation issues, the changing perceptions of pollinators, the paucity of policy research, and how any call to 'save the bees' must be a call to stabilize agriculture. We call for greater coordination among biological and socio-cultural researchers to advance insect pollinator conservation practices and policies fit for the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damon M Hall
- School of Natural Resources; Department of Biomedical, Biological & Chemical Engineering, University of Missouri, USA.
| | - Dino J Martins
- Mpala Research Centre, Kenya; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, USA
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Ropars L, Dajoz I, Fontaine C, Muratet A, Geslin B. Wild pollinator activity negatively related to honey bee colony densities in urban context. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222316. [PMID: 31513663 PMCID: PMC6742366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As pollinator decline is increasingly reported in natural and agricultural environments, cities are perceived as shelters for pollinators because of low pesticide exposure and high floral diversity throughout the year. This has led to the development of environmental policies supporting pollinators in urban areas. However, policies are often restricted to the promotion of honey bee colony installations, which resulted in a strong increase in apiary numbers in cities. Recently, competition for floral resources between wild pollinators and honey bees has been highlighted in semi-natural contexts, but whether urban beekeeping could impact wild pollinators remains unknown. Here, we show that in the city of Paris (France), wild pollinator visitation rates are negatively correlated to honey bee colony densities present in the surrounding landscape (500m -slope = -0.614; p = 0.001 -and 1000m -slope = -0.489; p = 0.005). Regarding the morphological groups of wild pollinators, large solitary bee and beetle visitation rates were negatively affected by honey bee colony densities within a 500m buffer (slope = -0.425, p = 0.007 and slope = - 0.671, p = 0.002, respectively) and bumblebee visitation rates were negatively affected by honey bee colony density within a 1000m buffer (slope = - 0.451, p = 0.012). Further, lower interaction evenness in plant-pollinator networks was observed with high honey bee colony density within a 1000m buffer (slope = -0.487, p = 0.008). Finally, honey bees tended to focus their foraging activity on managed rather than wild plant species (student t-test, p = 0.001) whereas wild pollinators equally visited managed and wild species. We advocate responsible practices mitigating the introduction of high density of honey bee colonies in urban environments. Further studies are however needed to deepen our knowledge about the potential negative interactions between wild and domesticated pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Ropars
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
- Institut d’Ecologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris UMR 7618) Equipe Ecologie et Evolution des réseaux d’interactions, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS-SU, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Dajoz
- Institut d’Ecologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris UMR 7618) Equipe Ecologie et Evolution des réseaux d’interactions, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS-SU, Paris, France
| | - Colin Fontaine
- Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR 7204), CNRS-Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle-SU, Paris, France
| | - Audrey Muratet
- Agence Régionale de la Biodiversité en Île-de-France (ARB ÎdF), Paris, France
- Laboratoire Image, Ville, Environnement (LIVE UMR 7362), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Benoît Geslin
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
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Belsky J, Joshi NK. Impact of Biotic and Abiotic Stressors on Managed and Feral Bees. INSECTS 2019; 10:E233. [PMID: 31374933 PMCID: PMC6723792 DOI: 10.3390/insects10080233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale declines in bee abundance and species richness over the last decade have sounded an alarm, given the crucial pollination services that bees provide. Population dips have specifically been noted for both managed and feral bee species. The simultaneous increased cultivation of bee-dependent agricultural crops has given rise to additional concern. As a result, there has been a surge in scientific research investigating the potential stressors impacting bees. A group of environmental and anthropogenic stressors negatively impacting bees has been isolated. Habitat destruction has diminished the availability of bee floral resources and nest habitats, while massive monoculture plantings have limited bee access to a variety of pollens and nectars. The rapid spread and increased resistance buildup of various bee parasites, pathogens, and pests to current control methods are implicated in deteriorating bee health. Similarly, many pesticides that are widely applied on agricultural crops and within beehives are toxic to bees. The global distribution of honey bee colonies (including queens with attendant bees) and bumble bee colonies from crop to crop for pollination events has been linked with increased pathogen stress and increased competition with native bee species for limited resources. Climatic alterations have disrupted synchronous bee emergence with flower blooming and reduced the availability of diverse floral resources, leading to bee physiological adaptations. Interactions amongst multiple stressors have created colossal maladies hitting bees at one time, and in some cases delivering additive impacts. Initiatives including the development of wild flower plantings and assessment of pesticide toxicity to bees have been undertaken in efforts to ameliorate current bee declines. In this review, recent findings regarding the impact of these stressors on bees and strategies for mitigating them are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Belsky
- Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, 319 Agricultural Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Neelendra K Joshi
- Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, 319 Agricultural Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
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Alaux C, Le Conte Y, Decourtye A. Pitting Wild Bees Against Managed Honey Bees in Their Native Range, a Losing Strategy for the Conservation of Honey Bee Biodiversity. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
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Abstract
In this paper, we propose a new approach—understood as a whole-of-community approach—to address a dualistic and dysfunctional human/nature relationship. Of particular concern is the decline in health and numbers of the insects that pollinate an estimated 90 percent of the Earth’s flora and an estimated 35 percent of global crop volume. Specifically, bees provide the majority of biotic pollination and play a critical role in food crop pollination. Multiple factors are contributing to this growing problem including a changing climate. In 2016, the International Commission on Stratigraphy agreed that the concept of the Anthropocene—the human epoch—is of sufficient scale to be considered part of the geological time scale. This indicates that these crises are not random or passive—they are largely the direct result of human activities. Despite decades of awareness of these socio-ecological issues, they continue to worsen. In addition, the growing awareness of the critical role of pollinators is creating a new understanding of our interconnectedness with the “natural” world. We introduce the Bee City movement as a way to operationalize a whole-of-community approach. Individual action is critical, but addressing pollinator health in these forums legitimizes and provides an institutional space for otherwise fringe, or even marginalized, activities and more coherent spaces for habitat creation.
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